Poetry Analysis with Miss Massey

Poetic Devices  Meaning Figurative Language Form/Structure Similes Metaphor Personification Imagery Sound/Rhyme Punctuation Stanzas/Breaks Many more, but these apply to our poem today. Tone

“Composed on Westminster Bridge: September 3rd, 1802” by William Wordsworth Earth has not anything to show more fair: Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty: This City now doth, like a garment, wear The beauty of the morning; silent, bare, Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie Open unto the fields, and to the sky; All bright and glittering in the smokeless air. Never did sun more beautifully steep In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill; Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep! The river glideth at his own sweet will: Dear God! the very houses seem asleep; And all that mighty heart is lying still!

What’s the Form/Structure? Petrarchan Sonnet: an Italian 14 line poem in which the first 8 lines make one point and the next 6 lines make another point. In those last 6 lines, there is something called a turn. The rhyme scheme is abba, abba (8 lines), then cdecde (6 lines) or cdcdcd (6 lines). The turn is the moment when the poem “turns” the discussion to make the final strong point of the argument. *A turn will come between lines 8-9. What do you think a turn is?

“Composed on Westminster Bridge: September 3rd, 1802” by William Wordsworth Earth has not anything to show more fair: Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty: This City now doth, like a garment, wear The beauty of the morning; silent, bare, Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie Open unto the fields, and to the sky; All bright and glittering in the smokeless air. Never did sun more beautifully steep In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill; Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep! The river glideth at his own sweet will: Dear God! the very houses seem asleep; And all that mighty heart is lying still! Turn?

Figurative Language… Imagery: words/phrases that help you visualize the scene the way that the poet wants you to see it. How does Wordsworth want you to see London? Think about adjective use. Similes/Metaphors: what is the City (*London) or are parts the City said to be like? What similes/metaphors does Wordsworth use to show you how he feels about London? Personification: is anything personified throughout this poem? Think about what is given attributes that a person could have…

“Composed on Westminster Bridge: September 3rd, 1802” by William Wordsworth Earth has not anything to show more fair: Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty: This City now doth, like a garment, wear The beauty of the morning; silent, bare, Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie Open unto the fields, and to the sky; All bright and glittering in the smokeless air. Never did sun more beautifully steep In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill; Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep! The river glideth at his own sweet will: Dear God! the very houses seem asleep; And all that mighty heart is lying still!

“Composed on Westminster Bridge: September 3rd, 1802” by William Wordsworth *Simile/Metaphor* Earth has not anything to show more fair: Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty: This City now doth, like a garment, wear The beauty of the morning; silent, bare, Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie Open unto the fields, and to the sky; All bright and glittering in the smokeless air. Never did sun more beautifully steep In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill; Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep! The river glideth at his own sweet will: Dear God! the very houses seem asleep; And all that mighty heart is lying still! Figurative Language Discussion

“Composed on Westminster Bridge: September 3rd, 1802” by William Wordsworth *Imagery* Earth has not anything to show more fair: Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty: This City now doth, like a garment, wear The beauty of the morning; silent, bare, Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie Open unto the fields, and to the sky; All bright and glittering in the smokeless air. Never did sun more beautifully steep In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill; Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep! The river glideth at his own sweet will: Dear God! the very houses seem asleep; And all that mighty heart is lying still! Figurative Language Discussion

“Composed on Westminster Bridge: September 3rd, 1802” by William Wordsworth *Personification* Earth has not anything to show more fair: Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty: This City now doth, like a garment, wear The beauty of the morning; silent, bare, Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie Open unto the fields, and to the sky; All bright and glittering in the smokeless air. Never did sun more beautifully steep In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill; Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep! The river glideth at his own sweet will: Dear God! the very houses seem asleep; And all that mighty heart is lying still! Figurative Language Discussion

“Composed on Westminster Bridge: September 3rd, 1802” by William Wordsworth So, what is Wordsworth’s point? What does he want us to understand about London? So.. What would you say his tone in his poem is? Does he like London? What does he say in his poem that tells us this? Which devices did Wordsworth use that you liked the best? TONE: Reverent, Awestruck, Proud (maybe, not as strong…) Content, Dreamy