ENG4U Poetry Unit Poetry Unit
Poetry TP-CASTT Poetry Analysis T P C A S T T TITLE PARAPHRASE CONNOTATION ATTITUDE SHIFTS TITLE THEME Before you even think about reading the poetry or trying to analyze it, speculate on what you think the poem might be about based upon the title. Oftentimes, authors conceal meaning in the title and give clues in the title. Jot down what you think this poem will be about. Before you begin thinking about meaning or trying to analyze the poem, do not overlook the literal meaning of the poem. One of the biggest problems that students often make in poetry analysis is jumping to conclusions before understanding what is taking place in the poem. When you paraphrase a poem, write in your own words exactly what happens in the poem. Look at the number of sentences in the poem your paraphrase should have exactly the same number. This technique is especially helpful for poems written in the 17 th and 19 th centuries. Sometimes your teacher may allow you to summarize what happens in the poem. Make sure that you understand the difference between a paraphrase and a summary. Although this term usually refers solely to the emotional overtones of word choice, for this approach the term refers to any and all poetic devices, focusing on how such devices contribute to the meaning, the effect, or both of a poem. You may consider imagery, figures of speech (simile, metaphor, personification, symbolism, etc.), diction, point of view, and sound devices (alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhythm, and rhyme). It is not necessary that you identify all the poetic devices within the poem. The ones you do identify should be seen as a way of supporting the conclusions you are going to draw about the poem. Having examined the poem s devices and clues closely, you are now ready to explore the multiple attitudes that may be present in the poem. Examination of diction, images, and details suggests the speaker s attitude and contributes to understanding. You may refer to the list of words on Tone that will help you. Remember that usually the tone or attitude cannot be named with a single word Think complexity. Rarely does a poem begin and end the poetic experience in the same place. As is true for most of us, the poet s understanding of an experience is a gradual realization, and the poem is a reflection of that understanding or insight. Watch for the following keys to shifts: key words (but, yet, however, although) punctuation (dashes, periods, colons, ellipsis) stanza divisions and line breaks changes in line or stanza length or both irony changes in sound that may indicate changes in meaning changes in diction Now look at the title again, but this time on an interpretive level. What new insight does the title provide in understanding the poem? What is the poem saying about the human experience, motivation, or condition? What subject(s) does the poem address? What do you learn about those subjects? What idea does the poet want you to take away with you concerning these subjects? Remember that the theme of any work of literature is stated in a complete sentence.
Poetry TP-CASTT Poetry Analysis Blank Table T TITLE P PARAPHRASE C CONNOTATION A ATTITUDE S SHIFTS T TITLE T THEME
Poetry Aristotle s Rhetorical Triangle rhetoric ˈretərik noun the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.
Poetry Poetry Questions Voice: Speaker and Situation 1. Who is the speaker of the poem? How would you characterize this speaker? 2. Where does the speaker reveal his or her attitude toward the poem s subject? Does the speaker s attitude or feelings change at any point? If so, where and with what implications? 3. What is the speaker s situation? What is happening in the poem? Diction and Imagery 1. Which words convey the richest connotations? What do these connotations contribute to your understanding of the poem? 2. What kinds of imagery does the poem include? Do you detect any patterns among the images? What do the images collectively suggest? Figures of Speech/Literary Devices 1. What kinds of figures of speech occur in the poem? How important are figures of comparison simile and metaphor? 2. How do the poem s figures of speech contribute to the poem s vividness and concreteness? What do they contribute to its feelings and meaning? 3. What details of language and action are symbolic? How do you know? 4. Does the poem exhibit a pattern of linked allegorical details? Syntax and Structure 1. What kinds of sentences does the poet use? What kinds of structure and pattern do the poem s sentences exhibit? 2. What does the poem s syntax reveal about the state of mind of its speaker? 3. How is the poem organized? How do its stanza or major sections develop? 4. How are the stanzas or major sections of the poem related? Sound, Rhyme, and Meter 1. Does the poem rhyme? Does it employ assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia, or other forms of sound play? With what effects? 2. What kind of rhythm does the poem include? Does the rhythm change at any point? With what effects? Theme 1. How do the poetic elements create and convey the poem s meaning(s)? 2. Do you think there is more than one theme? Why or why not? 3. Is the theme of the poem explicit or implicit? Is it conveyed more clearly in one part of the poem than another? Experience Questions 1. What feelings does the poem evoke? What sensations, associations, and memories does it give rise to? 2. What feelings surfaced as you read the poem? 3. What words, phrases, and details triggered your strongest reaction? 4. What associations about your own experiences do you bring to the poem?
