Poetry Commentary Outline Spring 2016 Andrews/Bersaglia/Gibbs Name Due: Wed., 8 Feb. Assignment: Analyze a Romantic poem from both technical & literary perspectives. Once you complete the outline in a THOUGHTFUL, THOROUGH manner, take this information and turn it into an essay. a. 12 pt., Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and MLA formatting. b. Use s and complete sentences!!! c. Use evidence from the poem to support ideas. d. Let the outline do the work for you. e. Cite the source of the poem. f. Cite any other sources used in the paper. Introduction -- 3-5 sentences, briefly introduce AND summarize the ideas in the poem. Be sure to include a thesis [main idea or focus]. Summary of poem s content: In Lewis Carroll s The Jabberwocky, a young warrior must destroy a monstrous creature that terrorizes the land. The young man journeys through a fanciful landscape and confronts many dangers before he finally vanquishes the Jabberwocky and returns with the monster s head as trophy, touching off joyous celebrations among the people. Introduce ideas in poem: However, in spite of the poem s light tone and happy ending, The Jabberwocky tells the story of fear literally running loose and illustrates how unwilling the people are to face the source of terror themselves. Instead of banding together to annihilate their mutual fear, they send someone else to fight the terror beast, coming out only when the young warrior is victorious. Example of a thesis: Though disguised as a playful children s poem, The Jabberwocky s nonsensical words and fantastic images explores the paralyzing anxiety people feel when they are confronted with an overwhelming fear or threat.
Title: A Romantic [Transcendentalist / Dark Romantic] Commentary on Poem Title by Poet (Year - Year) Opening Plot summary: Outlines in 2-3 sentences how this Romantic / Dark Romantic / Transcendentalist poem tells a story, OR presents a scene, OR presents a philosophy, OR addresses an emotional experience. Thesis: Poem s main Romantic focus that specifically outlines how the poet understands the individual in terms Romantic / Transcendentalist / Dark Romantic philosophies.
Body 1 Be sure to use LEGITIMATE SOURCES such as library books or biographies, PoetrySoup.com, poetryfoundation.org, or poets.org for this section. NO Wikipedia!!!! Briefly outlines the poet s background: 3-5 facts about the poet s childhood and life that connected or led to him or her adopting a Romantic philosophy. Body #1 Historical context Succinctly discusses how 2-4 contemporary events influenced the poet and his/her Romantic poetry. Based on this biographical and historical information, tell how the poet s life influenced the genesis [creation] and message of this specific Romantic / Transcendentalist / Dark Romantic poem.
Body 2-- Technical aspects of the poem--#1-12 below. Begin with rhyme scheme & rhythm, & use other terms as more technical evidence. For example, if the rhythm is slow, are the lines enjambed? Does the poem use rhyme scheme or free verse, and how does this choice impact the rhythm? Do alliteration & parallelism impact the poem s flow? Literary term 1 Rhyme scheme Is this lit. term in the poem? Example(s) & line number(s) Literary term 6 Enjambed line (opposite of end-stopped) Is this lit. term in the poem? Example(s) & line number(s) 2 Slant rhyme (approximate rhyme) 7 End-stopped line (opposite of enjambed) 3 Couplet 8 Punctuation 4 Rhythm (fast, slow, other) 9 Line length 5 Internal rhyme 10 Parallelism
