•Poets construct poems on purposePoets construct poems on purpose•Every word and space has meaningEvery word and space has meaning•All aspects (parts) of a poem All aspects (parts) of a poem contribute to the meaningcontribute to the meaning•Most poems Most poems
have many have many
layers to uncoverlayers to uncover
How They Put It Together
ELEMENTS TO ELEMENTS TO ANALYZEANALYZE
• Visual ElementsVisual Elements• Lyric DevicesLyric Devices• Literal MeaningLiteral Meaning• Figurative MeaningFigurative Meaning• ImageryImagery• Historical contextHistorical context• ThemeTheme
We look at these parts to determine the meaning of the poem—some poets do not make use of all devices.
As we investigate each part of the poem, we must ask, “why did the poet make use of this device?” “How does it contribute to the poem’s meaning?”
VISUAL VISUAL ELEMENTSELEMENTS• Before we even read, do we notice anything visually about the poem?
- Is the shape unique?
- Do we notice any different uses of punctuation or of another convention?
The Negro Speaks of RiversLangston Hughes
I've known rivers: I've known rivers: I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the
flow of human blood in human veins. flow of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers. My soul has grown deep like the rivers. I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep. sleep. I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.above it. I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln
went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset. bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I've known rivers: I've known rivers: Ancient, dusky rivers. Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the riversMy soul has grown deep like the rivers.
Shaped like the flow of a river
?
Night Practice
Iwill
rememberwith my breath
to make a mountain,with my sucked-in breath
a valley, with my pushed-outbreath a mountain. I will make
a valley wider than the whisper, Iwill make a higher mountain than the
cry,will with my will breathe a mountain. I
willwith my will breathe a valley. I will push
outa mountain, suck in a valley, deeper than
the shoutYOU MUST DIE harder, heavier, sharper a
mountain thanthe truth YOU MUST DIE. I will remember.
My breath willmake a mountain. My will will remember
to will. I, suck-ing, pushing, I will breathe a valley, I will
breathe a mountain.
May Swenson
Emily DickinsonEmily Dickinson
I Never Saw a MoorI Never Saw a Moor
5
in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little lame baloonman whistles far and wee
and eddyandbill come running from marbles and piracies
and it's
spring
when the world is puddle-wonderful
the queer
old baloonman
whistles far and wee
and bettyandisbel
e e cummingse e cummings
In Just--In Just--
Both of these poems make unique use of conventions—we call this poetic license
I never saw a moor, I never saw the sea; Yet know I how the heather looks, And what a wave must be. I never spoke with God, Nor visited in heaven; Yet certain am I of the spot As if the chart were given.
VISUAL VISUAL ELEMENTSELEMENTS• Do we notice that the poem has a Do we notice that the poem has a specific number of lines or stanzas?specific number of lines or stanzas?• Does the number Does the number
of lines or stanzas of lines or stanzas
make us think that make us think that
it might be a specific it might be a specific
kind of poem [like kind of poem [like
haiku or a sonnet?haiku or a sonnet?
VISUAL ELEMENTSVISUAL ELEMENTSWe give stanzas of specific line length names
coupletcouplet
quatrain quatrain
sestetsestet
octaveoctave
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,And summer's lease hath all too short a date:And summer's lease hath all too short a date:Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;And every fair from fair sometime declines,And every fair from fair sometime declines,By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;But thy eternal summer shall not fadeBut thy eternal summer shall not fadeNor lose possession of that fair thou owest;Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,When in eternal lines to time thou growest:When in eternal lines to time thou growest:So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,So long lives this and this gives life to thee.So long lives this and this gives life to thee.
Lyric devices are elements that a writer Lyric devices are elements that a writer makes use of to give his/her poem a makes use of to give his/her poem a pleasing soundpleasing sound
Think about the songs you like, or Think about the songs you like, or childhood stories, many of them had childhood stories, many of them had fun rhymes or repetitive soundsfun rhymes or repetitive sounds
Poetry is meant to be read out loud; Poetry is meant to be read out loud; therefore, it should sound pleasing to therefore, it should sound pleasing to the earthe ear
Rhyme is the most obvious lyric device• end rhyme• rhyme scheme (pattern)• internal rhyme• sight rhyme
Do you like green eggs and ham?
I do not like them
Sam-I-Am
I do not like Green Eggs
And ham.
We designate the end We designate the end sound with a letter of sound with a letter of the alphabet. Then we the alphabet. Then we use the letters to graph use the letters to graph a patterna pattern
Rhyme Scheme
Internal Rhyme
Sight Rhyme Internal Rhyme is rhyming within a line.
I awoke to I awoke to blackblack flakflak. .
Words that are spelled alike but that are pronounced differently—said and paid or again and rain.
