Poetry Unit Notes – Lit/Comp 09

Poetry One of the three major genres o

(others are prose-fiction, nonficti
Poems use concise, musical, and
charged language.
Poems are divided into lines and
often employ regular rhythmical
Poetry should be read at least tw
enjoyment and a second time to
evaluate.
Analyze using F Ÿ I Ÿ S Ÿ T
FORM Analyze FORM to determine pos
and to recognize type of poem
Arrangement of the words on th
Stanza  A formal division of lines in a poe
considered as a unit. Stanzas are
spaces
  Set-form poems have distinct sta
is instantly recognizable to the re
usually symmetrical
 Stanzas are usually named by th
lines
 Couplet – a two-line stanza
 Quatrain – a four-line stanza
 Sestet – a six-line stanza
 Octave – an eight-line stanza
Meter  The rhythmical pattern of a poem
 Rhythm - Is the pattern of beats
spoken or written language. Som
have a very specific pattern

 To determine meter, you must sc

Scanning means marking the str
unstressed syllables. A strong st
syllable is marked with a ( ' ). An
 syllable is marked with a ( ˘ ). Th
and unstressed syllables are then
vertical lines into groups called f
types of feet most common in En
are:
 Iamb – a foot with one unstresse
followed by a stressed syllable, a
“again”
 Trochee – a foot with a stressed
followed by an unstressed syllab
“wonder”
 Anapest – a foot with two unstre
followed by one strong stress, as
“on the beach”
 Dactyl – a foot with one strong s
by two unstressed, as in the wor
 Spondee – a foot with two stron
such as the word “spacewalk”
  Depending on the type of foot t
common in them, lines of poetr
described as iambic, trochaic, a
Lines  Lines of poetry are also describe
the number of feet that occur in
Some examples include:
 Monometer – verse written in o
 Dimeter – verse written in two-f
 Pentameter – verse written in fiv
(this is the most common type o
Pentameter)
Set-  Poems that have a set style for li
form stanza, subject matter, etc
Poems 1. Lyric Poetry – Poetry that do
story but is aimed at expressing
emotions or thoughts. Most lyri
short and imply a single strong e
These poems rely heavily on the
 they create with words.
2. English Sonnet – 14-line lyric
in rhymed iambic pentameter. It
three quatrains and a couplet. T
stanzas present different aspects
that the couplet answers. Subje
Romantic Love. Rhyming Patter
efef gg. William Shakespeare wa
is called the “Shakespearean Son
3. Italian Sonnet – 14-line lyric p
in iambic pentameter. It consists
and a sestet. The octave states a
asks a question. The sestet com
answers the question. The rhym
abbaabba cdecde. It is also som
referred to as a Petrarchan Sonn
4. Ode – A lyric poem that is lon
in nature written to a set structu
5. Narrative Poetry – Poetry tha
using simple language and repeti
6. Ballad – Song that tells a stor
usually tell sensational stories of
adventure. They are characteriz
rhythm and rhyme patterns so th
to memorize.
7. Elegy – a sad, thoughtful poe
the death of a person.
8. Epitaph – an inscription on a
mortuary monument written in p
deceased person.
9. Haiku – 3-line verse from orig
Japan. The first and third lines h
syllables and the second line has
syllables. The subject matter of
always some aspect of nature. C
must be on word choice.
 10. Limerick – a short humorous p
consisting of five lines. Lines 1, 2,
seven to ten syllables and rhyme w
other. Lines 3 and 4 have five to s
and also rhyme with each other. T
scheme is aabba.
Free Verse  Free verse is poetry not written i
rhythmical pattern or meter.
 Free verse seeks to capture the r
natural speech.
 It is the dominant form of contem
poetry
IMAGERY &  Analyze the Poet’s use of IMAG
FIGURATIVE FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE
Imagery  The use of language that appea
one or more of the five senses
Sight, Smell, Taste or Touch).
Metaphor  A comparison between two ob
the intent of giving clearer mea
one of them.
 Extended Metaphor – A subjec
or written of as though it were
else. It differs from a regular m
that several comparisons are m
Extended metaphors sustain th
comparison for several lines or
entire poem.
 A type of figurative language in
Personification nonhuman subject is given hum
characteristics.
Simile  A figure of speech in which like
used to make a comparison be
basically unlike ideas or items
SOUND  Using words to create a musica
DEVICES to verse. Sound devices can cr
and set tempo. The use of sou
makes a poem easier to memo
remember.
Rhyme  The repetition of sounds at the
words.
 End Rhyme – occurs when the
words come at the ends of line
 Internal Rhyme – occurs when
rhyming words appear in the s
 Slant Rhyme – is when the wo
rhyme exactly.
  Rhyme Scheme – is a regular p
rhyming words in a poem. The
scheme of a poem is indicated
different letters of the alphabe
new rhyme.
Alliteration  The repetition of initial conson
Assonance  The repetition of vowel sounds
Consonance  The repetition of consonant so
within and at the ends of word
 The process or creating or usin
Onomatopoeia that imitate sounds
THEME  The central idea or ideas that t
shares with the reader. It is us
universal idea about life or abo
and their actions.
 Most themes must be inferred
reader
 Different readers due to their l
 experiences can determine diff
themes for the same reading
EXTRA  Poetry also employs other liter
LITERARY elements you have already bee
ELEMENTS TO to include: Characterization, Ir
LOOK FOR Setting, Mood, Author’s Purpo
Author’s Tone, Irony, Style, etc