Language Arts 8 Notes

How to Read Poetry

• Literature in verse either rhymed or unrhymed.

• It is intended to be read aloud for its greatest effect.

What is Poetry?

• The language of poetry appeals to the senses and is grouped under figurative language or figures of speech.

What is the language of poetry?

•Do not read line by line!• Read sentence by sentence.• Pay close attention to the punctuation!!!

Absolute Rule #1

• Words are often out of their normal word order – just as in song lyrics

• If a sentence is puzzling, look for the subject and verb and put it in order.

Absolute Rule #2

• Don’t let single words trip you up!

• Don’t move on to the next sentence until you know what each word/line means!

Absolute Rule #3

• The Basics of Poetry – All lines begin with a capital letter. Any and all punctuation becomes extremely important in all lines. Poems are often organized into stanzas.

• Stanza – AKA: Verse – A paragraph in poetry. In rhyming poetry, it is grouped by the rhyme pattern.

Poetry Terms to Know:

• End-stopped Lines – lines have end punctuation. Emphasis should be placed on this punctuation.

• Run-on Lines – There is no punctuation at the end of the lines. The reader should not stop, but go on to the next line.

• Free Verse – Often does not follow poetry basics. There is no rhyme pattern, but often an internal rhyme.

Poetry Terms to know…

• Rhyme – a repitition of identical or similar sounds in two or more different words. Most often used in poetry.

• Repetition – the repeating of words, phrases, or letters.

Poetry terms to know…

Also known as poetic devices, figures of speech, literary devices and literary elements.

**The use of words, phrases, symbols, and ideas to create mental images and sense impressions.

Figurative Language

• Words/phrases that appeal to the five senses.

• Example: The rich, thick chocolate fudge oozed down the sides of the vanilla ice cream.

Imagery

A comparison of two things using “like” or “as”.

Example: The pillow was as soft as a cloud.

Simile

A comparison of two things without using “like” or “as”.

Example: The pillow was a cloud.

Metaphor

Words that begin with the same CONSONANT sounds.

Example: tongue twisters – “Sally sells seashells by the seashore”.

Alliteration

The use of words whose sounds suggest their meanings.

Example: Bang! Snap! Buzz! Yeow!

Onomatopoeia

Giving human characteristics to an inanimate object.

Example: The dog danced and swayed to the music.

Personification

A likeness or similarity between things that are otherwise unalike.

Example:

Similar to wolves circling their prey, the journalists swarmed Justin Bieber.

Analogy

An expression not meant to be taken literally.

Example: break a date; get lost; make the bed

Idiom

A figure of speech containing two seemingly contradictory expressions.

Example: jumbo shrimp, pretty ugly

Oxymoron

A huge exaggeration

Example: I am so hungry I could eat a horse! I told you that a million times already!

Hyperbole

One word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated. Substituting the name of an attribute or feature for the name of the thing itself.

Example: The Oval Office sent in the troops.

The suits walked into the office.

Metonymy

One word that stands for a larger item or body of things (directly connected); a part to a whole.

Example: All ears and eyes on me!

All hands on deck!!

Synecdoche

Repetition of the same VOWEL sound

Example: Poetry is so old that nobody knows how the first poem goes.

Assonance

Find a partner for writing your own examples!

1. Simile

2. Alliteration

3. Personification

4. metaphor

Now you try!!