POETRY

WHAT IS IT?

• It is a way for most people to describe their feelings and emotions.
• It can have rhythm and rhyme.
• It is probably the most complicated type of literature to read.
• Can have literal or abstract meanings.

PERSONIFICATION

• It is when an idea or animal is given human qualities/characteristics.
• Examples: The wind whispered through dry grass.
• The fire swallowed the entire forest.

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IMAGERY

• use of particular words that create visual representation of ideas in our minds
• These words usually open to our five senses
• Examples: It was dark and dim in the forest. – The words “dark” and “dim” are visual images
• He whiffed the aroma of brewed coffee. – “whiff” and “aroma” evoke our sense of smell or olfactory sense

SIMILE

• Makes a comparison using the words “like” or “as”
• Examples: Our soldiers are as brave as lions
• "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag�Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?�Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin�Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?"�Katy Perry – “Firework”

METAPHOR

• a resemblance of two different objects is made based on a single or some common characteristics
• Examples: My brother was boiling mad. (This implies he was too angry.)
• “I’m the sunshine in your hair�I’m the shadow on the ground�I’m the whisper in the wind�I’m your imaginary friend”

Lonestar – “I’m Already There”

RHYME

• Where lines of a poem sound the same
• Types of rhyme:

- End rhyme – Rhyme is at the end of lines

Example: “Tyger, tyger, burning bright� In the forests of the night,”

- Internal Rhyme – Rhyme within a line

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,�While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,�As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.�Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door…

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RHYME SCHEME

• Pattern of rhyming lines in a poem

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• Bid me to weep, and I will weep, A�While I have eyes to see;  B �And having none, yet I will keep A �A heart to weep for thee. B

ALLITERATION

• a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series
• Example: But a better butter makes a batter better
• “Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.”

The Beatles – Let It Be

ANAPHORA

• Repetition of the first word or phrase
• “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.
• I believe I can fly�I believe I can touch the sky�I think about it every night and day (Night and day)�Spread my wings and fly away�I believe I can soar�I see me running through that open door
• “I Believe I Can Fly” – R.Kelly

ONOMATOPOEIA

• Creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more expressive and interesting
• Examples: The buzzing bee flew away.
• The rustling leaves kept me awake.
• Animal sounds: Moo, meow, oink, etc.
• “Boom! Clap!�The sound of my heart�The beat goes on and on and on and on and�Boom! Clap!”

Charli XCX – “Boom Clap”

• And many more!

MOOD

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• Evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions.Creates an atmosphere
• Example: Charles Dickens creates a calm and peaceful mood in his novel Pickwick Papers: “The river, reflecting the clear blue of the sky, glistened and sparkled as it flowed noiselessly on.”

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TONE

• An attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience
• This easily gets confused with Mood.

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THEME

• a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly.
• Some of these can be valuable lessons
• Examples of themes are love, war, friendship. And so much more.

HYPERBOLE

• Derived from Greek – “over-casting”
• An exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis
• Examples: “Ages have passed since I last saw you.”
• “She is as heavy as an elephant!”
• Even though we see it in everyday language, it is used in literature for different reasons,It makes human feeling remarkable and intense. It also develops a contrast of emotions.
• Example: From “The Adventures of Pinocchio” written by C. Colloid,
• “He cried all night, and dawn found him still there, though his tears had dried and only hard, dry sobs shook his wooden frame. But these were so loud that they could be heard by the faraway hills…”
• The crying of Pinocchio all night until his tears became dry is an example of Hyperbole.

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IDIOM

• An expression or phrase comprising two or more words.
• Expression is not interpreted literally, but figuratively
• Vary in different cultures and countries
• Examples:
• “A chip on your shoulder” - means you are holding a grudge
• “Jump the gun” - would mean to be doing something early
• Example from pop culture: “Cry Me A River” by Justin Timberlake�

OXYMORON

• A figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined together to create an effect.
• Greek for “sharp” and “dull”
• Examples: Open secret
• Tragic comedy
• Seriously funny
• IcyHot rub that you use when you’re sore

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SYMBOLISM

• The use of symbols to signify ideas, qualities, and items by giving them specific meanings that are different from their literal sense.
• Examples: A “smile” is a symbol of friendship or happiness
• A dove – peace
• The color black = evil or death
• Deathly Hollows – Harry Potter, Mockingjay – Hunger Games
• In literature: William Blake goes symbolic in his poem Ah Sunflower. He says:
• “Ah Sunflower, weary of time,�Who countest the steps of the sun;�Seeking after that sweet golden clime�Where the traveler’s journey is done;”
• Blake uses a sunflower as a symbol for human beings and “the sun” symbolizes life. Therefore, these lines symbolically refer to their life cycle and their yearning for a never-ending life.

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