Judith J. Katz
Many people (teachers and students) find reading and writing poetry intimidating. Often people are relieved merely to have solved the puzzle of "what is the meaning of this poem." But even "meaning" can be illusive and difficult to describe if you don't have the vocabulary to do it. I am by no means saying that what follows is an exhaustive method for reading, writing, and discussing poetry but I find it to be a good start. I would put the following under the heading of basic Poetic Elements or Elements of Writers' Craft:
What Poetic Elements do you notice the writer using?
1. Figurative Language-Metaphor
2. Sensory Language-the five senses
a.
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descriptions of: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching
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3. Sound Devices
a.
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rhyme: dog, frog, hog, analog
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b.
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Alliteration-repetition of initial sound: bear, baby, baboon, black, blue
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c.
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assonance-repetition of vowel sounds within word or line: thinking, thin
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4. Form - Structure, organization, pattern
a.
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repetition-words, lines, phrases
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b.
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rhyme scheme: aabb ccdd ee
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c.
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what it looks line on the page
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d.
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a known form (Ex: Sonnet has14 lines with a rhyme scheme)
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5. Meaning/message what does the poet want you to:
a.
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feel
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b.
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think
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c.
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picture
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d.
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understand
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