WHAT IS POETRY?

Exercise 2.1: What is poetry? What do you think poetry is? Does poetry have to rhyme?

Poetry is any literary text which explores sound and rhythm. In

poetry, the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by

the choice of words used or the structure of sentences. The way

these ideas are conveyed to the audience should spark a

different experience in each reader.

Occasionally, a reader may find, that each time they read a particular poem, they find a

new meaning in it. Poetry is a work of art in which each word depends on the words

around it to form patterns, rhythm and meaning. Sometimes a well-written speech can

sound like poetry.

The beauty of poetry is that no matter how long or short a poem is, it expresses a

complete thought.

Poetic Devices Poets have the licence to play with words, the rules of punctuation and grammar. They

sometimes create new words and they use figures of speech and sound devices to paint

word pictures for their audience.

Analysing Poetry

External Structure

Theme Rhyme Rhythm Mood

Tone Diction Stanzas

Internal Structure

Simile Metaphor Personification

Alliteration Assonance Hyperbole

Onomatopoeia

The external structure of poetry

Structures Definition Examples

Theme/

message

To discuss the idea being examined in the

poem. What is the message or moral

within the poem? What does the poem

make you think about?

Example: Greed, racism, love.

Rhyme Words that have the same sound at the

end of the word.

We look at the rhyming scheme of a

poem.

Not all poems have rhyming words.

Example: feet rhymes with

retreat.

Love rhymes with dove.

A rhyming scheme could look

like this; a,b,a,b

Rhythm The beat words create using emphasis

and syllable counts.

NB: Don’t put emPHAsis on the wrong

sylLAble.

Exampl: There once was a

man from Airfield

Whose backpack was often

never sealed.

He returned home at one

His tablet was gone

And his broken heart was

never fully healed.

Mood The feeling the poem gives the reader

after reading.

Example: Depressing and

solemn, or thought provoking.

Tone The voice that is used by the speaker in

the poem. How should the poem be read?

Example: The tone could be

serious or humorous.

Diction The poet’s choice of words. Example: as I haunt the sunny

streets (rather than just walk).

Stanzas The verses of the poem. The lines a

poem is divided into.

The internal structure of poetry

Structures Definition Examples

Simile A comparison using “like” or “as”. Example: The room is as

cold as ice, it is like a fridge.

Metaphor A comparison without using like or as. Example: The room is a

fridge. You are such a pig.

Personification Giving a non-living object living/ human

traits.

Example: the room

welcomed the fire’s heat.

Alliteration The repetition of a consonant in the

beginning of words.

Example: the cold crept

closer.

Assonance The repetition of a vowel sound in words

close together.

Example: the bear and the

hare were there too.

Hyperbole An exaggeration. Example: A million eyes

stared at me. I could eat a

whole horse.

Onomatopoeia Words that imitate sounds. Example: The door creaked

open.

Analyse a poem

My Old shoe By Julius Chongono

Makes little sounds Clop, clop, clop Grins broadly Reveals dirty teeth Five in number Embedded in its jaws Like a swimming fish As I haunt the sunny streets.

What are the teeth?

What sound does this represent?

Can a shoe grin? What did they mean by this? Oh! It’s his toes!

What do the jaws belong to?

Is this a negative or positive word?

What figure of speech is used here? What does it mean?

What is the theme and mood of the poem? Is there a rhyming scheme

used in this poem?

Figures of Speech All the figures of speech in these videos are used as poetic devices. In your books, write the date and the heading ‘Poetic devices’. Paste the following table into

your books. Fill in all the poetic devices demonstrated in the videos and give a short

description of each. Give your own examples from some of your favourite songs.

Name Short description Example

Simile

A comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’ As cold as ice

Metaphor

Personification

Alliteration

Assonance

Hyperbole

Onomatopoeia

Class Activity In pairs, find specific ways to describe things around you. Write them down on a piece of

paper (write quite big please). Your teacher will select you, randomly, to present your line of

poetry to the class and your paper will be stuck on the classroom wall. You have only 10

minutes.

Note: Use your thesaurus to find new, creative synonyms.