Give me women, wine, and snuffUntil I cry out "hold, enough!"You may do so sans objectionTill the day of resurrection:
• Another important lyric device Another important lyric device is alliterationis alliteration• This is the repetition of same This is the repetition of same soundssounds• The words in a poem can start The words in a poem can start or end with the same soundor end with the same sound•AssonanceAssonance•Consonance Consonance
Six sleek swans swam swiftly southwards
• Repetition of words or phrases creates certain patterns or cadences of sound
The tide rises, the tide falls,The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;Along the sea-sands damp and brownThe traveler hastens toward the town,And the tide rises, the tide falls.
Darkness settles on roofs and walls,But the sea, the sea in darkness calls;The little waves, with their soft, white handsEfface the footprints in the sands,And the tide rises, the tide falls.
The morning breaks; the steeds in their stallsStamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;The day returns, but nevermoreReturns the traveler to the shore.And the tide rises, the tide falls.
The Tide Rises, the The Tide Rises, the Tide FallsTide Falls
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
LITERAL LITERAL MEANINGMEANING•Poems = many Poems = many layers of meaninglayers of meaning..• Literal meaning = first layer - Literal meaning = first layer - What is happening in the poem?What is happening in the poem?•What is the poem about?What is the poem about?•ParaphraseParaphrase [summarize in his/her [summarize in his/her own words]own words]• Long poems can be paraphrased Long poems can be paraphrased line by line or stanza by stanza in line by line or stanza by stanza in order to be understoodorder to be understood
FIGURATIVE FIGURATIVE MEANINGMEANING• Figurative devices contribute Figurative devices contribute to a deeper or secondary layer to a deeper or secondary layer of meaningof meaning•Metaphor/simileMetaphor/simile•AllusionAllusion•Symbolism Symbolism
METAPHORS AND METAPHORS AND SIMILESSIMILES
Metaphor Simile
He is a fox
The car is a cell
I am hot for her
She runs like the wind
Clouds like cotton candy
The rain is falling like cats and dogs.
A metaphor = direct comparison
A simile = indirect comparison.
The two objects in a metaphor are equal and the objects in a simile are
comparable
Allusion Allusion - - a reference to something outside the poem. Usually a reference to something outside the poem. Usually reference is mythological, biblical, historical, literary, or from current reference is mythological, biblical, historical, literary, or from current events.events.
Pollyanna—simplistically looks at the bright side (novel by Eleanor H. Porter)
Stork = associated with new births
“Tilting at windmills" = a literary allusion to the story of Don Quixote (by Miguel Cervantes)
Opening Pandora’s box = An act that might let loose many unforeseen and unmanageable problems —[Greek Mythology]
Symbolism Symbolism – when an object – when an object stands for another object or idea stands for another object or idea
Universal Universal SymbolsSymbols
Particular Particular SymbolsSymbols
When a symbol has basically the same meaning to people of various geographies, time periods and cultures
When a symbol has a unique meaning to a specific group of people and various meanings depending on the group interpreting it.
SymbolismSymbolismColors are often symbolic
RoyaltyNature/ecologyDeath/sorrowDanger
Purity/innocence
Other common symbols
As are seasons…
IMAGERYIMAGERYDetails which use the five senses to describe a vivid mental picture
"Holes in my confidence, holes in the knees of my jeans.”
--Paul Simon
"I was as empty of life as a
scarecrow's pockets." --Raymond Chandler
She may be the face I can't forget The trace of pleasure or regret May be my treasure or the price I have to pay She may be the song that summer sings May be the chill that autumn brings May be a hundred different things Within the measure of a day
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door." 'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door;Only this, and nothing more."
The Raven--Edgar Allan Poe
What images can you pick out of this poem? What tone do they evoke?
The Raven Edgar Allan Poe
When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom'd,And the great star early droop'd iun the western sky in the night,I mourn'd, and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.
Ever-returning spring trinity sure to me you bring,Lilac blooming perennial and drooping star in the west,
And thought of him I love.
--Walt Whitman If the reader didn’t know
this poem was written about Lincoln’s assassination, it
wouldn’t make as much sense.
POETRY IS AUDIO POETRY IS AUDIO EXPERIENCEEXPERIENCE
• But – before we do any of that But – before we do any of that
– we have to experience the poem– we have to experience the poem- we have to listen to the play of - we have to listen to the play of words and the rhythmwords and the rhythm• Think backwards from what you have Think backwards from what you have learned to do with poems.learned to do with poems.
So, what’s the Point?So, what’s the Point?
We analyze a poem We analyze a poem to find the meaning.to find the meaning.
We look at all of the We look at all of the parts to determine parts to determine the whole.the whole.
We pick it apart to We pick it apart to see what the poet see what the poet has hidden for us.has hidden for us.
WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE THEMETHEME
Theme = The message
What lesson, truth or message is the poet trying to impart to us? Usually it can be stated in one sentence. Theme is not the subject.
If you can point back to the poem and show where you got the theme, you cannot be wrong. However, some interpretations can be more right based on correct interpretation of symbolism, allusion or other parts of the poem.