what is poetry?

What is poetry?• It means many things to many people.

• “Its the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.”

• "Poetry is what makes me laugh or cry or yawn, what makes my toenails twinkle, what makes me want to do this or that or nothing."

Poetic Terms

Rhyme

RhymesSpaghetti! Spaghetti

Spaghetti! Spaghetti!You’re wonderful stuff,I love you, spaghetti,I can’t get enough.You’re covered with sauceAnd you’re sprinkled with cheese,Spaghetti! Spaghetti!Oh, give me some please.Jack Prelutsky

Simile

SimileA figure of speech involving a comparison

between unlike things using like, as, or as though.

Example: "My love is like a red, red rose.““She is glowing as bright as the sun.”

Metaphor

MetaphorA comparison between essentially unlike things

without an explicitly comparative word such as like or as.

Example: "My love is a red, red rose,““He is a stone wall”

Onomatopoeia

OnomatopoeiaThe use of words to imitate the sounds they

describe. Words such as buzz and crack are onomatopoetic.

Example:POW! BAM! SNAP!

Alliteration

AlliterationThe repetition of consonant sounds, especially

at the beginning of words.

Example:

- She sells sea shells by the sea shore. (An old tongue-twister).

Bugs Bunny

• Baseball Bugs: "Watch me paste this pathetic

palooka with a powerful paralyzing perfect

pachydermous percussion pitch!"

Personification

Personification A poetic device giving human attributes to an

inhuman thing (animal).Example:

- "The tree jumped into the road in front of my car"- "With an evil scowl, the storm cloud thundered its disapproval"- The car froged ahead with determination.

Assonance

Assonance• The repetition of similar vowels in the

stressed syllables of successive words.• Example: Reeses Pieces

HyperboleA figure of speech involving exaggeration.

Example:I’ve told you a million times!I haven’t talked to you in forever!

Imagery

Imagery• Involves one or more of your 5 senses

(hearing, taste, touch, smell, sight)• An author uses a word or phrase to stimulate

your memory of those senses. • These memories can be positive or negative

which will contribute to the mood of a poem.

Example of RhythmHumpty Dumpty sat on a wallHumpty Dumpty had a great falland of all the king’s horses and all of the King’s men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Practice Your Rhythm

Clankity Clankity Clankity Clank!Ankylosaurus was built like a tank,Its hide was a fortress as sturdy as steel,It tended to be an inedible meal.

It was armored in front, it was armored behind,There wasn’t a thing on its minuscule mind,It waddled about on its four stubby legs,Nibbling on plants with a mouthful of pegs.

Ankylosaurus was best left alone, Its tail was a cudgel of gristle and bone,Clankity Clankity Clankity Clank!Ankylosaurus was built like a tank. By: Jack Prelutsky

Symbol

Oxymoron

Oxymoron• Contradictory terms appear side by side.

Example: - “A yawn may be defined as a silent yell.”- Open secret- Living dead- Hell’s Angels- Jumbo shrimp

Repetition

Repetition• A word or a sentence that is used for than

once.Example:Inside the ocean

I see fish.Inside the wavesI hear a splash.Inside the waterI felt a fish.It seems so big,as big as a whale.It has to be,But then I see,It's a tuna fish.

I Wanna Hold your Hand

I Want to Hold your HandOh yeah, I'll tell you somethingI think you'll uderstand, When I say that something, I wanna hold your hand,I wanna hold your hand,I wanna hold your hand.

Oh please say to meYou'll let me be your man, And please say to me, You'll let me hold your hand,Now let me hold your hand.

And when I touch you I feel happy inside, It's such a feeling That my love I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide.

Yeah you got that something, I think you'll understand, When I say that something,I wanna hold your hand, I wanna hold your hand, I wanna hold your hand.

Yeah you got that something, I think you'll understand, When I feel that something, I wanna hold your hand, I wanna hold your hand, I wanna hold your hand.

--J. Lennon/P. McCartney

Allusion

Allusion• Stimulates ideas, associations and extra

information in the reader’s mind with only a word or two.

• Means ‘reference’

• It relies on the reader being able to understand the allusion and being familiar with all of the meaning hidden behind words.

Allusion• Ex: “Christy didn’t like to spend money. She

was no Scrooge, but she seldom purchased anything except the bare necessities.”

