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Words used when speaking and writing about poetry
alliteration
this is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words next to, or near each other, to produce an effect, for example, “polished to perfection”
ambiguity
this is when a writer arranges it so that two or more meanings are possible
antithesis
the use of a pair of opposites for effect, for example, “To be or not to be…”
assonance
this is the repetition of similar vowel sounds to produce an effect, for example, “loud sounds”
colloquial expressions
everyday words and phrases; the sort of language found in ordinary speech; what is colloquial in one region, culture, historical period or occupation may not be so in another
consonance
this is the repetition of similar-sounding consonants in words, for example, “last but not least”
couplets
lines of poetry arranged in pairs; they are often rhymed, in which case they are rhyming couplets, for example, “You dined at eight/ and slept till late”
dialect
a particular version of a language with its own distinctive accent, grammar and vocabulary; dialects are associated with a particular region or culture
diction
this is the choice of words or vocabulary the poet uses
end-stopped line
this is when the natural pause in the sense of the words comes at the end of the line
enjambment
this is when the sense runs on from one line of verse to the next without pause
figures of speech
a name for all the ways of using language to give emphasis, variety or vividness to writing or speech
iambic metre
a pattern of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one:
de-dum de-dum de-dum, for example, “And every week he tipped up half his wage./ And what he didn’t spend each week he saved” (Simon Armitage)
imagery
a term which covers all the various types of image in a piece of writing;
the descriptive language used to create a particular picture, feeling, or mood in the reader’s imagination (simile, metaphor, personification, symbol)
irony
is saying one thing and meaning another
metaphor
a type of image which describes something as though it were actually something else
metre
in poetry the technical term for regular rhythm in a poem is its metre
mood
the atmosphere of a piece of writing (or any work of art) and the feelings which it evokes
onomatopoeia (adjective: onomatopoeic)
this is the use of words which sound like the thing they mean, for example: “care tapped rat tat tat upon the handle”
personification
this is a type of metaphor in which an author writes about an object or idea as though it were something alive, usually a person
poetry
poetry is basically anything that calls itself a poem; poems usually use language in a much richer way than prose, often with rhythm, metre, rhyme, imagery and figures of speech; poems are usually laid out in separate lines, so that the breaks come where the poet chooses rather than where good grammar might put them (when quoting poetry show the line breaks with a forward slash mark ‘/’)
repetition
single words or whole phrases appear several times
rhyme
the repetition of similar or identical sounds in a poem. Poems sometimes have rhyming words within the lines (internal rhyme) instead of, or as well as, at the end of them. If a poem has a pattern of rhyming lines this is called a rhyme scheme. We can use letters to show how a rhyme scheme works. The first line is given the letter A and so are all the lines that rhyme with it. The second line is B and so on:
| You rang your bell and I answered. | A |
| I polished your parquet floor. | B |
| I scraped out your grate. | C |
| And I washed out your plate. | C |
| And I scrubbed till my hands were raw. | B |
rhythm
all writing or speech has some sort of rhythm; it is the pattern of strong and weak beats (or stresses); the pattern of sounds the words make; writers usually make careful use of rhythm to create effects, for instance, echoing the meaning of the words in their rhythm
setting
where and when the events of a story, play or poem take place
simile
is an image created through a direct, stated comparison; similes are almost always introduced by the words 'like', ‘as if’, or 'as', for example, “The snail is dry in the outhouse/ Like a seed in a sunflower”
sound pattern
a general term which refers to any words or lines where sounds are repeated to create a mood, a feeling, or the noises of everyday life, for example, ‘hit, hurt and flattened’
stanza
an individual groups of lines in a poem. It is best to use the word stanza to make the distinction between a verse (of a poem) and verse (poetry in general)
structure
the structure of a piece of writing is the way it is put together; the shape and organisation of the text (What changes take place throughout the story, poem or passage? Does it have a clear beginning, middle and end, or does it move backwards and forwards in time? Is it all set in one place, or does it move from one place to another? Does the tone or style change half way through?)
style
the style of a piece of writing is the way it is written (how the language is used / the presentation), as opposed to the content (what is actually being said)
symbol
an image that is used more than once by a poet and which takes on a particular meaning and importance for that poet
theme
the subject or subjects covered by a writer: not simply the facts and the happenings covered in the plot, but the underlying meaning behind them
tone
the attitude or character that the writer is trying to create in a piece of writing; it tells you what sort of voice the writing has: sad, happy, angry, bitter, peaceful, serious, humorous, ironic, or sarcastic?); it is determined by its intended audience and is made up of such elements as choice of vocabulary and sentence structure
Analysing Poetry:
You analyse a poem to arrive at an intelligent interpretation and understand what you read.
A Rule!
A poem should be read several times in order to "hear" it and feel its emotions. The more times you read the poem, the more you can analyse and understand subtle shades of meaning in a poem. These shades of meaning are often conveyed through specific poetic devices, or "parts" of the poem.
Parts of a Poem:
·1 speaker
·2 audience
·3 subject
·4 tone
·5 theme
·1 diction
·2 imagery
·3 figures of speech
·4 sound
·5 rhythm
ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW TO ANALYSE A POEM
INTRODUCTION:
PARAGRAPH 1: Subject and Purpose - Type of poem
What is it about
Why was it written
PARAGRAPH 2: Emotion and Language - mood conveyed
language used
why particular words
PARAGRAPH 3: Movement and Sounds – Rhyming scheme
Onomatopoeia
Assonance
Alliteration
PARAGRAPH 4: Craft and Imagery – Stylistic Devices (simile, metaphor, etc.)
stanza length
impact on reader
PARAGRAPH 5: Summary – final opinions on poem
CONCLUSION
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