POETRYTerms and Elements

SPEAKER

We refer to the narrator of a poem as the speaker.

The speaker is not necessarily the poet, or even a person.

Who is the speaker in the following example?

But believe me, sonI want to be what I used to beWhen I was like you.

LINES AND STANZAS

A line is the row of words in a poem. A stanza is a group of lines forming a

unit.

Example:Open it.Go ahead, it won’t bite.Well…maybe a little.

RHYME

Rhyme is the repetition of the same stressed sound in any two or more words.

Internal rhyme occurs within a line of poetry.

End rhyme occurs at the end of lines.

RHYME SCHEME

Pattern of end rhymes that are assigned a different letter of the alphabet with each new rhymes

Roses are red aViolets are blue bSugar is sweet cAnd so are you b

YOU TRY!

The golden brooch my mother wore _______

She left behind for me to wear._______ I have no thing I treasure more_______ Yet, it is something I could

spare._______

SOUND DEVICESAlliteration-the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. Can you think of any?

Assonance-The repetition of vowel sounds within a line of poetry.Examples?

Onomatopoeia- the use of words that imitate the sounds they represent.Examples?

ONOMATOPOEIA, ASSONANCE, ALLITERATION

And the stars never rise but I see the bright eyes.

Buzz, splat, boom

In the steamer is the trout seasoned with slivers of ginger.

Fred phoned for you.

PERSONIFICATION/ ANTHROPOMORPHISM Personification is giving human

characteristics to a non-human object. Example: The stars danced in the sky.

Anthropomorphism- Giving human form to a non-human object.

Example: The tree stretched her arms to the sky.

IMAGERY

Descriptive language that appeals to the sense.

How do poets benefit from using poetry?

Example:Her knotted hands showing slow blue riversJerked nervously through cornbread frying.

TYPES OF POETRY

Narrative- is a verse that tells a story Lyric- expresses the personal thoughts

and feelings of the speaker Dramatic- usually have one or more

characters that speak to themselves throughout the poem.