my papa’s waltz by theodore roethke. meter and rhyme meter is the underlying beat that in much...
TRANSCRIPT
Analyzing Poetic Devices
My Papa’s WaltzBy
Theodore Roethke
Meter and RhymeMeter is the underlying beat that in much
traditional poetry regularizes the natural rhythms of speech. Trimeter has three stressed syllables per line, tetrameter has four stressed syllables, pentameter has five, and hexameter has six.
Rhyme is the echo effect produced when a writer repeats the same sounds at the ends of words. Rhyme scheme is the pattern created by rhyming at the ends of lines of poetry.
ConnotationConnotation is the associations and attitudes
called up by a word, as opposed to its denotation or straight, literal meaning. For example:
Scent – smellOdor – smell
Which of the above words has a negative connotation?
Powerful Words and PhrasesGraphic Organizer
Connotation
Positive Negative
First Impressions What do you think this poem is
about?
How would you describe the relationship between the poem’s speaker and his father?
A Reading and Commentary
Listen to what this former student has to say about the poem, his interpretation, and his personal connection to it’s meaning.
http://www.favoritepoem.org/videos.html
Let’s Get Technical!What is the meter of each line?
Count out the syllables on your fingers while tapping on the stressed syllables.
How many stressed syllables are in each line?
How many total syllables are in each line?What effect do these 7 syllable lines have on
the poem?Look at the content of the 7 syllable lines.
Can you make any observations?
Form and MeaningWhat is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
abab, cdcd, efef, ghgh
What effect does the rhyming have on the poem?
How does the rhyme effect the mood?
Making the ConnectionWrite a well-developed, organized paragraph
discussing the poem’s form in relation to it’s content and meaning. Take a moment to pre-write and gather your thoughts. Consider the following elements when putting your paragraph together:
Rhyme and RhythmMeterStanzas