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UNIT THREE: POETRY

Form and Structure

 Form  Refers to external patterns of a poem  Including the way lines and stanzas are organized  Structure  Organization of images, ideas and words to present a unified impression or an idea to the reader

Example

The mother smiled to know her child was in a sacred place, but that smile was the last smile to come upon her face. --Dudley Randall, from “Ballad of Birmingham”

Language of Poetry

 Imagery  Figurative

Analyzing Imagery  When you analyze imagery, it is very important to avoid simply ‘listing’ the images that the poet uses.  For each image you discuss, you should consider:  What type of image is being used?  Why this particular image is being used?  What the effect of this image is on the reader?  How the image contributes to the poem as a whole?  You should suggest a possible interpretation of an image rather than stating your ideas as definite.

Figurative Language

 Figure of Speech  A word or an expression that is not literally true but expresses some truth beyond the literal level. o Simile o Metaphor o Personification o Hyperbole

Types of Simile

 Simile 1.  Where one thing is said to be like another  Simile 2.  Where one thing is said to be as … as a

Simile 1

 Simile 1.  Where one thing is said to be like another, for instance: “The sun looked like a golden coin in the sky.” In this example, the sun is being compared to something that looks similar, i.e. the golden coin.

Practice with these examples

 These similes are taken out of context, you will need to create your own inferences about the effects they might create within a poem:  “The moon shone as brightly as the stars.”  “The cat was as black as the night.”  “The man cried like a baby.”  “The house was as silent as the grave.”  “The tree was gnarled and bent, like an old man.”

Metaphor

 Compares two or more things by implying that one thing is another  They do not use like or as  rather than saying that something is like another, a metaphor says it actually is that thing.  can create a far more powerful effect than similes, because they are so definite in their comparison.

Analyzing Metaphors

 When discussing metaphors, and the effects they create in poetry  Describe the ‘word picture’ you see in your mind, and how the links you associate with that picture add to the poem.  For example: In the last metaphor, the girl’s face is described as a book, suggesting that her emotions are visible, just as print is in a book. By saying that he can ‘read’ the girl’s face, the poet strengthens the image. “Her face was a book, he could read her every thought and emotion.”

Practice Analyzing Metaphors

 These metaphors are taken out of context, you will need to decide on the effects that they might create within a poem:  “The cat slunk his way through the dustbins, a black panther deadly in his intentions.”  “Life is a blank page, waiting for us to write on it.”  “My love is the sunshine in my life, brightening up my day.”

Example

 “The house sat proudly on the land, its windows were eyes watching over its kingdom.”

• In this example, the house is personified.
• Clearly, a house does not ‘sit’, nor does it feel ‘proud’, whilst a person does.
• The image is developed further as the windows are described as ‘eyes watching’.

Analyze Personification

 “The pen ran quickly over her page, jumping from word to word as though rushing to finish a race.”  “The sun climbed wearily into the sky, pushing its way through the black clouds and attempting to smile.”