1. ENG202A Unit 1
Stories In Verse: Narrative Poems

2. Outline
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Outline Doc
3. Unit Objectives
Identify the characteristics of narrative poetry.
Identify sequence of events.
Identify rhyme scheme.
Identify alliteration.
Identify mood.
Identify figurative language.
Describe characters on the basis of speech, actions, or interactions with others.
Identify character traits and motivations.
Use context clues, word origins, and derivations to determine word meaning.
4. Characteristics of Narrative Poetry:
It is a poem that tells a story.
Narrative poems have several characters like a short story or novel.
They describe a conflict
The have a resolution to the problem/conflict.
They are often longer than other poems.
5. Sequence of Events:
This is the plot of the story and it usually involves a conflict.
Think of it as a timeline with certain events in the story happening at certain points on the timeline.
6. Rhyme Scheme:
A poem's rhyme scheme is the name given to the pattern of rhymes made by the final words or sounds in the lines of a poem.
When identifying the rhyme scheme of a poem, one typically designates a different letter of the alphabet to represent each rhyme. If a poet ends the first four lines with the words "cat," "hat," "car," and "star," the rhyme scheme for those first four lines would be AABB. The A rhymes are "cat" and "hat," and the B rhymes are "car" and "star."
7. Rhyme Scheme (cont.):
To determine the rhyme scheme of a poem, look at the last word of each line. The word or sound at the end of the first line is A. Any other lines that end with a word or sound that rhymes is also A. The next new rhyme is B, and so on.
8. Rhyme Scheme Example:
GLEE! The great storm is over!
Four have recovered the land;
Forty gone down together
Into the boiling sand.
What is the rhyme scheme?
Answer: ABCB
9. Rhyme Scheme Another Example:
I know that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate
Those that I guard I do not love;
What is the rhyme scheme?
Answer: ABAB
10. Alliteration
Alliteration is the use of words with the same or similar beginning sounds.
Alliteration affects how a poem sounds when it is read aloud.
Where is the alliteration in the following line?
Onto the sandy shores the stormy sea sent its waves.
Answer: It is the s sound.
11. Mood & Tone
Mood is the emotions or feelings that are conveyed in a work.
The mood in a poem about a birthday party is likely to be festive.
Tone is the writers attitude toward the topic or subject.
Example of tone: If a writer was describing a battle, and you could tell he approved of the outcome by the way he was describing the battle, the tone might be described as upbeat or positive.
12. Figurative Language - Irony
Irony is a word used to describe a situation in which what is expected to happen and what actually happens are very different.
Another way to think of irony is:
Literary technique which involves surprising, interesting or amusing contradictions.
13. Irony
There are 3 types of irony:
verbal ironyis when an author says one thing and means something else.
dramatic ironyis when an audience perceives something that a character in the literature does not know.
irony of situationis a discrepancy between the expected result and actual results.
14. Character Traits
Characters have unique attributes called traits. These are used to describe a character. Here are some examples of traits:
15. Vocabulary Context Clues
Context clues are the pieces of information that help readers determine the meanings of unfamiliar words.
What kinds of context clues might help you figure out what an unfamiliar word means?
When Bobby got his braces off, he couldnt believe the splendor of his teeth. He had forgotten how shiny and white they were.
What does the word splendor mean here?
Answer: brilliance or magnificence
16. Helpful Documents
I am pushing out to you 6 Word documents for the 6 poems in this unit.
After you read each poem, please fill out the chart on the document it will help you study for the exam.
The Inchcape
Rock
The Listeners
Casabianca
Casey At
The Bat
The Highway
Man
Sam McGee