POEM 1

Be specific

Mauree Applegate

Don’t say you saw a bird: you saw a swallow, (1) Or a great horned owl, a hawk or oriole. Don’t just tell me that he flew; That’s what any bird can do; Say he darted, circled, swooped or lifted in the blue. (5) Don’t say the sky behind was pretty; It was watermelon pink streaked through with gold; Gold bubbled like a fountain From a pepperminted mountain And shone like Persian rugs when they are old. (10)

Don’t tell me that the air was sweet with fragrance; Say it smelled of minted grass and lilac bloom; Don’t say your heart was swinging; Name the tune that it was singing, And how the moonlight’s neon filled the room. (15)

Don’t say the evening creatures were all playing; Mention tree toads twanging, screeching fiddle notes, Picture crickets constant strumming To the mass mosquitoes humming While the frogs are singing bass deep in their throats. (20)

Don’t use a word that’s good for all the senses There’s a word for every feeling one can feel. If you want your lines to be terrific; Then do make your words specific, For words can paint a picture that’s real. (25)

Poem 1: Be specific Write the date in your books and the heading ‘Poem analysis - Be specific’. Refer to the

poem above and answer the following questions

1. What point is Mauree Applegate trying to bring across in her poem?

2. What figure of speech is being used in line 8 that reads, ‘Gold bubbled like a fountain’?

3. Mauree says, in line 22, that there’s a word for every feeling one can feel. How do you

feel right now? Describe the emotions you are feeling right now in three different

sentences.

Total: 5

Writing your own poem Poem structure – How to decide which form to use

So many decisions to make -- line length, line breaks, arrangement, speed, rhythm. How

should you choose? The right form for your poem depends on, and works with, the poem's

content, or what it's about. If the poem is about flying, you probably don't want lines that

feel slow and heavy. If you're writing a sad poem, short bouncy lines might not be the way

to go.

You may feel overwhelmed by so many issues to think about. How can your inspiration

flow freely if you have to keep track of all of these aspects of a poem? The answer, is to do

the work in two stages:

1. First, let your ideas flow.

2. Then, go back to the poem later and work on improving the poem structure and form.

In the second stage, it's a good idea to experiment a lot. Try breaking the lines in different

ways and compare the effects. Try changing the order of things. Try reorganizing things to

move different words to the end of the lines so that the reader's attention goes to them.

You've got nothing to lose -- you can always go back to an earlier version.

As you go through this process, ask yourself:

• What is my poem about?

• What feeling or mood do I want the reader to have?

• Do I want the poem to move quickly or slowly? Are there places where I want it to

speed up or slow down?

• What words or phrases do I want to highlight?

There are many things to consider. But the more poetry you write -- and read, the more

natural and instinctive some of these decisions about poem structure will become to you.

Instructions:

1. Work in groups of 4-6. (If you would like to work alone, please ask Mrs. Taylor)

2. Go back to the work you did on figures of speech. Incorporate at least 2 figures of

speech and underline them. (You could use any of these: personification, metaphors,

alliteration, etc.)

3. Choose a topic:

• Music

• ‘What is that?’

• My happy place

4. Brainstorm the topic, i.e. plan your ideas first. Then, decide on the development of

your poem and create figures of speech to use. Thereafter, set about writing the

poem. Your teacher will need to see your rough drafts.

5. Type this poem onto a Power Point slide and add pictures. Email a copy to

yourselves and to your teacher when it is complete. Every member of the group has

to have a printed copy of the poem and this must be pasted into their language

books.

6. You will present your poem to the class and you will explain the figures of speech that

you used. This will be assessed.

7. Be as creative as possible. (Don’t use slang and borrowed words)

Criteria 5 4 3 2 1/0

GROUP

Analysis of internal

structure

Able to identify all

the poetic

devices and

interpret each of

them excellently

A fair

interpretation of

the internal

structure. Many

poetic devices

identified and

explained

Most poetic

devices

identified. A fair

explanation

given

Few poetic

devices

identified.

Explanation

weak

Unable to

identify any

poetic devices

used/Very

weak analysis

of internal

structure

Analysis of external structure

Excellent

interpretation of

the external

structure and is

correlated with

the mood of the

poem perfectly

Good

interpretation of

the poem and

good attempt at

correlating the

poem with the

mood

Fair

interpretation of

the poem,

however, no

correlation made

to the mood of

the poem

Weak analysis

of the external

structure of the

poem

No/little

evidence of

analysis of the

external

structure of the

poem

The theme of the poem and

the interpretation of the poem

A comprehensive

interpretation of

the poem which

gels well with the

theme

Fair

interpretation of

the theme of the

poem and good

understanding

Fair

interpretation of

the theme of the

poem, but lacks

a deeper

understanding

Showed a weak

understanding of

the poem

Little or no

interpretation of

the poem

INDIVIDUAL

Speaks with confidence

Voice is

projected well,

good tone and

confidently

presented

Fair effort in

voice projection,

speed and tone

Voice is not

balanced with

speed,

projection and

tone

Body language

Excellent and

confident body

language and

gestures

A little uneasy in

front of a crowd,

but gave a fair

presentation

Body language

showed a lack

of confidence in

front of a crowd

Fair participation

Good, fair

participation.

