Introduction to Poetry

A Quickwrite to get us started:• What is it that makes a piece

of writing “poetry”? (“Prose” is writing that is not poetry.)

– This will not be collected, but keep your response in a safe place. You may need it later.

Extra Credit Poetry Reading

• For extra credit, I asked the class to bring a favorite poem to class with a typed paragraph about why the poem is a favorite.– To get the extra credit you must read the poem you

brought (or part of it if it is excessively long). – You must also briefly share your reasons for

choosing it with the class. – Make sure to turn in your paragraph to me by the

end of class to get the extra credit you have earned.

"Introduction to Poetry" p. 686

• To whom is this poem addressed? (And who is "them"?)

• What does the speaker want? What actually happens?

• What figures of speech are very common in this poem? Why?

Some suggestions for reading a poem for this class:

1. Read it aloud. Poetry was meant to be heard. Pay attention to punctuation. Don't stop at the end of the line just because it's the end of a line. Try reading it different ways.

2. Familiarize yourself with new vocabulary. 3. Paraphrase the poem in your own words sentence-by-sentence

if the meaning is difficult to unravel. 4. Pay attention to places that strike you as particularly

meaningful or beautiful. Mark them, highlight them, and write about them.

5. Pay attention to places that seem to encapsulate or focus meaning.

6. Try to identify themes and sources of tension in the poem. Look for word choices, rhymes, images that enhance theme or conflict.

Three More Poems about Poetry

• "Poetry" p. 469• "Ars Poetica" p. 709 • "Selecting a Reader" p. 707• We will read each of these aloud as a class and

answer the following questions: – What is the speaker’s point of view about poetry? – What lines strike you as beautiful or interesting?– In what ways are these poems similar/different?

Just a Heads Up…

• For the first fifteen minutes of class next time, I will be asking you a question about the four poems we read today. Think about which one you think best describes our relationship with poetry.

• As a reminder, those four poems are: • "Introduction to Poetry" p. 686 • "Poetry" p. 469• "Ars Poetica" p. 709 • "Selecting a Reader" p. 707

In Class Writing #4• Which of the four poems we read last class

about poetry best defines poetry and your relationship to it? Why?

• We read: – "Introduction to Poetry" on p. 686– "Poetry" on p. 469– "Ars Poetica" on p. 709– "Selecting a Reader“ on p. 707