FIGURATIVE LAUNGUAGE

And poetry review

LYRIC POEMS

A lyric poem expresses the thoughts and feelings of a single speaker.

• Example: “A Funeral In My Brain” by Emily Dickenson

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,And Mourners to and froKept treading - treading - till it seemedThat Sense was breaking through –And when they all were seated,A Service, like aDrum –Kept beating - beating - till I thoughtMy Mind was going numb - 

ANGLO-SAXON POEMS

An Anglo-Saxon lyric poem, composed for easy memorization (given that they didn’t generally write things down), contain the following elements:

• Lines with regular rhythm• Caesuras, pauses for breath in the middle of lines

(shown either by punctuation or empty space)• Kennings, two-word poetic re-namings, like “whales’

home” for the sea.• Assonance, repeated vowel sounds in unrhymed,

stressed syllables• Alliteration, repeated initial consonant sounds in

stressed syllables

REGULAR RHYTHMS

rhythm: the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line.^ / ^ / ^ / ^ / ^ / ^ / ^ /

The falling out of faithfulfriends,

renewing is of love

REGULAR RHYTHMS

Oft to the wanderer, weary of exile

Cometh God’s pity, compassionate love.

Though woefully toiling on wintery seas

With churning oar in the icy wave,

Homeless and helpless he fled from fate.

from “The Wanderer”

CAESURAS

Pauses for breath in the middle of lines (punctuation or space)

Oft to the wanderer, weary of exile

Cometh God’s pity, compassionate love.

Though woefully toiling on wintery seas

With churning oar in the icy wave,

Homeless and helpless he fled from fate.

KENNINGS

Storms now batter these ramparts of stone;

Blowing snow and the blast of winter

Enfold the earth; night-shadows fall

Darkly lowering, from the north driving

Raging hail in wrath upon men.

from “The Wanderer”

Where’s the Kenning?

ASSONANCE

“Poetry is old, ancient, goes back far. It is among the oldest of living things. So old it is that no man knows how and why the first poems came.”Assonance is subtle… it’s more about creating tone and mood than being in-your-face poetic.

from “The Wanderer”

ASSONANCE

“Poetry is old, ancient, goes back far. It is among the oldest of living things. So old it is that no man knows how and why the first poems came.”Assonance is subtle… it’s more about creating tone and mood than being in-your-face poetic.

from “The Wanderer”

ALLITERATION

repeated initial consonant sounds in stressed syllables

Sea-birds bathing, with wings outspread,

While hailstorms darken, and driving snow,

Bitterer then is the bane of his wretchedness.

from “The Wanderer”

ALLITERATION

repeated initial consonant sounds in stressed syllables

Sea-birds bathing, with wings outspread,

While hailstorms darken, and driving snow,

Bitterer then is the bane of his wretchedness.

from “The Wanderer”

OTHERS TO LOOK FOR

Look for similies and metaphors in ALL writing, not just poetry.

• But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,Who is already sick and pale with grief,

• What’s the metaphor? Object A = Object B

OTHERS TO LOOK FOR

Look for similies and metaphors in ALL writing, not just poetry.

• But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,Who is already sick and pale with grief,

• What’s the metaphor? Object A = Object B• Juliet = the sun

OTHERS TO LOOK FOR

Metaphor or simile?

For a brief while your strength is in bloombut it fades quickly; and soon there will follow illness or the sword to lay you low,

from Beowulf

OTHERS TO LOOK FOR

Similie

“O my Luve's like a red, red rose

That's newly sprung in June;

O my Luve's like the melodie

That's sweetly played in tune.”

- Robert Burns

LANGUAGE

Be aware of denotation and connotation when it comes to the author’s word choice. It’s also incredibly important in setting the tone or mood of a piece.

• Denotation: the explicit or direct meaning or set of meanings of a word or expression

• Connotation: The emotional or cultural meaning attached to a word.

DENOTATION

Know the definitions of the words you are reading! The dictionary (and the Dictionary.com app) are your best friends. Denotation is easy if you’re willing to look stuff up (which you really, really should be).

“Even in slumber his sorrow assaileth.”• What does “assail” mean?• Assail: Make a concerted or violent attack on.

• What does “concerted” mean?• Jointly arranged, planned, or carried out;

coordinated.

DENOTATION

Even in slumber his sorrow assaileth.”• What does “assail” mean?• Assail: Make a concerted or violent attack on.

• What does “concerted” mean?• Jointly arranged, planned, or carried out; coordinated.

Suddenly, his sorrow becomes a living, calculating thing! It is violently and purposefully attacking this warrior! Much more terrible than saying “he was sad even when he was sleeping.”

LOOK THIS STUFF UP!

Even if you think you know!

CONNOTATION

The emotional or cultural meaning attached to a word.• SPECIFIC, PURPOSEFUL WORD-CHOICE

Con = Latin for “with,” so think “with other meaning”

Childlike, Youthful, Childish, Young

Disabled, Crippled, Handicapped, Retarded

Talkative, Conversational, Chatty, Nosy

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

I PROMISE YOU, EVERY WORD WAS CHOSEN DELIBERATELY. IT’S YOUR MISSION TO FIGURE OUT

WHY