POETRY 9: MEANING

I. Meaning--the experience the poem expresses

A. Distinction between "total meaning" and "prose meaning" .

1. "Total Meaning"--the complete experience of the poem on all levels: multidimensional,

involving the whole person--senses, emotion, imagination--as well as intelligence

2. "Prose Meaning"

a. that part of the poem's that can be formed as a paraphrase (a restatement of the
poem's literal meaning)

b. the prose meaning is no more the poem than a plum is a pie or a prune is a plum

c. it may not necessarily be an idea but rather a

(1) story

(2) description

(3) statement of emotion

(4) presentation of human character

(5) combination of these

B. Examples

1. "Porphyria's Lover" (877) tells a story

2. "The Eagle" by Tennyson is primarily descriptive

3. "The Widow's Lament" (716) is an expression of emotion

4. "My Last Duchess" is an account of character

Meaning is the experience that expresses in a poet.

1. Total Meaning: