POETRY

An extension of the human

experience
What is poetry?
• It can be best defined as a type of
rhythmic, compressed language
that uses figures of speech and
imagery to appeal to the reader’s
emotions and imagination.
• Poetry is an extension of a poet’s
thoughts and feelings.
What are the different kinds of
poetry?
• Ballad- song or song-like poem
that tells a story
• Blank verse-poetry written in
unrhymed iambic pentameter
• Free verse- Poetry that does not
have a regular meter or rhyme
scheme
Types cntd.
• Haiku- Japanese verse form
consisting of three lines and
usually seventeen syllables
• Lyric- Poetry that expresses a
speaker’s emotions or thoughts
and does not tell a story
Types cntd.
• Epic- long narrative poem that
relates the great deeds of a larger-
than-life hero who embodies the
values of a particular society
Types cntd.
• Sonnet- Fourteen-line lyric poem
usually written in iambic
pentameter. There are two types
of sonnets, Italian (or Petrarchan)
and Shakespearean (or English).
What can we learn from poetry?
• The poet’s personal beliefs
• Cultural beliefs of a time period
• Historical events from the poet’s
perspective
• We, as the readers, can gain a
better introspect about ourselves.
Reading elements within poetry
• Simile- Figure of speech that
compares two seemingly unlike
things by using words such as like,
as, than, or resembles
• Metaphor- like a simile BUT does
NOT use like, as, than, or
resembles. Three types: Implied,
Direct, and Extended
Reading elements cntd.
• Onomatopoeia- Use of a word
whose sound imitates or suggests
its meaning
• Alliteration- Repetition of the same
sound or same consonant sounds
in words that are close together
Reading elements cntd.
• Allusion- Reference to a
statement, a person, a place, an
event, or a thing that is known
from literature, history, religion,
myth, politics, sports, science, or
the arts.
• Ex: Et tu, Brutus? -Julius Caesar,
Shakespeare
Reading elements cntd.
• Personification- Type of metaphor
in which a nonhuman thing or
quality is talked about as if it were
human.
• Symbolism- Person, place, thing,
or event that stands for both itself
and something beyond itself
Reading elements cntd.
• Mood- A story’s atmosphere or the
feeling it evokes from the reader.
• Tone- The attitude a writer takes
toward a subject, character, or the
reader.
Real life connections with poetry
• Name a song, any song.
• TA DA! You just found an example of poetry that
bombards you day after day. Here’s a great example of
poetry and the elements of poetry within songs.
• Greeting cards are another form of poetry.
Regular Project
• Project due January 22
• You will compile a poetry notebook that will include the
following elements:
• You will be given a section in which you will create at least 2 forms
of your own poetry
• You will include four poems of your own selection that we have not
read in class.
• You will highlight any poetic terms used in the poem.
• You will label the highlighted term.
Honors Project
• Project due January 22
• You will compile a poetry notebook that has a common
subject (love, hate, hope, etc.) and that will include the
following elements:
• You will include a poem that is a “black out” poem and explain why
you selected the words and phrases that you did.
• You will be given a section in which you will create at least 2 forms
of your own poetry
• You will include three poems of your own selection that we have
not read in class.
• You will highlight any poetic terms used in the poem.
• You will label the highlighted term.