SOCPHA Poetry Analysis

The 4 Components of Every Poem S peaker O ccasion C entral P urpose H ow It’s A chieved

Speaker The voice behind the poem – whoever is speaking or telling the poem. May or may not have a name, age, gender, etc. Look for and provide as many details as possible to describe the speaker. “Someone who…” NEVER assume the poet is the speaker.

Occasion The events and/or details taking place in the poem. Whatever is occurring and/or whatever the speaker is experiencing throughout the course of the poem.

Central Purpose Select only ONE for each poem. To tell a story To paint a picture To convey an attitude or idea To express a mood or emotion Be specific! “To tell a story of…”, “To paint a picture of…”, “To convey an attitude or idea of…”, “To express a mood or emotion of…”

Central Purpose For a poem TO TELL A STORY, it must…  Contain the five elements of every story: characters, setting, mood, theme, and plot.  Exist for the primary reason of telling that story. For a poem TO PAINT A PICTURE, it must…  Contain a great deal of imagery.  Note: Although it is often possible to visualize what is taking place in a poem, this should only be the central purpose if the poem does not also tell a story, convey an attitude/idea, or express a mood/emotion.

Central Purpose For a poem TO CONVEY AN ATTITUDE OR IDEA, it must…  Speak to the mind.  Teach a moral or lesson and/or cause us to think so that we can better understand some thought or concept. For a poem TO EXPRESS A MOOD OR EMOTION, it must…  Speak to the heart.  Help us to feel and/or experience the mood of the poem, such as love, joy, fear, etc.

Central Purpose “Central” means main or most important; therefore, there can only be ONE central purpose for each poem. Though many poems may seem to fit more than one central purpose – for example, you may be able to visualize the events of the poem but also experience a strong emotion from it – it is up to you to determine the main and most important objective of the poem.

How It’s Achieved The poetic devices used in the poem that create meaning and enhance understanding. These include, but are not limited to, the following: simile, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, alliteration, end rhyme, internal rhyme, etc. You should locate at least three different poetic devices in every poem you read.

S: O: CP: HA: Use SOCPHA to analyze the following poems.

Willow & Ginkgo Eve Merriam The willow is like an etching, Fine-lined against the sky. The ginkgo is like a crude sketch, Hardly worthy to be signed. The willow’s music is like a soprano, Delicate and thin. The ginkgo’s tune is like a chorus With everyone joining in. The willow is sleek as a velvet-nosed calf; The ginkgo is leathery as an old bull. The willow’s branches are like silken thread; The ginkgo’s like stubby rough wool. The willow is like a nymph with streaming hair; Wherever it grows, there is green and gold and fair. The willow dips to the water, Protected and precious, like the king’s favorite daughter. The ginkgo forces its way through gray concrete; Like a city child, it grows up in the street. Thrust against the metal sky, Somehow it survives and even thrives. My eyes feast upon the willow, But my heart goes to the ginkgo.

A Willow and a Ginkgo

Mother to Son Langston Hughes Well, son, I’ll tell you: Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. It’s had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor – Bare. But all the time I’se been a-climbin’ on, And reachin’ landin’s, And turnin’ corners, And sometimes goin’ in the dark Where there ain’t been no light. So, boy, don’t you turn your back. Don’t you set down on the steps ‘Cause you finds it kinder hard. Don’t you fall now – For I’se still goin’, honey, I’se still climbin’, And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.