An Introduction to Poetry Mrs. Blake

Definition of Poetry Poetry: genre of literature in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm.

Everything is Important in Poetry Poetry is the most compact(shortest) form of literature. In poetry, everything – the meaning and sounds of words, the line breaks, even the empty spaces – is designed to create an effect or to convey a message or an experience.

Poetry Terms: Speaker Speaker: The speaker of a poem is the voice that relates the ideas of story of the poem. Remember that the speaker is not necessarily the poet. Of course, poets sometimes write as themselves, speaking directly to the reader.

Poetry Terms: Form The distinct way a poem is laid out on the page is called the poem’s form. Poems are usually divided into lines, which may or may not be sentences. In some poems the lines are arranged in groups, called stanzas.

Poetry Terms: Sound Rhyme is: the repetition of the same or similar sounds that occur in two or more words, usually at the end of lines in poems or songs, as in suite, heat, and complete. A pattern of the end rhymes in a poem is called the poem’s rhyme scheme. To describe a rhyme scheme, you can assign each line a letter of the alphabet, starting with A for the first line and assign lines that rhyme the same letter.

Example of Rhyme Scheme

Poetry Terms: Sound Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. “The crew called their cool workers to do the job.”- the letter C is repeated/ “ck” sound. Example: _____________________ Assonance is a repetition of vowel sounds in non- rhyming words, as in “The name and fame of that tame tiger is amazing.” or “I am going to try to fly the plane.” Example: ________________________

Poetry Terms: Sound Onomatopoeia is the use of words that sound like what they refer to, like buzz, hiss, crunch, and thump.

Poetry Terms: Sound Rhythm is the pattern of sound created by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line. When the lines have a repeated rhythmic pattern it’s called meter.

Poetry Terms: Literary Devices Imagery is language that appeals to the reader’s sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. Figurative Language communicates ideas besides (not) the ordinary, literal meanings of the words, which are metaphorical. There are 3 basic types of figurative language.

Poetry Terms: Figurative Language Personification is the attribution of human qualities to an object, animal, or idea “The wind was screaming and howling.” For example: ___________________________ A simile is a comparison indicated by the word like or as- “She was as quick as a fox” or “He was as slow as a turtle.” A metaphor is a more direct comparison, as in “Abbey believed that life was a fashion show” or “The typical teenage boy’s room is a war zone.” For example: _____________________________

Tone Tone: The attitude of a writer towards a subject or audience conveyed through the choice of words. Examples: Cheerful, Sarcastic, Melancholy, Reflective, Lonely, Excited

Connotative vs. Denotative Meanings Connotative Meaning: Emotions and associations connected to a word. Depending on your experiences, it can have positive, negative or neutral meaning. Denotative Meaning: Literal meaning of a word http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of- connotative-words.html

Topic vs Theme Topic: The subject of the poem e.g. nature, the ocean, my family, America, basketball Theme: the deeper, central message or focus of a text/poem e.g. The complexity of nature is amazing or hope can comfort the soul