POEMS

DEFINING POETRY
Poetry is a poets intuition of truth Deals with the essence of life the opposite of hypocrisy (Corso)

VALUES OF POETRY
1. share feelings, experiences, and visions
2. discover the power of words 3. expand vocabulary 4. look at details of the world in new way 5. can find a poem to match every mood 6. succinct - less intimidating than books

ANALYZING FREE VERSE

Poetry without Rules

WHAT IS FREE VERSE?

It is a relatively modern form of poetry.

It doesnt rhyme or have any regular rhythm. It doesnt have a set number of lines of syllables per line.

IS FREE VERSE FORMLESS?

Free verse relies on the content of the poem and the words in the poem to determine its form and shape the readers understanding.

NATURE AND FREE VERSE

Like haiku, free verse can attempt to capture that a-ha moment resulting from closely observing nature. Free verse can also use nature to make comments about the human condition, families, relationships, and even politics.

VOICE

The speaker of the poem is not always the poet. The speaker of the poem is referred to as the voice of the poem. Read carefully to see what attributes the voice has, what kind of person is represented by the voice.

IMAGES

Free verse about nature relies on images for much of its meaning. Imagery appeal to our senses. You can see, hear, taste, feel, or even smell the image in your mind. For example, if the poem mentions falling snow, you have the image of cold, white snow. You might even have an image of the sound-deadening property of newly fallen snow or the clean smell of snow.

METAPHOR

A metaphor is a more direct comparison than a simile. A metaphor states that something is something else. Metaphors do not use like or as. For example, a poem might say, The white snow was paper on which I wrote my name.

SIMILE

A simile is a comparison of two object using the word like or as. For example, a poem might use the simile, as white as newly fallen snow.

SYMBOLS

A symbol is something that represents more than itself.

For example, a poem might use newly fallen snow as a symbol for a pure, pristine, untouched world.

ALLITERATION

Alliteration is the repeated initial consonant sounds. Examples: do or die, sink or swim.

ASSONANCE

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in successive words.

Examples: free and easy, and day and play.

CONSONANCE

Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in successive words. Examples: short and smart, and struts and frets.

THEME

The theme of a poem is the cental topic, subject, or concept of the poem. When you answer the question, what is this poem about, you are identifying the theme.