• Allusion: Scrooge. Image should be someone who pinches pennies.

Allusion• Carlos used Herculean strength to lift the sofa

off his cat’s tail.• Allusion: Hercules. Someone who is very strong.

Point of View

The job of the poet is to bring the reader/listener into the position of the poet;

make them the creator of the action. • The most obvious point of view is probably first person or "I."

• The omniscient narrator knows everything, may reveal the motivations, thoughts and feelings of the characters, and gives the reader information.

• With a limited omniscient narrator, the material is presented from the point of view of a character, in third person.

• The objective point of view presents the action and the characters' speech, without comment or emotion. The reader has to interpret them and uncover their meaning.

Symbolism

Meter

• A rhythm of accented and unaccented syllables which are organized into patterns, called feet. In English poetry, the most common meters are these:

• Iambic: a foot consisting of an unaccented and accented syllable. Shakespeare often uses iambic, for example the beginning of Hamlet's speech (the accented syllables are italicized), "To be or not to be. Listen for the accents in this line from Marlowe, "Come live with me and be my love." English seems to fall naturally into iambic patterns, for it is the most common meter in English.

• Trochaic: a foot consisting of an accented and unaccented syllable. Longfellow's Hiawatha uses this meter, which can quickly become singsong (the accented syllable is italicized): "By the shores of GitcheGumeeBy the shining Big-Sea-water."

Different types of

What is a Rhyming Poem?• A rhyming poem is a verse poem that

contains rhyming words at the end of certain lines.

Example:

Night time by Lee Bennet Hopkins

How do dreams know when to creepinto my headwhen I fall offto Sleep?

The Purpose of Rhyming Poems

• Rhyming poems are used mainly for humor. These poems are fun to read.

• Lets see some more poems with rhymes.

Rhyming Scheme• Common rhyme schemes are: ABAB, ABCD. If

you have more than one verse you could consider: AABA BBCB CCDC etc. or similar.

What is Rhythm?• Any poem has the chance of having rhythm.• A poem has rhythm if the reader of the poem

gives the poem rhythm.• For a poem to have rhythm, it has to be read

following a pattern with its syllables. For example:da, da, dadada da da, da, da, dadada da da,da, da, dadada da da, da, da, dadada da da.

Stanza• A fix number of lines of verse forming a unit of

a poem.• Each stanza is its own unit.• Indicates a break between thoughts, actions

or concepts.

• Some different types of stanzas are...

Couplet• Stanzas of only 2 lines that usually rhyme.

Example:Whether or not we find what we are seeking is

idle, biologically speaking.

The Couplet

Quatrain• Four line stanza.

Oh the birds are singing,

In a nest of broken sticks,

Look what they are bringing,

It's nutrition for their chicks.

Cinquain• Five line stanza.

• 1st line: one word giving the title.• 2nd line: 2 words describing the title.• 3rd line: 3 words describing the action.• 4th line: 4 words describing the feeling.• 5th line: another word for the title.

DogBlack and WhiteWags his tailFun to play withFriend.

HamburgersThick, juicyDelicious, scrumptious, yummyBetter still with relishMcDonalds

Haiku

• Write about everyday things.• Themes: nature, feelings or experiences.• Simple words and grammar.• No rhyme....they paint. (imagery)

3 lines.• 1st line: 5 syllables.• 2nd line: 7 syllables.• 3rd line: 5 syllables.

• A Rainbow.Curving up, then down.Meeting blue sky and green earth.Melding sun and rain.

• NatureFrogs jumping aroundFrogs hopping away from snakesFrogs doing cool tricks.

Verse• One line of poetry.

Found Poem• Each word in the poem has been ‘found’ and

put together to make a poem. For example, I am currently sitting on my couch, and will write for you a found poem:

27, Innocent Man, Canadian,How to attract more love200 mg, exact.

Stream of Consciousness

Response• Write as many thoughts and feelings as we can without worrying about spelling or grammar.

• All the thoughts in our heads; these thoughts and feelings happen so fast we often don’t write them down.

• The Addict

The Problem Maker• Ask ask ask (asking questions)

• To understand poems it is important to ask questions about details in the poem.

• 5 W’s

• Who? What? When? Where? Why?

Ask as many questions as you can...