Interpretation Questions 1. What ideas does the poem express, either directly or indirectly? 2. What words, phrases, lines, and details may have confused or baffled you? Why? 3. What observations can you make about the poem s details? 4. What words and phrases recur? How? Where? Why? 5. What connections can you establish among the details of action and language? What inferences can you draw from these connections? Evaluation Questions 1. What view of the world does the poet present? What do you think of the poet s view? 2. What values are associated with the speaker? 3. To what extent do you think the speaker s attitude reflects that of the poet? 4. How do your own ideas and standards influence your experience, interpretation, and evaluation of the poem? 6
Poetry Beat Poetry Activity The first player picks a common phrase and says it aloud. The next player needs to say a phrase which begins with the end of that phrase. For instance, if the first player says king of the hill, then the second player might say Hill Street Blues. Play continues clockwise, each player saying a phrase which begins with what the previous player added. It may begin with all of what the previous player added or only with the end of the addition. You may change the ending of the previous phrase from plural to singular or vice versa, if you desire. You can also use homonyms and puns. For instance, if the player before you picks a phrase that ends in accountancy, you might say sea salt. The game ends when someone says a phrase that ends where the first phrase began. Returning to our example, the game might end when someone said long live the king. Man in the moon Moon over Miami Miami Vice vice grip grip tide tide pools pools of blood blood money money can t buy me love love is like a red, red rose
Poetry Beat Poetry The term Beat Generation was coined by Jack Kerouac in the 1950s, referring to being upbeat and on the beat, meaning they were on the cusp of new trends. Major writers of the Beat Movement were Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Lucien Car, and Hal Chase. Elements of the Beat Movement were incorporated into the later hippie movement. What did they want? Liberation (to worship and love as they wanted) Spiritual liberation Sexual liberation Women s liberation Race liberation Freedom of speech/no censorship Decriminalization of many drugs (including marijuana) Ecological consciousness Respect for people as individuals Less materialism and consumerism What did they achieve? Great leaps in liberation Fewer censorship laws Influenced Bob Dylan and The Beatles What does the poetry sound like? Spontaneous Stream of consciousness Strong sense of rhythm
Poetry The Art Form of Spoken Word Poetry Chelsea Vogel Spoken word poetry gained popularity in America in the post war 1990 s era and sprang from the beat movement. Several famous beatniks such as William Burroughs, Allen Ginsburg and Jack Kerouac reintroduced the art of spoken poetry in the U.S during the 1960 s. Ginsburg had a spoken word video featured on MTV and Kerouac had a tribute album in which famous actors and musicians read his poems aloud. During the 1990 s poetic expression reemerged in pop culture and the spoken word poetry movement of the 90 s is often directly correlated with the beat movement of the 60 s in their striking similarities like improvisational style, the coffee house atmosphere of performances and a disdain for the traditional academic community. Yet the emergence of spoken word can be dated back to Homer reading The Odyssey before the invention of the printing press, at a time when oral storytelling was the only way for stories, poems and prose to reach audiences. Most spoken word poets have no intentions of getting their poetry published as they are more concerned with being heard and conveying the messages held in their poems in an immediate and intense way. The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art defines spoken word as, "Poetry that is written on a page but performed for an audience. Because it is performed, this poetry tends to demonstrate a heavy use of rhythm, improvisation,free association, rhymes, rich poetic phrases, word play and slang. It is more aggressive and in your face than more traditional forms of poetry (North). Spoken word differs from poetry readings and slam poetry in that it doesn t translate well to paper and is solely intended to be performed for audiences with its cadenced rhythmic beat and the personification of raw emotion on behalf of the speaker. Some readers argue that any type of poetry that can be read out loud is spoken word depending on the delivery. Either way this type of poetry is especially appealing to younger generations because it is oftentimes written by young people, for young people and delivers content that explores worldly issues relevant in today s society. The popularity of spoken word on Yale campus directly correlates to the popularity of slam poetry on a national level. Several Yale students credit spoken word with its likeness to hip hop music, associating the poetry with rap mastermind, Andre 3000 s lyrics. Not only