Literary Devices in PoetryLiterary Devices in Poetry
Day 1Day 1
DictionDiction
the writer’s, speaker’s, or narrator’s choice of words
Ex: If the speaker of a poem is a child, the author would chose words a child would use, such as “mommy” or “potty”
Denotation Denotation
The most specific or direct meaning of a word: the “dictionary” definition/meaning of a word
Ex: the word cool means: moderately cold; neither warm nor coldNo hidden meanings in the words
ConnotationConnotation
The set of associations implied by a word in addition to its literal meaning; slang meanings; all stereotypes & feelings associated
Ex: cool can also mean: great; fine; excellentWords may have hidden or double meanings
Denotation vs. ConnotationDenotation vs. Connotation
House vs. Home
Girl vs. Woman
DialectDialect
way of speaking for a group of people
Ex: I’s jus kiddin’
DialogueDialogue
words directly spoken by the characterFor internal dialogue: words thought by the character
Ex: She said, “that will be fine.”Ex: I would love that she thought
“This is Just to Say” by William Williams
“This is Just to Say” by William Williams
I have eaten the plumsthat were inthe iceboxand whichyou were probably saving for breakfast
Forgive methey were deliciousso sweetand so cold
Last Word by Peter DavisonLast Word by Peter Davison
When I saw your head bow, I knew I had beaten you.
You shed no tears—not near me—but held your neck
Bare for the blow I had been too frightenedEven to deliver, even in words. And now,In spite of me, plummeting it came.Frozen we both waited for its fall.
Most of what you gave me I have forgottenWith my mind but not taken into my body,But this I remember well: the bones of your
neckAnd the strain in my shoulders as I heaved
up that hugeDouble blade and snapped my wrists to
swingThe handle down and hear the axe’s edgeNick through your flesh and creak into the
block.
Excerpt from Violets by D.H. lawrence
Excerpt from Violets by D.H. lawrence
Sister, tha knows while we was on the planks Aside o' th' grave, while th' coffin wor lyin' yet On th' yaller clay, an' th' white flowers top of it Tryin' to keep off'n him a bit o' th' wet,An' parson makin' haste, an' a' the black Huddlin' close together a cause o' th' rain, Did t''appen ter notice a bit of a lass away back By a head-stun, sobbin' an' sobbin' again!
Poem…Poem…
Internment by Juliet S. Kono (p. 437)
Your assignmentYour assignment
1. Write a poem using only denotative word meanings
**at least 20 words
2. Find a published poem that contains connotative word meanings and highlight the words and express the meanings
**at least 30 words
In your folder…In your folder…
Table on ContentsList all poems and page numbers
Page 1 needs to have: ALL definitions in alphabetical orderAnd page number for each example
Next page:Poems labeled “connotation” and “denotation” poems
on same or separate pages
Denotation Poem: Connotation Poem:
Homework Mirror, Mirror by: Katherine Foreman
I come home after school My game face is blue. begin working on I must put it back on, seeMY HOMEWORK How much of my glory was real“Why?” I cry, “do we have And how much fever.So much homework?”I hate homework. blue=team color and sad
back on=literally repaint
and figuratively bring
back the emotionglory=excitement
fever=uncontrollable excitement
Connotation Poem:
Mirror, Mirrorby: Katherine Foreman
blue=team color and sadMy game face is blue. must put it back on, see literally repaint and figuratively
bringHow much of my glory was real back the emotionAnd how much fever.
glory=excitementfever=uncontrollable
excitement
Table on Contents page
Definitions 1Denotation Poem 2Connotation Poem 2
Day 2Day 2
Scene (Setting)Scene (Setting)
tells where & when the poem takes place
Speaker (narrator)Speaker (narrator)
The voice talking to us in the poem.
