What is Poetry?

Poetry
Poetry is a concise form of text that is written in
lines and sometimes grouped into stanzas
(paragraphs). The language is more artistic,
indirect and there is more emphasis on rhyme
and rhythm.
Poetry
 Figures of Speech
Figures of speech are used to make the writing process
more creative and interesting to read.
1. Simile: Comparing two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
2. Metaphor: Direct comparison between two things.
3. Personification: Giving human qualities to inanimate things.
4. Allusion: Reference to a well-known figure or event in the past.
5. Irony: Use of words to show the opposite of the actual meaning.
6. Euphemism: A word substituted for one less harsh.
7. Onomatopoeia: Words written to mimic a sound.
8. Symbolism: An object/colour which represents an abstract idea.
9. Refrain: A line or phrase that is repeated within a poem.
10. Speaker: Someone who voices the poem (not always the poet).
11. Motif: A repeated element that is important to the meaning.
12. Tone: The attitude or mood of the poem.
13. Villanelle: A type of poem with 19 lines and 6 stanzas.
14. Enjambment: Continuation of a sentence from one line of
poetry to the next.
15. Verse: A line in poetry.
16. Stanza: A group of verses.
17. Extended Metaphor: A metaphor that extends across
multiple lines.
18. Rhyme scheme: Pattern or sounds that repeat in a poem.
Enjambment

Enjambment

Enjambment

Enjambment

Enjambment
Refraining line

Refrain

Refrain

Refrain
(with a slight twist)
A
B
A

A
B
A

A
B
A Rhyme scheme
A
B
A

A
B
A
A
B
A
A
Analyzing a poem is like doing a
puzzle, there’s a lot of thinking
and questioning involved.
 How to analyze a Poem
1. Read the title & think about what it might tell you about
the poem’s subject & tone.
2. Read the poem several times, both silently & aloud.
3. Listen carefully to the sound and rhythm of the words.
4. Think: What is the poem about? Themes?
5. What is the situation? What is going on? Who is talking
to whom? About what?
6. What is the author’s attitude towards his/her subject? Is
it serious? Ironic? Humorous? Hostile?
 How to analyze a Poem
7. Try paraphrasing the poem line by line to understand
its meaning.
8. What do you know about the poet & the time the
poem was written in? What about the speaker?
9. Are there any allusions to other literary or historical
figures or events?
10. How are the ideas ordered? Is there a progression of
some sort? From simple to complex? From past to
present? From one place to another?