do the contemporary topics explored by this type of poetry intrigue students, the world of spoken poetry has enticed professors at some of the most prestigious ivy league universities to use the rhythmic prose as an innovative teaching method in the classroom. Tyler Hoffman, an English professor and Dean of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers-Camden published a book titled American Poetry in Performance: From Walt Whitman to Hip Hop. Throughout the book the 45 year old professor fiercely advocates his belief that hip hop is indeed poetry saying That is the poetry that is most alive today, the poetry that most influences our own culture without question. Hoffman isn t the only educator who acknowledges the importance of spoken word as a favored means of self-expression in this generation, Sarah Kay a graduate at Brown University and internationally known spoken word poetry teacher, founded Project V.O.I.C.E, a national movement aimed at inspiring educators nationwide to find ways of incorporating spoken word poetry into lesson plans. She argues that by using spoken word poetry as an instrument that encourages young people to recognize their
views as valid and significant we are inspiring younger generations to engage and partake in the future of our society. Spoken word has not only found its way into universities but entertainment media as well with the creation of new shows that focus on young adults all over the U.S. essentially performing their poetry in front of live audiences in an effort to showcase the emotionally charged prose as the captivating art form it truly is. The HBO hit television show Brave New Voices which showcases the raw talent of young, spoken word poets across the U.S. is based on teaching workshops offered in New York and San Francisco that advocate the use of spoken poetry in classroom settings as a part of the organization Youth Speaks, similar to Sarah Kay s national movement, Project V.O.I.C.E. The founders of Youth Speaks, Jen Weiss and Scott Herndon familiarize educators with spoken word poetry through suggested classroom exercises and thorough descriptions of hip-hop culture and its strong ties to spoken poetry. The duo told Harvard Educational Review that their goal is to introduce innovative learning approaches to the traditional classroom setting in an effort to hook students and compel them to let their voices be heard. By acknowledging that spoken word poetry is the artistic expression of this generation for its contemporary and societal content as well as its close association in structure with hip-hop music a genre that especially appeals to young adults, educators are paving the way for a literary revolution that appears to be in its prime.the only truly accurate description of spoken word poetry is the inner voice spoken aloud, it s a literary movement you have to hear to believe. 10
Poetry Dulce et Decorum Est Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs And towards our distant rest began to trudge. Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind. Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! An ecstasy of fumbling, Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time; But someone still was yelling out and stumbling, And flound ring like a man in fire or lime Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. If in some smothering dreams you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil s sick of sin; If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori. 8 October 1917- March, 1918
Poetry Dulce et Decorum Est Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs And towards our distant rest began to trudge. Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind. Calibre explosive shells Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! An ecstasy of fumbling, Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time; But someone still was yelling out and stumbling, And flound ring like a man in fire or lime Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. If in some smothering dreams you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil s sick of sin; If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Regurgitated food from a cow Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, My friend, you would not tell with such high zest enthusiasm To children ardent for some The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori. 8 October 1917- March, 1918 It is sweet and right to die for your country. A very popular sentiment at the start of World War I. keen Rockets that were sent to burn with a bright light to light up men and other targets A place further behind the front lines where exhausted soldiers might rest. Sound of shells in the air Poison gas (maybe chlorine or phosgene) that effectively drowned someone in air. Early name for gas masks A substance that burns like tissue Glass in the eyepieces of gas masks Sound of drowning from poison gas desperate glory,