(It is not necessarily the author’s voice)
Theme Theme
central idea of the poem or story, themes are expressed through story-like examples of that situation
Themes should always be written as a sentence
Ex: Friendship is more than companionship; it also requires responsibility for another
Author’s PurposeAuthor’s Purpose
why the author wrote the poem or story, usually a lesson
Ex: In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee wanted to make people aware of racism and injustice
Poems to read…Poems to read…
Po' Boy Blues by: Langston HughesSouthbound on the Freeway
by: May SwensonThe World is Not a Pleasant Place to Be
by: Nikki Giovanni (p. 40)
Po’ Boy Blues by Langston Hughes
Po’ Boy Blues by Langston Hughes
When I was home deSunshine seemed like gold.When I was home deSunshine seemed like gold.Since I come up North deWhole damn world's turned cold.
I was a good boy,Never done no wrong.Yes, I was a good boy,Never done no wrong,But this world is wearyAn' de road is hard an' long.
I fell in love withA gal I thought was kind.Fell in love withA gal I thought was kind.She made me lose ma moneyAn' almost lose ma mind.
Weary, weary,Weary early in de morn.Weary, weary,Early, early in de morn.I's so wearyI wish I'd never been born.
Your assignment…Your assignment…
Write a poem from the perspective of an unusual speakerIdentify the speaker at the end of the poemMust be at least 30 words
Take a famous poem and identify the:
ThemeAuthor’s purposeSpeaker Scene
Within the poemMust be at least 20 words
Awakeby: Katherine Foreman
speaker: My last night as a full-time childauthor I didn't want to sleep, for fear of
Waking up in a rustle of too-crisp sheets scene: And a creak of inadequate bedsprings
bedroom With a lightly snoring virtual stranger eight feet away.
And also I didn't want it to be tomorrow,Because then it would be time to do whatI've denied for three weeks of subsistenceAnd oblivion--ignoring is bliss.And I saw everything I never didLying around me, pieces and steps of theSuccess I never got, reminders thatWhatever I planned, I never got far.But in the middle of these broken promisesTo myself, I could see for the first timeThat I have not been broken.
Author’s And I must keep myself, all that is real,purpose: As daybreak does, and nightfall.Show change I exist to others, but all I need is me.From child to I will be the last promise, when all is saidadult And kept.
Theme: The change from childhood to adulthood is when you realize responsibility and
anticipate your actions.
Day 3Day 3
MoodMood
feeling WE, the reader or listener, get from the poem
Ex: words describe mood: happy, excited, sad, scary, intense, sweet, etc.
Tone Tone
the writer’s or speaker’s attitude about the subject, character, or audience
Ex: words to describe tone: sarcastic, teasing, critical, serious, admiring, ironic, etc
ConflictConflict
Internal ConflictExternal Conflict
Human vs. HumanHuman vs. SocietyHuman vs. NatureHuman vs. Technology
Winter Garden by unknown poetWinter Garden by unknown poet
Stark naked flower stalksStand shivering in the wind.The cheerless sun hides its black lightBehind bleak, angry clouds,While trees vainly tryTo catch their escaping leaves.Carpets of grass turn brown,Blending morosely with the dreary day.Winter seems the death of life forever.
Spring Garden by unknown poetSpring Garden by unknown poet
Stunningly dressed flower stalksStand shimmering in the breeze.The cheerful sun hides playfullyBehind white, fluffy, cotton-ball clouds,While trees whisper secretsTo their rustling leaves.Carpets of grass greenly glowBlending joyfully with the day.Spring brings life to death.
Comparisons…Comparisons…
Stark naked flower stalksStand shivering in the wind.The cheerless sun hides its black lightBehind bleak, angry clouds,While trees vainly tryTo catch their escaping leaves.Carpets of grass turn brown,Blending morosely with the dreary day.Winter seems the death of life forever.
Stunningly dressed flower stalksStand shimmering in the breeze.The cheerful sun hides playfullyBehind white, fluffy, cotton-ball clouds,While trees whisper secretsTo their rustling leaves.Carpets of grass greenly glowBlending joyfully with the day.Spring brings life to death.