Example of rhythm, rhyme scheme, & poetic strategies: The poem s regular rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH IJIJ KLML ABAB could support a variety of rhythms, especially ones that are more up-tempo. However, in The Jabberwocky, poetic devices like end-stopped lines and internal rhyme affect the rhythm more than the rhyme scheme does. The poem s rhythm varies from stanza to stanza, shifting from a more moderate rhythm at the beginning to a faster, more dynamic rhythm in Lines 16-20 as the young warrior battles the Jabberwocky. Though Lines 1-15 are not particularly long, most include several different end-stopped pieces of punctuation like commas, dashes, colons, exclamation marks, and periods, which slow the poem. As the action accelerates in Line 16, so does the rhythm, speeded up by a combination of shorter lines, less punctuation, internal rhyme in One, two! One, two! And through and through (Line 17) as well as Line 19, and the alliterative onomatopoeia snicker-snack (Line 18). However, with the battle ended, the rhythm again levels off, with Lines 25-28 repeating Lines 1-4. Body #2 Rhythm & Structure Rhythm: What is the poem s rhythm? Give a word, words, or a phrase that accurately describes the poem s pace. Remember, use evidence (quotes & line # s) to support your claims!! Rhyme scheme: What is the poem s rhyme scheme? How does this rhyme scheme (even free verse) contribute to the poem s rhythm? Poetic strategy: Choose ONE of the strategies listed on the chart and show how this ONE strategy helps create the poem s rhythm. Parallelism Enjambed/End-stopped lines Internal rhyme Slant (approximate) rhyme Alliteration Line breaks (long or short line) Onomatopoeia
Poetic strategies: Choose ONE of the following poetic strategies and show how this ONE strategy helps create the poem s rhythm. Parallelism Enjambed/End-stopped lines Internal rhyme Slant (approximate) rhyme Alliteration Line breaks (long or short line) Onomatopoeia Body 3: Discuss speaker, the speaker s tone, and the mood. Example of speaker s tone: The speaker s tone is guarded but precise, and the speaker himself seems more focused on telling the story precisely than reacting to it. The speaker s guarded tone is overshadowed by the second voice in the poem; the old man speaking to the boy shows much more emotion with his fearful Beware (Lines 5 & 7) and joyful Frabjous day! Calloh! Callay! (Line 23). With uncertain definitions, made-up words like brillig (Lines 1 & 25), mimsy (Lines 3 & 27), and mome raths outgrabe (Lines 4 & 28) hide the speaker s tone even more. The reader is left wondering exactly why the speaker is so carefully neutral as he shares the story. Body #3--Speaker Use evidence (quotes & line # s) to support your claims!! Speaker: What is the Romantic speaker s role in the poem? Be as specific as possible. Is the speaker talking about his/her own experience? Is (s)he an observer?
Speaker: What are TWO things you know or can infer about the speaker? Be specific in your description, and make sure the information relates back to the poem s plot or situation & why the speaker is there. For example, is (s)he speaking formally or using informal like slang? What might either of these mean about the speaker? Speaker: How would you characterize the speaker s tone? How does this tone tie to Romanticism? Does the tone change? If yes, (a) tell from what tone to what tone, & (b) tell why it changes. What mood or specific set of reactions is created by the tone?
Body 4: Discuss figurative language in the poem. Literary term Is this lit. term in the poem? Example(s) & line number(s) 1 Simile Literary term 6 Onomatopoeia Is this lit. term in the poem? Example(s) & line number(s) 2 Metaphor 7 Allusion 3 Hyperbole 8 Pun 4 Personification 9 Imagery 5 Alliteration 10 Diction Example of figurative language introduction: Figurative language such as imagery and alliteration reinforces the uncomfortable emotions and ideas in The Jabberwocky: Example of figurative language #1: The speaker s combination of made-up words and fantastic, unexplained creatures results in haunting imagery the reader can only partially understand. The ambiguous images give the poem an ominous, unfinished quality, like a vivid dream on the verge of a nightmare. Since the speaker never explains what these creatures are or why each should inspire such dread, a menacing atmosphere surrounds key images throughout the poem-- jubjub bird (Line 7), frumious Bandersnatch (Line 8), manxome foe (Line 10), tulgey wood (Line 15), adding to the uneasy mood.
