Explore English...Poetry Terms

Poetry

Alliteration

Allusion

Assonance

Blank Verse

Free Verse

Quatrain

Hyperbole

Understatement

Image

Lyric

Metaphor

Simile

Onomatopoeia

Oxymoron

Paradox

Personification

Rhythm

Rhyme

Sonnet

Speaker

Symbol

Explore Poetry

Poetry Challenge:

Draw on your current situation to inspire your writing. Write 3-4 Haiku poems and select your best one to share. I look forward to reading your work.

Explore Poetry

Introduction to Poetry

Like music, poetry can be a window to the mind and it's a wonderful form of expression.

Poems can convey feeling, emotions and ideas.

When it comes to poetry, there are three essential ingredients that contribute to the meaning and message behind a poem. They are form, devices and theme.  As an example, we will look at the ancient Japanese poetic form called haiku as it relates to these three concepts.

Form:  This refers to the actual way the poem is put together, such as the number of stanzas, the type of rhyme scheme, and the type of poem. Just like the body has a skeleton to hold its shape, poems have a structure that holds their ideas together. In poetry, that "skeleton" is called form. There are many different types or forms of poetry such as Haiku, Couplet, Quatrain, Limerick, and Free Verse. Poem’s form may be very restricted and limited or very free without many restrictions. Rules for form might include number of words, indention, capitalization, number of syllables, placement of rhymed words, and number and/or placement of lines.

• With a haiku, the poem is usually three lines long, has been broken up so that there are 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the next and back to 5 syllables in the last line. There is usually no rhyming, so the scheme would be ABC, and the type of poem is descriptive.

Poetic Devices: There are numerous devices employed within poetry, essentially it is language being used in a particular way to convey a certain feeling or meaning. Poetic devices are tools that an author uses to help the reader visualize what is happening in a story or poem. Devices include imagery, alliteration, metaphor, onomatopoeia and simile.

• With haikus, imagery is the main poetic device.

Theme: Theme is just that, it is the general idea or thought being conveyed through the poem.  The theme is the point a writer is trying to make about a subject. Learning about theme helps you decide what is important. The theme of the poem tells what the whole poem is about. All the words, descriptions, figurative language, detail sentences, and scenes are all small parts that add to the reader's understanding of what you feel about the theme.

• With haikus, the general theme has to do with a moment in nature.

Explore Poetry

Good morning gang, 

This week I will be posting my Introduction to Poetry outline. This is my favourite unit and it pains me to be sharing online as I believe poetry to be a visceral experience. That being said, in order to prepare for grade 12, be sure to know the literary terms as well as poetic devices that I will be sending along. 

This week, read my outline, work on the terms worksheet, and prepare for the Haiku challenge.

But first, a poem…

Introduction to Poetry

I ask them to take a poem

And hold it up to the light

Like a colour slide

Or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem

And watch him probe his way out,

Or walk inside the poem’s room

And feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski

Across the surface of a poem

Waving at the author’s name on the shore

But all they want to do

Is tie the poem to a chair with rope

And torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose

To find out what it really says.

          -Billy Collins

Good morning,

As promised, here are daily dose answers to add to your list.

Daily Dose # 21

What is an adjective?

An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun by describing, limiting or making it more exact; it may indicate quality or quantity. There are three general types: descriptive, limiting, proper

Daily Dose # 22

Give an example.

descriptive (yellow, wide house), limiting (third, several boys), proper (Canadian policy).

Daily Dose # 23

What is an adverb?

An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective or other adverb by describing or limiting to make meaning more precise; often have an –ly ending. Generally tell how, when, why, where, how often and how much.

Daily Dose # 24

Give an example.

quickly ran, moved sideways, he treated us kindly

Daily Dose # 25

What is a conjunction?

A conjunction is a linking word used to connect words or groups of words in a sentence. Write two examples from each category.

Coordinating: and, but, for, or, nor, yet, neither, either,

Subordinating: since, because, as, while, so that, although, unless

Correlative: both/and, either/or, neither/nor, so/as, not only/but also

Daily Dose # 26

What is a preposition?

A preposition is a linking word used before a noun or pronoun to show its relationship to some other word in the sentence; usually indicate a location.

Examples:

above, in, at, down, onto, over, upon, toward, within, for, except

Daily Dose # 27

What is a pronoun?

A pronoun acts in the place of a noun.

I, you, he, she, the, they, him, her, we, etc.

Daily Dose # 28

Insert the correct punctuation in the following sentence.

                                        Joe asked politely May I borrow a dollar

Joe asked politely, “May I borrow a dollar?”

Daily dose # 29

Insert the correct punctuation in the following sentence.

                      Ill never go there again said jack unless I get dragged there

“I’ll never go there again,” said Jack, “unless I get dragged there.”

Daily Dose # 30

Insert the correct punctuation in the following sentence.

                                      Mary had an old ugly chair and Toms was worse

Mary had an old, ugly chair and Tom’s was worse.

Daily Dose # 31

Insert the correct punctuation in the following sentence:

In 1968 982 students came to sing dance and march 

In 1968, 982 students came to sing, dance and march.

Daily Dose # 32

Insert the correct punctuation in the following sentence:

 We dont however disagree to often 

We don't, however, disagree too often.

Daily Dose # 33

Insert the correct punctuation in the following sentence:

Many books especially cheap ones are put together in haste however with proper care even cheap books can last for a long time

Many books, especially cheap ones, are put together in haste; however, with proper care even cheap books can last for a long time.

Explore English

Good day all,

Here is your homework for the weekend. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8-EXMxufG8

Explore English-Short Stories

Today I would like you to read Ernest Hemingway’s story, “Hills Like White Elephants.”

This is a classic and is frequently used by English teachers as it makes for a great literary analysis.

The link is a bit annoying but scroll down and click read for free.

Before you look online for an interpretation, do your best at finding the hidden meaning. Can you figure this out without looking?

Here is what I’m asking you to do:

1.     Read the story first for pleasure.

2.     Second reading should be an investigation to see what is going on. It is rich with symbolism, so take notes and pay attention to details such as the dry hills, bead curtain, and the station, for example. Everything means something.

3.     Draw and label a picture or diagram. Where is everything? Get a layout of the land. We know we are in Spain. Why did Hemingway choose this location?

4.     Put the pieces together. This is hard work. It will take some upper-level thinking and careful detective work.

5.     Write a literary analysis. Put your thoughts to paper. Plan your writing. You should have:

·      A solid introduction

·      Three main points

·      A solid conclusion

Need help…Start with something like this:

In Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants,” the author uses setting, imagery, symbolism, and theme to help develop a story with deeper meanings.

Writing an outline is key. Careful planning will lead to great success.

Assignment for marks:

Write a 500 word (1-2 page) literary analysis of the story.

This assignment is worth 18 marks

https://faculty.weber.edu/jyoung/English%202500/Readings%20for%20English%202500/Hills%20Like%20White%20Elephants.pdf

As usual, email me with any questions you may have.