Poetry Key Terms

line: A row of printed or written words.

stanza:

A group of lines in a poem. (much like a paragraph in prose.)

caesura (say-ZHUR-uh)

A sound break in a line of poetry either from spacing or punctuation.

enjambed line:

A line of poetry that continues on to the next line WITHOUT end punctuation (no pause).

Alliteration:

the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words.

Example:

The pretty piglet pranced around the pig pen.

Daryl’s Dodge destroyed Danny’s Datsun in the destruction derby.

Practice E:

Create a sentence with assonance for one of the following topics:

dating

cheating

writing

Practice G: Identify the consonant sounds being repeated in these sentences:

Peter’s unhappy hippo stomped and panted.

The baboon dribbled the basketball.

My German teacher heard a rumor about Forrest Whittaker, the movie star.

Oxymoron: A figure of speech that combines two usually contradictory terms in a compressed paradox.

Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate,

O anything, from nothing first create,

O heavy lightness! Serious vanity!

Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms,

Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,

Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!

This love feel I, that feel no love in this.

Special Techniques

Building Blocks

What is poetry?

Parts of a Poem

Writers use line breaks, stanza breaks, caesuras, and enjambed lines to create surprise and emphasize ideas.

We probably don't need to go over these two, but....

Look at the poems Miss LaFollette shows you. Choose three of them and answer this question in your notes:

What do the poet's form choices emphasize?

In a group, you will come up with an answer this question using your combined brain power (no other resources!)

Form:

SIMILE: A comparison of two unalike things using like, as, or as if

METAPHOR: A comparison between two unalike things but without signal words.

Personification:

A description of an object, a place, or an idea human terms.

1. Put this heading on your poster: What is poetry?

2. On the rest of the poster, list ideas as an answer.

3. Support your answer with some or all of the following:

• definitions,
• descriptive words,
• multiple examples
• any other evidence you find worthy, including pictures, text, examples of poems you can remember without looking up, etc.

4. Lastly, be prepared to answer these questions out loud when you present your poster:

- Why should we study and write poetry?

- How is poetry relevant in our lives today?

Anthropomorphism:

Giving animals or gods human characteristics (a specific type of personification).

Talking About Poetry

The way the words are arranged on the page.

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

--Forest Gump

Speaker: The "voice" talking in a poem. This is the poetry equivalent of Point of View, or the narrator in prose writing.

Author: The person writing the poetry, making the choices about the form, words, and techniques used to convey meaning.

"...Because your love, your love, your love, is my drug."

-Ke$ha

Keep in mind that poets carefully choose the form of a poem to complement its ideas.

Be on the lookout for CHANGING SPEAKERS.

Why do we read poetry?

The speaker and the author ARE NOT THE SAME.

Shift

Note:

The best, most effective similes and metaphors are something unexpected, yet profound.

Practice M:

Choose an object in the room or at our school. Write a few sentences personifying it.

• A change in speaker, tone, ideas, or topics.
• Sometimes this is thought of as a "turn" of ideas in poetry.
• A shift can be signaled by a word (like BUT or HOWEVER), or by the form of the poem changing.

Practice L

Come up with an unexpected simile or metaphor for one of these subjects:

school

parents

music

a sport

Traditional Poetry

School is like a grocery store. There is a huge variety of people, and similar types tend to stick together.

Organic Poetry

Free Verse

Follows fixed rules, such as a specified number of lines.

Has a regular pattern of rhythm and rhyme.

Does not have a regular pattern of rhythm.

Includes specific forms, such as sonnet, ode, haiku, limerick, ballad, epic, etc.

Probably does not rhyme, although it can.

Forms are used for SPECIFIC situations:

Haikus are usually about nature.

Sonnets are usually about love and relationships.

Limericks are often funny or quirky.

Hyperbole:

An extreme exaggeration used to make a point.

May use unconventional spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Imagery

The author's use of language that appeals to the 5 senses in order to help the reader imagine exactly what is being described, or paint a picture in their mind.

My backpack weighs a ton!

I have a million things to do when I get home today.

Seven Types:

Auditory sound imagery

Visual: anything seen visibly, like colors, sizes, textures, qualities

Olfactory imagery relating to the quality of smell.