Example of figurative language #2: Along with imagery, alliteration reinforces the poem s shifting moods. In Stanza 1, the made-up words gyre and gimble (Lines 2 & 26) and mimsy (Lines 3 & 27) and mome (Lines 4 & 28) sound playful and light, but when they are repeated word-for-word in Stanza 7, these same words suddenly seem dark and unreliable. For the young warrior, the bloody encounter with the Jabberwocky has changed everything. Alliteration also fills the old man s warning about the monsters in the wood: Jabberwock (Line 5), jaws (Line 6), and jubjub (Line 7); claws and catch (Line 6); Beware (Lines 5 & 7), bite (Line 6), and Bandersnatch (Line 8). By linking the three creatures together with dangerous, threatening words, the old man s alliteration adds to the tension. Body #4 Figurative language Figurative language: What is the connection between the poem s dominant images & their connection to Romanticism or an offshoot of Romantic philosophy? Use evidence (quotes & line # s) to support your claim!! For example, is figurative language obvious & important to the poem s story or meaning? Is the figurative language more subtle (hard to spot)? Something else you can specifically define? Figurative language: Choose ONE type of figurative language & show how this ONE type of figurative language adds Romantic significance. Simile Hyperbole Metaphor Allusion Imagery Personification Alliteration Diction Pun Onomatopoeia
Figurative language: Choose ONE type of figurative language & show how this ONE type of figurative language adds Romantic significance. Simile Metaphor Imagery Alliteration Pun Hyperbole Allusion Personification Diction Onomatopoeia Body 5: Discuss literary elements in the poem. Literary term 1 Parallelism Is this lit. term in the poem? Example(s) & line number(s) Literary term 6 Irony Is this lit. term in the poem? Example(s) & line number(s) 2 Archetype 7 Setting 3 Theme 8 Foreshadowing 4 Symbol 5 Motif 9 Characterization 10 (direct or indirect) Plot
Example sentence identifying literary elements: Irony and symbolism serve as two important literary elements in The Jabberwocky, each causing the Jabberwocky s death to be seen as something other than a victory. Example sentence for literary element #1: The exact parallelism of Stanzas 1 & 7 creates irony. The poem s narrative ends exactly as it began. Even after the young warrior faces the Jabberwocky in combat, nothing in the poem s brillig (Lines 1 & 25) world changes. The Jabberwocky s death is ironic because the world cannot change until everyone takes part in vanquishing its monsters. Example sentence for literary element #2: The creature themselves the Jabberwocky, the jubjub bird, and Bandersnatch symbolize a blinding terror. The reader does not know why any of the three monsters are so feared, nor is the young warrior told why he must slay the Jabberwocky, only that he should kill it while avoiding the other two ferocious creatures. The blind terror these monsters inspire symbolize not just fear, but fear of the unknown and fear of things different from ourselves. Blind terror leads to blind hatred, and until the cycle of fear and hatred is broken by everyone, nothing like the world in the poem can ever change. Body #5 Literary elements Literary elements: Identify the TWO most important. Irony Character[ization] Foreshadowing Plot Parallelism Flashback Motif Symbol Archetype Theme How do these TWO literary elements connect to the poet s perception of the individual in terms of Romanticism / Transcendentalism / Dark Romanticism? Use evidence (quotes & line # s) to support your claim!! Literary element #1: Specifically explain how the 1 st literary element adds Romantic significance.
Literary element #2: Specifically explain how the 2 nd literary element adds Romantic significance. Conclusion: In 2-5 sentences, where does all of this analysis lead? What ultimately can be said about your poem, based on this analysis? [te: Do NOT simply restate the ideas in the opening paragraph. Extend (add to) the ideas you introduced at the beginning.] Example: Lewis Carroll s poem The Jabberwocky focuses on a theme of identifying and facing down fears. Like the characters in the poem, people deal with fear in a variety of ways: demonizing fear, confronting fear, hiding from fear, handing the fear off to others, vanquishing fear, or forgetting to question the reason for feeling afraid in the first place. For this reason, readers of all ages should be able to connect with the ideas, images, and emotions in The Jabberwocky. Carroll s poem reminds us that while fear is normal, refusing to face or combat fear leads to blind hatred and a cycle of destructive choices. Theme: Overall, what is a specific Transcendentalist / Romantic / Dark Romantic theme in the poem? Concluding [Hint Tie the theme back to the thesis.]
Theme: In 2-3 sentences, how does this theme connects the poet s Romantic / Transcendentalist / Dark Romantic philosophies & understanding of the individual? Wrap-up sentence: How do Romantic / Transcendentalist / Dark Romantic ideas impact someone who reads or reflects upon this poem?
