Poetry Analysis Understanding the poem

LINEATION AND STANZAS Line length in formal verse. Do the lines appear to be about the same length, or are there patterns of short and long lines organized in stanzas? (In formal verse written in English, line length is usually counted in units called “metrical feet.” For instance, lines containing five metrical feet are called “pentameter” lines. Most sonnets contain 14 pentameter lines.) Line length in a free verse poem. Do you see patterns or modulation in line length? Do lines get gradually longer or gradually shorter? Does line length somehow correspond to the content?

LINEATION AND STANZAS o Line breaks. Why do the lines break where they do? Be aware of how line breaks can contribute to such artistic effects as rhythm, energy, suspense, and ambiguity. End-stopped and Enjambed lines. Count the number of enjambed lines (lines without punctuation at the end). Does the poem have more end-stopped lines or more enjambed lines? This is related to the poet’s decisions about line breaks. The liberal use of enjambment creates a more open, flowing feeling. o Stanzas. Do the stanzas contain a set number of lines? Do they follow a pattern of longer and shorter lines? Do they have any particular shape? In a free verse poem, what function do the stanza breaks (blank lines between the stanzas) serve?

Conventions of Meaning: Diction, Figurative Language, and Speech Acts Diction. Poetry can be written in high, middle, and low diction. High diction is the most elevated language. Low diction is the most colloquial or common language. Words and word families. Consider the etymologies and connotations of words carefully. Look for words related to each other by etymology, sound, or appearance. Look up word etymologies in the Oxford English Dictionary. Figurative language. Consider the use of figures of speech such as metaphor, simile, oxymoron, synecdoche, metonymy, hyperbole, allegory, etc. Speech acts. A poem can be analyzed as a sequence of speech acts. Speech acts are particular forms of address such as apology, exhortation, apostrophe, lament, etc.

Sound, Rhythm, and Repetition Words: sound & weight. Do you see sound patterns such as alliteration, assonance, or consonance? Be aware that all syllables are not equal in weight; some take longer to say than others. Patterns in either sound or weight are significant aspects of technique. End rhyme and internal rhyme. End rhyme, which is more common in formal verse than in free verse, occurs when rhyming words appear at the ends of lines. Look for patterns of end rhyme; such patterns are called the “rhyme scheme.” Internal rhyme occurs when rhyming words appear anywhere other than the ends of lines. Slant rhyme (or “near rhyme”). Notice the use of inexact rhymes. Such “slant rhymes” or “near rhymes” do not stand out as much as exact rhymes

Rhythm Meter (formal verse). The rhythm of formal verse is more-or-less regular, and its pattern is called “meter.” Do some research on the Internet for tips on how to determine the meter and analyze the rhythm of formal verse. Rhythm (free verse). The rhythm of a free verse poem is irregular, and for this reason it is not possible to determine metrical feet; nevertheless, you can still mark the stresses or hear more-or-less subtle rhythms. How does rhythm serve the feeling and sense of the poem?

….and Repetition Punctuation. Is punctuation missing where you expect it, or present in ways you don’t expect? Does the poet use line breaks to suggest punctuation? Does punctuation tend to occur at the ends of lines or in the middle of lines? (This is related to the practice of enjambment. See above.) Repetition of words, phrases and lines. Repetition can serve to enforce—more or less subtly, depending on how obvious it is— ideas and emotions. It is also an aspect of rhythm. Repetition of words and phrases at the beginnings of lines is called anaphora, and a poem composed of a number of lines that all begin the same way participates in a tradition the goes back to ancient oratory, the Bible and the liturgy. Repetition of Syntactical Structures. Look at the sentences in the poem. Are they short, long, or some combination? Do you see patterns in sentence structure? Does the poet use a number of rhetorical questions or antithetical statements, for instance?

Visual Effects Graphic Format. Look at the poem on the page. Notice its general shape, as well as the shapes of the stanzas. Does the poet manipulate the graphic or visual aspect of the poem with unexpected capitalization, variations in font or font-size, spacing, etc.? Capitalization. Is capitalization missing where you expect it (as in e.e. cumming’s poems), or present where you wouldn’t expect it? Be aware of the ways in which unexpected capitalization can shift the function of a word or make it ambiguous.

Assignment Read your poem and complete the TPCASTT Use Facts on File or Gale to access at least one literary criticism of the title and one biography of the author. Cite your source in your power point Power point rubric will be uploaded by Wednesday on the web site.

Where to Find? Facts on File and Gale Name is “northwesths” Password is “Texans” Login to blue lit book is