A poem is a composition in verse.
It paints pictures by means
of poetic devices such as figurative language, rhythm and
rhyme.
Poetry Basics
Poets and
Their Times
Poets reflect the events
and ideas of their times
through poetry.
Understanding of a poet’s
time may lead to an
understanding of his/her
ideas.
Knowledge of a poet’s
background also gives us
insight into his intention.
We refer to “schools of
poets”:
Metaphysical Poets
(John Donne)
Romantic Poets
(Wordsworth)
War Poets
(Rupert Brooke)
Analysis of Poetry
Theme/Main Idea
Form
Diction (Word Choice)
Tone (Attitude)
Imagery
Rhythm
Rhyme
Metre
Poetic Forms
Narrative Poetry: Ballad, Epic,
Allegory, Dramatic Monologue
Lyric: Sonnet (Petrarchan,
Shakespearean, Modern), Ode,
Elegy.
Analysis of Poetry
Theme/Idea
Each poem conveys
the messages or
intentions of the
poet and these may
be explicit (0bvious)
or implicit (implied).
The poem may be a
narrative, which tells
a story, or a lyric,
which describes the
personal feelings of
the poet.
Analysis of Poetry
Form
A poem is written in a
particular form.
Poems are usually
written in lines.
These lines can be
grouped into stanzas.
Analysis of Poetry
Diction
The poet’s use of words
creates atmosphere and
sets the poem in its
correct time and place.
Word choice influences
rhythm and mood.
In a rhyming poem,
appropriate word choice
is crucial.
Jargon and slang may
be used for effect.
The use of repetition is
also an effective device.
Analysis of Poetry
Tone (Attitude)
The tone of the poem reveals the
poet’s subjective views and attitude
to the reader and to the subject.
Tone contributes to the mood or
atmosphere of the poem.
Best descriptive words for tone:
Friendly
Sharp
Sarcastic
Ironic
Angry
Humorous
Condescending
(Image the poet’s TONE OF VOICE –
“hear” the poet reading his/her
poem out loud…)
Analysis of Poetry
Imagery
Poetry is a combination of
literal and figurative language.
Imagery conjures up word
pictures – these affect us
emotionally and intellectually.
Metaphors, similes,
personifaction.
Analysis of Poetry
Rhythm
Rhythm sets the
pace and should
match the meaning.
Slow rhythm =
sombre meaning.
Quick pace = happy
mood.
When reading a
poem aloud, FEEL
the change of pace
and how it affects
the mood of the
poem.
Pace (tempo) and
pause affect rhythm.
Analysis of Poetry
Rhyme
Aabb = Rhyme depends on sound, not
pair rhyme
sight.
Abab = Rhyme schemes differ.
alternate/cross Couplet: Two consecutive
rhyme
rhyming lines.
Aabb = enclosed Quatrain: Four-lined stanza.
rhyme
Abca =
free verse
Analysis of Poetry
Metre
Metre is the
number of
stresses, beats or
feet in a line of
poetry.
Poetic Forms
NARRATIVE POETRY THE LYRIC
The Ballad Elizabethan Sonnet
The Epic Petrarchan Sonnet
The Allegory Modern Sonnet
Dramatic Monologue The Ode
The Elegy
Poetic Forms: Narrative
A narrative form tells a story.
It usually has a beginning, middle, climax and
conclusion.
Direct and narrated speech can be used.
Often composed to record historical, political
and family events.
Passed down from generation to generation.
Example: “The Pied Piper of Hamelin”
Poetic Forms: The Lyric
The Lyric is a poem with a musical or song-
like quality.
The Lyric conveys the personal thoughts of
the poet.
The Lyric was originally accompanied by the
lyre.
This form was favoured by romantic poets
like Wordsworth, Keats and Shelley.
Narrative Poetry: The Ballad
Oldest form of
narrative verse.
At one stage it was
sung.
Subject matter: Love,
death, war, bravery,
adventure, action.
Rhythm has strong
beat.
Today = songwriters.
Narrative Poetry: The Epic
Long, narrative
poem telling the
story of an historical
figure or event.
Has been referred to
as a “novel in verse”.
Narrative Poetry: The Allegory
The Allegory is a
narrative poem that
appears in the form of
an extended
metaphor.
It conveys a veiled
moral meaning.
Example: “Faerie
Queene” by Spencer.
Narrative Poetry:
Dramatic Monologue
Spoken in the first
person (“I”).
The speaker addresses
an invisible recipient.
From his words, we
learn more about the
speaker.
Story line = narrative.
Example: Robert
Browning
The Lyric: Elizabethan Sonnet
Shakespearean Sonnet
English Sonnet
14 Lines
Three quatrains +
rhyming couplet.
Iambic pentameter.
Couplet: Ties up the
images and feelings
and states the
philosophy of the poet.
The Lyric: Petrarchan Sonnet
Italian Sonnet
Octave (8 lines) +
Sestet (6 lines).
Octave: The Problem
Sestet: The Solution
Break = Volta
Octave: abbaabba
Sestet: cdecde or
cdcdc or cddcef.
The Lyric: Modern Sonnet
These often combine
aspects of the
Shakespearean and
Petrarchan forms.
They may create their
own forms, but always
retain the 14 lines.
The Lyric: Sonnet Comparison
The Lyric: The Ode
The Ode is an address or
tribute in praise of
something.
It describes the personal
feelings of the poet.
Originally sung as
accompaniment to a
Greek Dance.
Later: Praise of
inanimate object.
The Lyric: The Elegy
A reflective poem or
lament dealing with
topics such as death or
mourning.
Examples: “Elegy
written in a Country
Churchyard” by Gray
and “Lycidas” by
Milton.
Poetry -
Concluding
Thoughts
A poet is, before
anything else, a person
who is passionately in
love with language.
(W.H. Auden)
To have great poets,
there must be great
audiences.
(Walt Whitman)
Poetry is nearer to vital
truth than history.
(Plato)