Romantic Poetry Commentary Rubric Content Spring 2016, Andrews/Bersaglia Names Analysis Criteria Opening or Introduction (3) Mostly (2.5) Sort of (2) Missing or no (0) Focuses on ONE approved Romantic, Transcendentalist, or Dark Romantic poem. Outlines in 2-3 sentences how this Romantic / Transcendentalist / Dark Romantic poem tells a story, OR presents a scene, OR presents a philosophy, OR addresses an emotional experience. Presents a clear thesis that specifically outlines how the poet understands the individual in terms Romantic / Transcendentalist / Dark Romantic philosophies. Body #1 Historical context Briefly outlines the poet s background: 3-5 facts about the poet s childhood and life that connected or led to him or her adopting a Romantic philosophy. Succinctly discusses how 2-4 contemporary events influenced the poet and his/her Romantic poetry. Based on this biographical and historical information, tell how the poet s life influenced the genesis [creation] and message of this specific Romantic / Transcendentalist / Dark Romantic poem. Body #2 Rhythm & Structure Accurately describes the poem s pace or rhythm. Describes how rhyme scheme (even free verse) contributes to the poem s rhythm? Shows how ONE strategy helps create the poem s rhythm: Show how a SECOND strategy helps create the poem s rhythm: Uses specific evidence & line #s from the poem throughout this paragraph to support ideas and claims. Body #3--Speaker Identifies Romantic speaker s role in poem as specifically as possible. Infers TWO qualities or characteristics about the speaker. Characterizes the speaker s tone, ties the tone to Romanticism, & identifies any changes or shifts in the tone. Describes the poem s mood or a specific set of reactions. Use specific evidence & line #s from the poem throughout this paragraph to support ideas and claims.
Analysis Criteria Body #4 Figurative language (3) Mostly (2.5) Sort of (2) or missing (0) Explores the poem s dominant images & their connection to Romanticism or an offshoot of Romantic philosophy. Discusses how ONE type of figurative language is used to add Romantic significance to the poem. Discusses how a SECOND type of figurative language is used to add or to enhance Romantic significance. Uses specific evidence & line #s from the poem throughout this paragraph to support ideas and claims. Body #5 Literary elements Identifies the poem s TWO most important literary elements & how these TWO literary elements connect to the poet s perception of the individual in terms of Romanticism / Transcendentalism / Dark Romanticism. Explains ONE of the most important literary elements in the poem and clarifies its Romantic significance. Explains a SECOND important literary element in the poem and clarifies its Romantic significance. Uses specific evidence & line #s from the poem throughout this paragraph to support ideas and claims. Concluding Identifies a specific Romantic / Transcendentalist / Dark Romantic theme in the poem. [Hint Tie the theme back to the thesis.] Explains in 2-3 sentences about how this theme connects the poet s Romantic / Transcendentalist / Dark Romantic philosophies & understanding of the individual. Creates a wrap-up sentence that discusses how Romantic / Transcendentalist / Dark Romantic ideas impact someone who reads or reflects upon this poem. TOTAL / 81
Commentary Formatting rubric for Romantic poem / 93 Formatting Basic MLA requirements (3) (0) Sort of (2) Formatting MLA basic language requirements (3) (0) Sort of (2) 12-pt., Times New Roman font Double-spacing Capital letters are used with titles AND names. Capital letters are used to begin sentences. 1 margins Paper uses 3 rd person; no I or you in the paper. Last names & page # in top right-hand corner/page. MLA heading in top left-hand corner of Page 1: Your names Instructors names Class & Paper Day Month Year Title--A Romantic / Transcendentalist / Dark Romantic Commentary on Poem Title by Poet (Year - Year) Paper is left-justified. Paragraphs ( s) are indented one tab or five spaces. Poem is at least 25+ lines. Paper is between 2-5 pages long. Formatting MLA internal citation Spell check is used. The poet is referred to by full name or last name only, and the speaker is understood as separate from the poet. Clear, appropriate transitions are used when moving from one idea to the next within a paragraph. Clear, appropriate transitions are used when moving from one paragraph to another. Paragraphs ( s) are used correctly & consistently. Paper contains between 5 and 11 s. Pronouns are kept to a minimum. Internal citation is used with each direct quotation. Direct quotations have quotation marks around the words taken directly from source. Internal citation is used with each indirect quotation. Indirect quotations do not use quotation marks and are rewritten in writer s style and diction. Only 1 st piece of information [& page # if available] from the works cited entry is used in parentheses. Lines of poetry are indicated by quotation marks, divided by slashes, and listed by line number: Gaily bedight / A gallant knight, / In sunshine and in shadow (Lines 1-3) Totals Each group of words followed by a period should be a sentence: subject, verb, complete thought. Paper is written using present-tense verbs. Strong, descriptive verbs are used not is & are. Homophones are used correctly (to/too/two; through/threw; there/their/they re; whether/weather). MLA formatting is used consistently on all pages. Totals