Poems…Poems…
My Father is a Simple Manby Luis Omar Salinas (p. 62)Forgive my Guiltby Robert P. Tristram Coffin (p. 128)
Your assignment…Your assignment…
Write two poems that contain opposite moodsHighlight the words that create the differing moodsEach poem must contain at least 40 words
• At least 10 words must be contrasting moods
Mood PoemsMood PoemsWinter GardenBy: unknown author
Stark naked flower stalksStand shivering in the wind.The cheerless sun hides its black lightBehind bleak, angry clouds,While trees vainly tryTo catch their escaping leaves.Carpets of grass turn brown,Blending morosely with the dreary day.Winter seems the death of life forever.
Spring GardenBy: unknown author
Stunningly dressed flower stalksStand shimmering in the breeze.The cheerful sun hides playfullyBehind white, fluffy, cotton-ball clouds,While trees whisper secretsTo their rustling leaves.Carpets of grass greenly glowBlending joyfully with the day.Spring brings life to death.
Day 4Day 4
ImageryImagery
Use of single words or phrases that appeals to our senses
see, hear, touch, taste, smell
Cliché Cliché
overused, warn-out expression or phrase, not unique
Ex: worn blue jeans, strong as an ox
Try NOT to use clichés unless you purposely want to
Fresh ImagesFresh Images
helps us see the world in a new or unusual way, new and different ways of describing something
Ex: e. e. cummings writes: mud-luscious
The LOVE poemThe LOVE poem
I love you more than anything I've known.And now my life will never be the same. Every day is heaven in your arms.
The BREAK-UP poemThe BREAK-UP poem
You tore my heart with hands of fire,and ran me through the shredder of desire.Our life together was a song.I thought you loved me -- was I wrong
The TEENAGE ANGST poemThe TEENAGE ANGST poem
No one understands me.Death and skulls.I'm ugly and people hate me --but I hate them and I don't care.My brain has pain. It cuts like a knife. End my life.
The NATURE poemThe NATURE poem
The birds are cheering the rainbow sunset,The beautiful blue dayAnd children dance on the grass.
Catalogue PoemCatalogue Poem
poem that lists daily activities
PoemsPoems
Woman Work
by Maya AngelouDaily
Naomi Shihab NyeIn Just
by: e. e. cummings (p. 414)
Your assignment…Your assignment…
1. Write a catalogue poem about your day a. You must list at least 10 itemsb. You must use each of the five senses at least once
Highlight each time you use one of the five senses
Catalog Poem:
My Day by: Ms. Wellmeyer
Every morningI wake up To the constant buzzing Of my alarm clock And it reads5:30 in bright red numbers.I smell the fresh coffee brewing In the kitchenAnd I feel the cold wood floorsAs I step out of bed.
Day 5Day 5
Irony Irony
the contrast between expectation and reality
Verbal ironyVerbal irony
the writer or the speaker says one thing but really means something different
Ex: calling a clumsy basketball player Michael Jordan
Situational IronySituational Irony
describes an event that is not just surprising, but contrary to what we expect
Ex: You stay up all night studying for a test. When you go to class, you discover the test is not until the next day.
Dramatic IronyDramatic Irony
WE know what is going to happen to the character, but the character does not
Ex: While watching a horror movie, YOU, the audience, know that the killer is waiting for the victim in the house…and he/she is attacked.
AllusionAllusion
a reference (usually brief) often casual, occasionally indirect, to a person, event, or condition thought to be familiar to the reader.
Ex: fairy-tale characters in Shrek
His House is Clean and Orderly by unknown poet
His House is Clean and Orderly by unknown poet
Just as he had always hoped,His house was clean and orderly;No dust settled on picturesAnd there was no furniture to clutter the living room.The refrigerator had no moldering vegetablesAnd the tub had no trace of her hairThat used to clump and cluster in the drain.The only thing out of placeWas a piece of paper taped clumsily to the doorIn sloppy handwriting: "ALL YOURS."