Worked well in a

group

Seemed to take

part in

presentation,

however, didn’t

quite understand

the work. Work

isn’t their own

Hardly took part

in the

presentation/

No participation

Poem 2 Read the poem and answer the questions that follow.

My Favourite Day

My favourite day is Saturday (1)

I like to go outside and play. The day is like a burst of light

The day is the moon in the dead of night.

My favourite day is Friday (5)

Saturday’s only a day away. My excitement is a bottled rocket

I feel like the grasshopper in my shirt pocket.

My favourite day is Sunday Lazy, sleepy, do nothing fun day. (10)

I yawn like a lion before a nap My arms and legs and toes are sap.

My favourite day is not Monday.

“Get out of bed!” I hear my mom say. Like a tiger, I growl, “it’s not fair!” (15)

Waiting for Friday, I am a bear.

Poem 2: My favourite Day

1. Give a simile and a metaphor used for Saturday. Make sure you label them

accordingly. (1)

2. Give a simile and a metaphor used for Friday. Make sure you label them accordingly. (1) 3. “I yawn like a lion before a nap”, line 11. Why does the writer compare himself to a

lion? What figure of speech is being used? (2)

4. “My arms and legs and toes are sap.” (Line 12). Why does the writer make this

comparison? What figure of speech is being used here? (2)

5. What is the main difference between a simile and a metaphor? (1) Total: 7

Oswald Mtshali Oswald Mtshali is a South African poet. He has written in both Zulu and English. He

studied at Columbia University. He now lives in Soweto. Mtshali’s poetry reflects his harsh

experiences under the apartheid regime. He observed with a bitter eye the grimy beer

halls, the crowded trains, the slum housing and the harsh working conditions that made up

the lot of black Africans in South Africa. His bitterness finds expression in brilliantly

controlled lines etched with an acid irony. Mtshali’s poetry is remarkable for its evocative

imagery, and his confident and unexpected similes have a rich emotional impact.

Poem 3 Read the questions below. Then, read the poem and answer the questions.

1. Who are these men? (1)

2 Where are these men going? (1)

3. a) Which one of the following words describe Oswald Mtshali’s feelings

towards the men?

Frustration, compassion, annoyance, sympathy, hatred, empathy

(3)

b) Why do you say so? (2)

4. Why does Oswald Mtshali say that the train is going ‘nowhere’? (1)

5. a) What does oppression men? (1)

b) How is oppression related as a them to this poem? (1)

5. a) Quote the simile in stanza 2. (2)

b) Explain this simile. (2)

6. Which figures of speech are used in these lines and what do they mean?

a) Line 3. (2)

b) Line 16 and 17. (2)

c) Line 20. (2)

(20)

Men in chains The train stopped 1 at a country station, Through sleep curtained eyes I peered through the frosty window, and saw six men: 5 men shorn of all human honour like sheep after shearing bleating at the blistering wind, “Go away! Cold wind! Go away! 10 Can’t you see we are naked?” They hobbled into the train on bare feet, wrists handcuffed, ankles manacled 15 with steel rings like cattle at the abattoirs shying away from the trap door. One man with a head shaven clean as a potato whispered to the rising sun, 20 a red eye wiped by a tattered handkerchief of clouds, “Oh! Dear Sun! Won’t you warm my heart With hope?” 25 The train went on its way to nowhere.

Poem 4

What is a rhyming scheme of a poem?

A rhyming scheme looks at the external structure of a poem. It is a formula that tells us

which lines rhyme.

Two Kinds of People by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

There are two kinds of people on earth today, Two kinds of people no more I say.

Not the good or the bad, for it's well understood, The good are half bad, the bad are half good.

Not the happy or sad, for in the swift-flying years, Bring each man his laughter, each man his tears.

Not the rich or the poor, for to count a man's wealth, You must know the state of his conscience and health.

Not the humble and proud, for in life's busy span,

Who puts on vain airs is not counted a man. No! The two kinds of people on earth I mean, Are the people who lift, the people who lean.

Wherever you go you'll find the world's masses

Are ever divided into these two classes. And, strangely enough, you will find, too, I mean,

There is only one lifter to twenty who lean.

In which class are you? Are you easing the load Of the overtaxed lifters who toiled down the road?

Or are you a leaner who lets others bear, Your portion of worry and labour and care?

Exercise 7.1: Internal and External structure of poetry Read through the poem above and answer the questions that follow.

1. What is the main idea of this poem? (2)

2. Explain the personification used in lines five and six. What does this mean? (2)

3. Interpret this line of the poem.

“There is only one lifter to twenty who lean.”

(2)

4. What is the rhyming scheme of the first two stanza’s of this poem? (4)

Total:10