Poetry TP-CASTT Poetry Analysis Dulce et Decorum Est T TITLE Predictions of what the poem may be about ponder the meaning, first impressions, any allusions, connotations This is sweetness and order. Focus on one syntactical unit at a time translate each unit into your own words literal events define any unfamiliar words (use separate paper if needed) P PARAPHRASE C CONNOTATION Soldiers marching in trench warfare. They couldn t sleep. Many don t have shoes but keep walking. They lost their senses even to the bombs going off behind them. A gas bomb is dropped and they all go for their helmets, but one man doesn t get his on in time and chokes to death. He haunts the narrator in his sleep. If you could see what he s seen, or heard what he s heard, you wouldn t be so proud to die for your country. Word Choice Contemplate the poem for meaning beyond the literal. Diction Commentary haunting flares The use of the diction haunting suggests remaining, not quickly forgotten. Not only are the soldiers experiencing the flares in the present, but they will be haunted for the rest of their lives. The image of war will forever remain with them. flound ring we flung him The use of flound ring to describe the choking man gives the idea that he s drowning. Men only flouder when they re desperate for air and life, so the gas can be seen as the water that fills his lungs. The word flung implies a certain carelessness or ambivalence. If they fling a man s body, they are so desensitized by war that they don t even care if the body is justly treated. This shows how dehumanizing war is. Images Device Commentary like old beggars under sacks and like hags drunk with fatigue Simile Metaphor Owen s use of the similes like old beggars under sacks and like hags both create images of being worn out. They suggest begging for help and being weighted down by the sacks. The use of the word old implies aging through war and their loss of innocence and youth. This reflection of soldiers from the beginning of the poem presents an image of defeat contradicting the glorious war soldier. Thus Owen emphasizes his bitter protest of war as one that results in a horrible death rather than the glory presented to innocent youths. Comparing fatigue with alcohol makes it more destructive and sloppy. If a soldier is drunk in fatigue, he is so tired that he seems to be intoxicated, longing for sleep but has to keep moving.
Other Devices Examples Device Discussion White eyes writing in his face A Dulce et decorum est por patria mori ATTITUDE Personification Allusion Describing the eyes as writhing gives them a human quality. He is so tormented that even his eyes are in pain, giving the situation an especially fatal quality. This is the phrase that the gladiators said before they battled in the coliseum. By referencing the gladiators who died for the amusement of the Romans, the narrator is comparing them to the soldiers, dying for the amusement of their country. Attitude of the speaker about the subject Desolate, haunted, disillusioned. S SHIFTS Key words: but, yet, however, although Punctuation: dashes, periods, colons, ellipses Stanza divisions: changes in line or stanza length or both Irony: (sometimes irony hides shifts) Structure change Changes in sound Changes in diction: (slang to formal language) State the shift and then explain the shift: Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! An ecstasy of fumbling The sudden exclamation points reflect the soldiers hurry to find their helmets and save themselves. It happens without warning, just as gas bombs come suddenly without warning. T THEME The universal statement as to the human condition state in a complete sentence Men say it is an honour to fight for one s country, but there is no honour in dying in such horrid conditions. 14
Poetry Presentation Duration: /30 Poem Title: Author(s): Group Members: 1. 2. 3. Your group will choose either a Beat poem or a spoken word poem that is less than five (5) minutes long. You will analyse this poem s voice, diction, imagery, figures of speech, and syntax. On the day of your presentation, you must show a video of your poem or do a choral reading with your group. You must also provide a hard copy of the lyrics for your fellow students and the teacher. Video/Choral Reading: A video/choral reading of group s chosen poem is presented, and hard copy for audience to follow. 0 1 Voice: Where does the speaker reveal his or her attitude toward the poem s subject? Does the speaker s attitude change at any point? What are the implications of this shift? 0 1 2 3 Diction: Which word or phrase conveys the richest connotation? How does this connotation enhance the poem? 0 1 2 3 Imagery: What kinds of imagery does the poem include? Do you detect any patterns among the images? What do the images collectively suggest? 0 1 2 3 Figures of Speech: How do the poem s figures of speech contribute to the poem s feeling and meaning? 0 1 2 3 Syntax: How does the poem s syntax contribute to the poem s feeling and meaning? 0 1 2 3 TP-CASTT and Rhetorical Triangle Discussion The inclusion of all aspects of TP-CASTT and Aristotle s Rhetorical Triangle in group s analysis. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Presentation Skills: Presentation skills are effectively employed. 0 1 2 3 4