Practice N:

Find a picture you like on images.google.com.

Embed the image into your assignment, and write a short poem or paragraph inspired by the picture. Your poem or paragraph should use 5 of the 7 types of imagery.

Gustatory imagery relating to the quality of how something tastes.

I ate a spicy pepper

From my brother on a dare.

The pepper caught my head on fire

And burned off all my hair.

My mouth erupted lava

And my tongue began to melt.

My ears were shooting jets of steam.

At least that’s how they felt.

Kinesthetic imagery describing movement, or the way something or someone moves.

Tactile imagery relating to the way something feels physically: temperature, texture, weight, moisture, etc.)

Organic imagery describing internal sensations, like nausea, "butterflies" in your stomach, etc.

Practice O: How many oxymorons do you see in the lyrics of this video?

Sound Devices

Oxymoron in Movies:

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Allusion

A reference to history, religion, literature, culture, or any other well-known cultural phenomenon.

Onomatopoeia

He used to be a bit of a Neville Longbottom, but now he's become a total Draco Malfoy.

Rhythm: The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line.

I do not like green Eggs and Ham.

I do not like them, Sam I am.

Words that sound like the objects or actions they represent. WORDS THAT REPRESENT SOUNDS!

Mrs. Munger's Class Learns Onomatopoeia

My dad said my room might as well be Chernobyl.

Practice P: How many allusions can you spot in this video parody?

Consonance:

the repetition of consonant sounds within or at the ends of words.

Examples:

Molly fell in the hall by her locker.

The waiter treated us with utter contempt.

Meter: A regular pattern of rhythm and rhyme.

Practice!

Words that illustrate how they sound...

Practice H:

We're going to watch a video about Onomatopoeia. It's your job to find the TRUE onomatopoeic words!

Sadly, this video was made by a teacher who got a few things wrong... :(

Note:

Onomotatopoeia is NOT random sound words, like POW or ZEEP! It has to be an actual word that sounds like the sound it represents.

It SHUSHES.

It hushes

The loudness in the road.

It flitter-twitters...

click snap beep buzz snicker bark hiss creak

Practice I:

write a paragraph describing the collapse of a roller coaster. use as many onomatopoeic words as you can.

Practice F: Create a sentence with consonance using the name of your favorite celebrity.

Example:

Joe Montana attempted to eat ten tons of spaghetti.

Practice A:

Your turn! Figure out the rhythm and meter of your name.

Peter’s unhappy hippo stomped and panted.

The baboon dribbled the basketball.

My German teacher heard a rumor about Forrest Whittaker, the movie star.

How many poetic devices can you find in this song?

Repetition:

Any words or phrases that are repeated on purpose for emphasis.

assonance: the repetition of vowel sounds within or at the ends of words.

Examples:

Julie loses her shoes on Tuesdays.

The person playing the cat acted poorly.

Practice D:

Create a sentence using assonance with the vowel sounds in your first name.

Example:

The sound of the kazoo was Julie’s cue to move offstage.

Think:

Note:

The SOUND is important, not the LETTER.

What good is alliteration? Why would a poet use it?

Discuss it with your partner.

Alliteration:

Kiki's cat, Kevin, caught a cold at K-mart.

NOT Alliteration:

Practice C: Choose one of the words below and create an alliterative sentence:

• pizza
• football
• book
• race car
• soda

Chester caught Caesar breaking windows.

Practice B: Create an alliterative sentence using your first name. If your first name begins with a vowel, use your last name. If all of your names begin with vowels, borrow the name of a celebrity.

Example:

Ms. LaFollette likes to live luxuriously.

Julie just jogged around the gym.

Rhyme

Repeated nearby sounds in poetry.

End Rhyme

Internal Rhyme

Words that rhyme in the same line of poetry.

Rhyming at the ends of lines of poetry.

What are the two examples of internal rhyme in this poem?

Slant Rhyme

Rhyme Scheme

Practice J:

See if you can spot the SLANT rhymes in this video!

Words that ALMOST rhyme, but don't rhyme perfectly.

The pattern made by the end rhymes of a poem. Each sound is represented by a letter of the alphabet.

park

cart

make

bait

Practice K: What is the rhyme scheme of this poem?