How to Read Poetry

1. How to Read Poetry Language Arts 8 Notes

2. What is Poetry? • Literature in verse either rhymed or unrhymed. • It is intended to be read aloud for its greatest effect.

3. What is the language of poetry? • The language of poetry appeals to the senses and is grouped under figurative language or figures of speech.

4. Absolute Rule #1 • Do not read line by line! • Read sentence by sentence. • Pay close attention to the punctuation!!!

5. Absolute Rule #2 • Words are often out of their normal word order – just as in song lyrics • If a sentence is puzzling, look for the subject and verb and put it in order.

6. Absolute Rule #3 • Don’t let single words trip you up! • Don’t move on to the next sentence until you know what each word/line means!

7. Poetry Terms to Know: • The Basics of Poetry – All lines begin with a capital letter. Any and all punctuation becomes extremely important in all lines. Poems are often organized into stanzas. • Stanza – AKA: Verse – A paragraph in poetry. In rhyming poetry, it is grouped by the rhyme pattern.

8. Poetry Terms to know… • End-stopped Lines – lines have end punctuation. Emphasis should be placed on this punctuation. • Run-on Lines – There is no punctuation at the end of the lines. The reader should not stop, but go on to the next line. • Free Verse – Often does not follow poetry basics. There is no rhyme pattern, but often an internal rhyme.

9. Poetry terms to know… • Rhyme – a repitition of identical or similar sounds in two or more different words. Most often used in poetry. • Repetition – the repeating of words, phrases, or letters.

10. Figurative Language • Also known as poetic devices, figures of speech, literary devices and literary elements. • **The use of words, phrases, symbols, and ideas to create mental images and sense impressions.

11. Imagery • Words/phrases that appeal to the five senses. • Example: The rich, thick chocolate fudge oozed down the sides of the vanilla ice cream.

12. Simile • A comparison of two things using “like” or “as”. • Example: The pillow was as soft as a cloud.

13. Metaphor • A comparison of two things without using “like” or “as”. • Example: The pillow was a cloud.

14. Alliteration • Words that begin with the same CONSONANT sounds. • Example: tongue twisters – “Sally sells seashells by the seashore”.

15. Onomatopoeia • The use of words whose sounds suggest their meanings. • Example: Bang! Snap! Buzz! Yeow!

16. Personification • Giving human characteristics to an inanimate object. • Example: The dog danced and swayed to the music.

17. Analogy • A likeness or similarity between things that are otherwise unalike. • Example: • Similar to wolves circling their prey, the journalists swarmed Justin Bieber.

18. Idiom • An expression not meant to be taken literally. • Example: break a date; get lost; make the bed

19. Oxymoron • A figure of speech containing two seemingly contradictory expressions. • Example: jumbo shrimp, pretty ugly

20. Hyperbole • A huge exaggeration • Example: I am so hungry I could eat a horse! I told you that a million times already!

21. Metonymy • One word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated. Substituting the name of an attribute or feature for the name of the thing itself. • Example: The Oval Office sent in the troops. • The suits walked into the office.

22. Synecdoche • One word that stands for a larger item or body of things (directly connected); a part to a whole. • Example: All ears and eyes on me! • All hands on deck!!

23. Assonance • Repetition of the same VOWEL sound • Example: Poetry is so old that nobody knows how the first poem goes.

24. Now you try!! • Find a partner for writing your own examples! • Simile • Alliteration • Personification • metaphor