What is Poetry?
Poetry is a kind of writing different from novels or drama in form
and language.
In Form
• Poetry is written in short lines.
• Each group of lines is called a “stanza.”
• Each stanza has a specific idea to give.
In Language
• Language in poetry depends on music and images.
• Poets use figures of speech.
Poetry Characteristics
➢ Poetry may be written as individual poems or included in other
written forms such as dramatic poetry, hymns, or song lyrics.
➢ Poetry requires creativity, logic, emotion and an artistic quality.
Key Elements of Poetry
➢ Form
➢ Speaker
➢ Sound
➢ Imagery
➢ Figurative Language
Types of Poems
There are many different types of poems. The difference between
each type is based on the format, rhyme scheme, and subject
matter.
➢ Allegory
➢ Ballad
➢ Blank verse
➢ Epic
➢ Free verse
➢ Lyric
➢ Narrative poems
➢ Sonnet
Free Verse
• Poetry that doesn’t follow any specific patterns in rhythm, rhyme
scheme, or line length. Free verse may contain rhymes, but they are
not used in a prescribed manner.
Sonnet
What is a Sonnet?
• A sonnet is a one-stanza, 14-line poem, written in the abab cdcd
efef gg rhyme scheme.
• Also described as a long narrative poem recounting heroic deeds.
The Elements of Poetry
➢ Tone
➢ Imagery
➢ Theme
➢ Poetic Devices
➢ Mood
➢ Symbol
➢ Style
Tone
It’s the word choice, the grammatical arrangement of words, imagery
or details that poets choose with great care to reflect a specific
attitude towards the subject they write about.
Imagery
It is word pictures poets use to stimulate the readers’ imagination.
Such images can make us see things in new and unexpected ways.
Theme
It’s the message the poet wants to convey to us. It’s the reason
behind writing a poem and the morals the poet wants to elicit.
Mood
Also known as atmosphere. It’s the overall feeling the poet creates in
the poem for the reader.
Symbolism
Using one object to suggest another meaning.
Example: A window might symbolize freedom, release, or opportunity.
Style
The way the poet conveys meaning, tone, and emotions in the poem. It
includes length of meter, number of stanzas, rhyme techniques, and
rhythm.
Figures of Speech (Poetic Devices)
List of Figures of Speech
➢ Hyperbole
➢ Metaphor
➢ Simile
➢ Contrast
➢ Personification
➢ Oxymoron
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Simile
A direct comparison of one thing to another using "like" or "as."
Metaphor
A direct comparison without using "like" or "as." The subject is the
object. Metaphors are stronger or more surprising than similes.
Examples:
• "The sun was a toddler insistently refusing to go to bed."
• "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players."
• "Her mouth was a fountain of delight."
Personification
Describing abstractions, things, or nonhuman forms as if they were
persons.
Examples:
• The stars winked in the night sky.
• The cave mouth yawned.
• The smell of baking muffins welcomed us inside.
Contrast
Explores differences between two or more things or ideas.
Examples:
• "I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,"
• "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May"
Hyperbole
An exaggeration.
Example: "I have been waiting for a million years."
Oxymoron
Combining two opposite terms in a compressed paradox.
Example: “cruel kindness”
Sound Devices (Poetic Devices)
➢ Onomatopoeia
➢ Pentameter
➢ Repetition
➢ Rhythm
➢ Anaphora
➢ Consonance
➢ Alliteration
============================================
Alliteration
Repetition of the initial letter or sound in two or more words in the
same line.
Example: "Great wide beautiful wonderful world"
Pentameter
The rhythm created by stressed syllables in a line of poetry, often
five strong beats per line. The most familiar type is iambic
pentameter. Other types include trochaic, dactylic, and anapestic.
Rhythm
The matching of similar sounds.
Examples:
• Say, Pay, Tray, Spray, Day, May
• Blue, True, Zoo, Do, Too
Anaphora
The recurrence of words or phrases in a set of sentences, clauses,
or poetry lines.
Repetition
Recurrence of elements to create unity, often using the same key
word or phrase throughout the poem.
Assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds in lines of poetry.
Example:
"When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils"
Consonance
Repetition of consonant sounds anywhere in the poem.
Example:
"The buzz-saw snarled and rattled in the yard
And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks of wood."
Rhyme Scheme
The pattern of the sound of the last letter in the line, following
alphabetical order.