Irony by Jennifer T Street, MDIrony by Jennifer T Street, MD
The shards of glass littered the cold, black asphaltlike sparkling stars strewn across the night sky.
Their brilliance catching the corner of my eye,making me slow down, just to look at them a little longer.
In my awe of the sheer beauty of merely broken glass,I couldn't help but think
How someone else's tragedycould be so beautiful to me.
The Workbox by Thomas HardyThe Workbox by Thomas Hardy
See, here's the workbox, little wife, That I made of polished oak.'He was a joiner, of village life; She came of borough folk.
He holds the present up to her As with a smile she nearsAnd answers to the profferer, ''Twill last all my sewing years!'
'I warrant it will. And longer too. 'Tis a scantling that I gotOff poor John Wayward's coffin, who Died of they knew not what.
'The shingled pattern that seems to cease Against your box's rimContinues right on in the piece That's underground with him.
'And while I worked it made me think Of timber's varied doom;One inch where people eat and drink, The next inch in a tomb.
'But why do you look so white, my dear, And turn aside your face?You knew not that good lad, I fear, Though he came from your native place?'
'How could I know that good young man, Though he came from my native town,When he must have left there earlier than I was a woman grown?'
'Ah, no. I should have understood! It shocked you that I gaveTo you one end of a piece of wood Whose other is in a grave?'
'Don't, dear, despise my intellect, Mere accidental thingsOf that sort never have effect On my imaginings.'
Yet still her lips were limp and wan, Her face still held aside,As if she had known not only John, But known of what he died.
Poems…Poems…
The Workboxby Thomas HardyIn Just—by e. e. cummings (p 415)
Your assignment…Your assignment…
Diamante PoemDirections to follow
Find a famous poem that contains either irony or allusion(s)
Highlight the phrases that contain the irony or allusionIdentify the type of irony or allusion
Irony Poem
His House is Clean and OrderlyBy: unknown author
Just as he had always hoped,His house was clean and orderly;No dust settled on picturesAnd there was no furniture to clutter the living room.The refrigerator had no moldering vegetablesAnd the tub had no trace of her hairThat used to clump and cluster in the drain.The only thing out of placeWas a piece of paper taped clumsily to the doorIn sloppy handwriting: "ALL YOURS.“
Situational irony
Diamante Poem Diamante Poem
Diamante is a seven-lined contrast poem set up in a diamond shape.
Line 1: Noun or subjectLine 2: Two Adjectives describing the first noun/subjectLine 3: Three -ing words describing the first noun/subjectLine 4: Four words: two about the first noun/subject, two
about the antonym/synonymLine 5: Three -ing words about the antonym/synonymLine 6: Two adjectives describing the antonym/synonymLine 7: Antonym/synonym for the subject
Rain by unknown authorRain by unknown author
Rain
humid, damp refreshing, dripping, splattering
wet, slippery, cold, slushy
sliding, melting, freezing
frigid, icy
Snow
Dreams by unknown authorDreams by unknown author
DREAMS
SUBCONSCIOUS, IMAGINARY
SLEEPING, WISHING,THINKING
FANTASY, ACTUALITY, VISION, GENUINE
BEING, SEEING, KNOWING,
AUTHENTIC, FACTUAL
REALITY
Winter by unknown authorWinter by unknown author
WinterFrosty, Bright
Skiing, Snow Ball Fighting, SleddingIcicles, Snowflakes, Vacation, FamilySwimming, Sun Tanning, Sweltering
Hot, SunnySummer
Football by Johnny B.Football by Johnny B.
FOOTBALL
Cool, tough
Tiring, passing, playing
Helmet, shoulder pads, clubs, cart
Putting, concentrating, driving
Boring, relaxing
GOLF
Energy by Kelly LEnergy by Kelly L
ACTIVE
constant, busy
going, running, doing
functioning, energetic, relaxed, calm
stopping, laying, sleeping
down, lifeless
LAZY