Writing 1 and 2—January 21, 2016 Journal #12: Make a list of 15 things that make you happy. Once you finish your list, discuss with your group some of the sound devices (alliteration) and figurative language (simile, metaphor, imagery) that you highlighted in the poem, “Home Burial.” Tomorrow is the last day to submit the “Snowden Essay” before it becomes a permanent zero.
Poetry Devices 1 st person POV—the speaker in “Afire Love” uses first person pronouns: “I”, “my” 3 rd person POV—”He’s a cold hearted snake” 3 rd person omniscient POV—”Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea/And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honali/Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff/And brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff” rhyme scheme—first stanza of “Afire Love” is AAABBCCC rhyme scheme alliteration—paint it with a pen simile—”I’m gonna love you/like I’m gonna lose you” metaphor—”And we set alight/we’re afire love” imagery—”black suit black tie standing in the rain” mood—the mood of “Afire Love” shifts between the verses and the chorus; the verses are sad as the speaker discusses his grandfather’s disease and death; the chorus is more upbeat as the speaker’s father discusses the love the grandparents had for each other. tone—the speaker’s attitude toward the subject of his grandfather’s disease and death is one of sadness and pain; as a child, the speaker felt pain when his grandfather couldn’t recognize him, and he felt pain when he lost his grandfather. theme—According to Sheeran’s song “Afire Love,” grief is something that you can experience at any age, but the memories you have can make the grief less painful or sharing your pain with others can make the grief less painful.
Close Reading of Poems 1 st Reading: Notes on form (stanzas, lines, syllables, POV) 2 nd Reading: Notes on rhyme scheme and sound devices 3 rd reading: Notes on figurative language
“Janet Waking” and “Home Burial” Briefly summarize each poem. What connects these poems and what makes them different? What is the point of view in each poem and how does it impact the poem? What would change about the poem if the point of view changed? What is the mood of the poem? What specific diction contributes to the mood? What is the tone of the speaker in each poem? What specific diction contributes to the tone? What do these poems suggest about grief? – transmogrify—v. transform, especially in a surprising or magical manner. “the cucumbers that were ultimately transmogrified into pickles.”
Poem1 st Reading Form2 nd Reading Rhyme Scheme/Sound Devices 3 rd Reading Figurative Language “Janet Waking” 7 stanzas, four lines each (quatrains), pretty regular syllable pattern, but not consistent. Pattern still creates a very structured poem. The poem is written in 3 rd person limited. The speaker is Janet’s father. This is also a narrative poem and tells a story. ABBA rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme makes the topic of grief and death seem less intense and the rhythm is fairly upbeat. There are several places where alliteration is used: “droning down” (stanza 4); “stood up straight” (stanza 5) “deeply morning” is a play on words and could also mean “deeply mourning.” That Janet woke up and mourned her chicken, or her grief woke her up and matured her. “transmogrifying” means magical or surprising the use of this word indicates the father might be trying to make Janet feel better. The word “cried” in the third stanza has a happy connotation, and the word “crying” in stanza 6 has a negative connotation. In stanza 3, the mood shifts at the line “But alas,/Her old Chucky had died.”
Close Reading of Poems 1 st Reading: Notes on form (stanzas, lines, syllables, POV) 2 nd Reading: Notes on rhyme scheme and sound devices 3 rd reading: Notes on figurative language
“Grief” and “After great pain, a formal feeling comes” Prepare for Discussion: Describe each speaker’s attitude towards grief. Use evidence from the text to support your response. What connects these poems and what makes them different? What is the point of view in each poem and how does it impact the poem? What would change about the poem if the point of view changed? Highlight any literary devices in the poems, and be prepared to explain their function. What is the mood of the poem? What specific diction contributes to the mood? What is the tone of the speaker in each poem? What specific diction contributes to the tone? – transmogrify—v. transform, especially in a surprising or magical manner. “the cucumbers that were ultimately transmogrified into pickles.”