POETRY English 11 Mrs

Poetry / Figurative Language

DEFINITION: Poetry is simply a shared experience between the poet and the reader. It is a communication to make the reader more aware of something the poet considers to be important or unusual.

I. TYPES: There are three general types by which to sort poetry. These are not hardened categories as they sometimes overlap. A. narrative poetry: tells a story (ballads) B. lyric: emphasizes the personal thoughts and feelings of the poet (songs, sonnets, odes, elegies) C. dramatic: the poet adopts the persona (“mask”) of another person, the focus being on the character of that speaker (dramatic monologues, soliloquies)

II. DENOTATION VERSUS CONNOTATION: Denotation is merely the dictionary meaning of a word while connotation is what the word suggests. For example, “childish” and “childlike” by definition both mean, “having the qualities of a child” while the first suggests the negative connotation and the second, the positive connotation.

III. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: Figures of speech are used to take the reader beyond the LITERAL level of meaning. For example, if we say to a friend, “go, girl,” we do not intend for her to go away but are showing support or admiration for her. There are many figure of speech used to enhance meaning. A. simile: a comparison between essentially unlike things, using “like” or “as”. Eg. He is as solid as a rock. B. metaphor: a comparison between essentially unlike things NOT using “like” or “as”. Eg. He is a rock. C. symbol: something that stands for something other than what it already is. Eg. a A flag is a piece of cloth but it also represents a country. A dove is a bird but it also stands for love and peace. D. personification: giving human characteristics to non-human forms. Eg., The wind screamed through the trees, warning us of the coming storm. E. hyperbole: overstatement to emphasize a point. Eg. He’s so cheap that he won’t spend a cent on his girlfriend! F. understatement , saying less than one means. Eg. After a riverboat accident, Mark Twain said, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” G. paradox: an apparent contradiction that is nevertheless true. Eg. We love to see a vicious villain in a suspense film. John insists he loves vegetables- but hates onions! H. oxymoron: a compressed paradox. Eg. a victory that is “bittersweet” or “jumbo shrimp,” “friendly fire” I. irony: a discrepancy between literal meaning and what is said, expected, or seen. 1.verbal irony: saying the opposite of what is meant. Eg. A student scores 100% on a math quiz and the teacher jokes that he is the “worst “ in the class. 2. situational irony: when things are the opposite or inappropriate to what is expected. Eg. The worst speller in one’s English class is the teacher! 3. dramatic irony: when the reader or audience knows something one or more characters do not. Eg. We know that Juliet only appears to be dead (after taking the potion), but Romeo does not. J. allusion: a specific reference to something else, usually 1. mythological, eg. He is as strong as Atlas (holding up the world) 2. biblical, eg. He is as patient as Job (never complaining when God constantly tests his faith) 3. historical, eg. He is like Hitler in the classroom (dictatorial, threatening) 4. literary, eg. Their love was like Romeo and Juliet’s (passionate, rash, deadly) 5. contemporary, eg. She’s as honest as Alanis Morisette (brutally direct)

V. IMAGERY: Imagery is the representation of sense experience; images may appeal to one or a combination of our five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. Images often make the writing more memorable for the reader. Eg., “...a mile of sea-scented beach” appeals to our sense of smell; “...waves crashing on the rocks,” to hearing; or “...white caps foaming over the waves,” to sight.

VI. SOUND DEVICES: Word patterns create tone and rhythm. A. refrain: repetition of lines or verses B. rhyme: repetition of sounds, often at the end of lines C. meter: rhythm of lines made by accented and unaccented syllables of words D. alliteration: repetition of first consonants (“sleeping silently”) E. assonance: repetition of vowel sounds (“free and easy”) F. onomatopoeia: words that suggest their meanings (“splat,” “buzz,” “hum,” “greasy”) G. stanza or verse: structural division, any separation to divide the poem

VII. QUESTIONS TO ASK when discussing any poem include: A. What is the LITERAL meaning, what is the poem basically about? B. What is the significance of the title? C. Who is the speaker? What is his tone? What is his purpose? To whom and of what does he speak? D. Does the poet use a specific type (narrative, lyric, dramatic) or form of poetry (see sub- categories)? E. Does the poem have VERISIMILITUDE, is it “true to life”? Is it memorable? F. Is the imagery effective? G. What figures of speech emphasize the poet’s meaning? sound devices? H. Is the setting or time of the poem important? I. Does your interpretation of the poem and its theme fit the facts or “jump to conclusions”?

(handout created by Steve and Patty Whalen)