Elements of Poetry 8th Grade Language Arts

Speaker The speaker is the voice of the poem. The speaker is NOT always the poet. The poet can be writing from someone else’s perspective.

Who is the speaker? Mitten Dreams feel In the summer like paws of snow leopards, paws of white tigers, paws of polar bears. -Civ Sedering Mitten Dreams In the summer we sleep in the attic, dreaming the mothballs into snowballs dreaming the air cold so your hands will want to hide inside the soft whie clouds of mittens, that would make your hands

Who is the speaker? Excerpt from “The Negro Mother” Children, I come back today To tell you a story of the long dark way That I had to climb, that I had to know In order that the race might live and grow. Look at my face -- dark as the night – Yet shining like the sun with love's true light. I am the dark girl who crossed the red sea Carrying in my body the seed of the free. I am the woman who worked in the field Bringing the cotton and the corn to yield. I am the one who labored as a slave, Beaten and mistreated for the work that I gave Children sold away from me, I'm husband sold, too. No safety, no love, no respect was I due. Three hundred years in the deepest South: But God put a song and a prayer in my mouth. God put a dream like steel in my soul. Now, through my children, I'm reaching the goal. -Langston Hughes

Tone Tone is the speaker’s attitude toward the subject of the poem. Look for clues in the language the writer uses to identify how the speaker feels about the subject.

Examples of Tone Negative Positive Angry Appreciative Annoyed Casual Bitter Bossy Cold Doubtful Frightened Melancholy Sarcastic Positive Appreciative Casual Cheerful Celebratory Friendly Funny Hopeful Playful Romantic

What is the speaker’s tone? Mitten Dreams In the summer we sleep in the attic, dreaming the mothballs into snowballs dreaming the air cold so your hands will want to hide inside the soft white clouds of mittens, that would make your hands feel like paws of snow leopards, paws of white tigers, paws of polar bears. -Civ Sedering

What is the speaker’s tone? Excerpt from “The Negro Mother” Children, I come back today To tell you a story of the long dark way That I had to climb, that I had to know In order that the race might live and grow. Look at my face -- dark as the night – Yet shining like the sun with love's true light. I am the dark girl who crossed the red sea Carrying in my body the seed of the free. I am the woman who worked in the field Bringing the cotton and the corn to yield. I am the one who labored as a slave, Beaten and mistreated for the work that I gave Children sold away from me, I'm husband sold, too. No safety, no love, no respect was I due. Three hundred years in the deepest South: But God put a song and a prayer in my mouth. God put a dream like steel in my soul. Now, through my children, I'm reaching the goal. -Langston Hughes

Theme The theme of a poem is the meaning, message, or moral about life that the poet is sharing. Examples of themes: “Be yourself” “Every person is of value” “Life isn’t easy”

Identify the theme Identify the theme of the following two poems: “Mitten Dreams” by Civ Sedering “The Negro Mother” by Langston Hughes