But As the hand of love

Freely extendedAlways returnsCovered with scars(if not nailed to the cross),It is not stupid to refuse the cureIt is not stupidTo remain paralyzed,Stuck on the pallet.ButIt is boring.

Concrete Poem• 2 types:

1) A free verse poem in the shape of what it is describing or in the shape of something related to the topic.

2) A one word poem in the shape of what it is.

Concrete

Narrative• Plot• Short or long• Tells a story• “A story told in poetic form”

• SUMMER Why am I here?

I told them not to sign me up.I ran out of 6th period yesterdayKnowing a journey had begun.

Mighty Ducks was so cool last night.Jumping up and down on the bed.Singing We Are The Champions.

Now I am here in camp.First day-Sitting on the groundAs the other kids talk.

Wait a minute--bright idea…Opening my bag, I take out the Super Soaker.Squirt! -smile- Two kids are wet.I run as they come after me.

The Counselor sees me.This cute girl sees me—wow, she’s hot.Squirt! She’s wet :)

This camp might not be so bad.Just one week and I’ll be done…

In the gym, some days aheadWe are playing basketball.My ball bounces off the rim and rolls to a big kid.

I squirted you!He grabs my ball and punts it across the court.Hey! Not fair.

• Maybe he was mad because at lunch I wasAlso trying to talk to this girl we both liked.She gave me a kiss on the cheek.Lip next time, ohh yeah!

Friday, yes, Friday—almost there.Pool day.We travel to a place where other campers meet.

Everyone jumps in.I wait and cannonball. Water splashes! Commotion!-Contests-

The bigger splash.Pouring “rain”.Pool tackling.The big guy comes after me under the pool.

Thank you, goggles.I see other kids underwater.Some jumping down in many bubbles.

The girl,whoa! The girl from lunch!She kisses me under the water.Ohh yeah!

I got my wish….(I’m a bird flying towards the sun in sweet bliss—harmony------wait..wait!)The big kid grabs me out from underwater, goggles slide off.He throws me to the other side of the pool. My, he’s strong.Bodybuilder wanna-be!!

Climbing out of the poolThe breeze welcomes me.I pose my muscles amid the watery chaos (hggh!)I am the Champion.

Free Verse

Free Verse• Doesn't have to have a rhyme scheme or

rhythm. • The theme is the most important.• It pays less attention to the normal

grammatical patterns of the English sentence.• Sentence fragments may be used.• Should have impact on the reader.• The arrangement is well thought out

The Ballad• Ballad Poems are poems that tells a story similar

to a folk tale or legend and often has a repeated refrain. A ballad is often about love and often sung. A ballad is a story in poetic form.

• Death

• Supernatural

• Simple language• Narrative• Repetition• Rhyme• Song like• Dialogue• Folk• Literary

Cats in the Cradle

• 5 line poem• Rhyme: AABBA• Funny

An Example of a LimerickWhat is a limerick, Mother?

It's a form of verse, said brother In which lines one and two

Rhyme with five when it's through And three and four rhyme with each other.

author unknown

LimerickThere was an Old Man in a tree,

Who was horribly bored by a Bee;When they said, 'Does it buzz?'

He replied, 'Yes, it does!''It's a regular brute of a Bee!'

LimerickThere was a Young Lady whose chin,

Resembled the point of a pin;So she had it made sharp,

And purchased a harp,And played several tunes with her chin.

LimerickThere was an Old Man with a nose,

Who said, 'If you choose to suppose,That my nose is too long,You are certainly wrong!'

That remarkable Man with a nose

diamante• 1 word- subject• 2 words- adjectives• 3 words- participles (ing)• 4 words- nouns• 3 words- participles• 2 words- adjectives• 1 word- noun (opposite or example of the

subject)

OrnamentGlistening, bright

Hanging, sparkling, fallingTinsel, popcorn, lights, berries

Shining, breaking, crackedWrecked, ruined

Star

Tanka• Japanese poetry.• 5 lines with a total of 31 syllables.• 5-7-5-7-7 division.• Nature and seasons.

Where is the white snow? (5)It is time for it I know? (7)I go on looking (5)On the hill, over the brook (7)But the snow is hiding still (7)

Types of Rhyming PoemsThere are many types of rhyming poems. Here are names of some of them:

•The Couplet•The Limerick•The Ballad Stanza (including the short and long)

•Octaves