My candle burns at both ends
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends -
It gives a lovely light.
- Millay
Chapter 11: Alliteration, Assonance, Consonance: various poems
Poems to look at and answer questions: "Traveling Through the Dark".
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends -
It gives a lovely light.
- Millay
Chapter 11: Alliteration, Assonance, Consonance: various poems
Poems to look at and answer questions: "Traveling Through the Dark".
TONIGHT - READ Chapters 1 and 2 (poetry section).
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
may i feel said he
(i'll squeal said she
just once said he)
it's fun said she
(may i touch said he
how much said she
a lot said he)
why not said she
(let's go said he
not too far said she
what's too far said he
where you are said she)
may i stay said he
which way said she
like this said he
if you kiss said she
may i move said he
is it love said she)
if you're willing said he
(but you're killing said she
but it's life said he
but your wife said she
now said he)
ow said she
(tiptop said he
don't stop said she
oh no said he)
go slow said she
(cccome?said he
ummm said she)
you're divine!said he
(you are Mine said she)
may i feel said he
(i'll squeal said she
just once said he)
it's fun said she
(may i touch said he
how much said she
a lot said he)
why not said she
(let's go said he
not too far said she
what's too far said he
where you are said she)
may i stay said he
which way said she
like this said he
if you kiss said she
may i move said he
is it love said she)
if you're willing said he
(but you're killing said she
but it's life said he
but your wife said she
now said he)
ow said she
(tiptop said he
don't stop said she
oh no said he)
go slow said she
(cccome?said he
ummm said she)
you're divine!said he
(you are Mine said she)
Advice for reading a poem according to PIerrine in Sound and Sense
1) Read the poem more than once. A good poem will no more yield its full meaning on a single reading than will a Beethoven symphony on a single hearing.
2) Keep a dictionary by you and use it. It is futile to try to understand poetry without troubling to learn the meaning of the words in which it is composed. A few other reference books should also be invaluable. Particularly desirable are a good book on mythology and a Bible.
3) Read as to hear the sounds of the words in your mind. Poetry is written to be heard: its meanings are conveyed through sound as well as through print. Every word is therefore important.
4) Always pay careful attention to what the poem is saying. One should make the utmost effort to follow the thought consciously and to grasp the full implications and suggestions. Because a poem says so much, several readings may be necessary, but on the first reading you should determine the subjects of the verbs and antecedents of the pronouns.
5) Practice reading the poem aloud. A) Read it affectionately, but not affectedly. B) Read it slowly enough that each word is clear and distinct and that the meaning has time to sink in. C) Read the poem so that the rhythmical pattern is felt but not exaggerated. Remember that poetry is written in sentences, just like prose is, and that punctuation is a signal as to how it should be read.
When writing a poetry explication make sure you start with a HOOK and a THESIS STATEMENT. Put here are a set of rules:
Poetry Explications
A poetry explication is a relatively short analysis, which describes the possible meanings and relationships of the words, images, and other small units that make up a poem. Writing an explication is an effective way for a reader to connect a poem's plot and conflicts with its structural features. This handout reviews some of the important techniques of approaching and writing a poetry explication, and includes parts of two sample explications.
Preparing to write the explication
1. Read the poem silently, then read it aloud (if not in a testing situation). Repeat as necessary.
2. Consider the poem as a dramatic situation in which a speaker addresses an audience or another character. In this way, begin your analysis by identifying and describing the speaking voice or voices, the conflicts or ideas, and the language used in the poem.
The large issues
Determine the basic design of the poem by considering the who, what, when, where, and why of the dramatic situation.
*
What is being dramatized? What conflicts or themes does the poem present, address, or question?
*
Who is the speaker? Define and describe the speaker and his/her voice. What does the speaker say? Who is the audience? Are other characters involved?
*
What happens in the poem? Consider the plot or basic design of the action. How are the dramatized conflicts or themes introduced, sustained, resolved, etc.?
*
When does the action occur? What is the date and/or time of day?
*
Where is the speaker? Describe the physical location of the dramatic moment.
*
Why does the speaker feel compelled to speak at this moment? What is his/her motivation?
The details
To analyze the design of the poem, we must focus on the poem's parts, namely how the poem dramatizes conflicts or ideas in language. By concentrating on the parts, we develop our understanding of the poem's structure, and we gather support and evidence for our interpretations. Some of the details we should consider include the following:
*
Form: Does the poem represent a particular form (sonnet, sestina, etc.)? Does the poem present any unique variations from the traditional structure of that form?
*
Rhetoric: How does the speaker make particular statements? Does the rhetoric seem odd in any way? Why? Consider the predicates and what they reveal about the speaker.
*
Syntax: Consider the subjects, verbs, and objects of each statement and what these elements reveal about the speaker. Do any statements have convoluted or vague syntax?
*
Vocabulary: Why does the poet choose one word over another in each line? Do any of the words have multiple or archaic meanings that add other meanings to the line? Use the Oxford English Dictionary as a resource.
The patterns
As you analyze the design line by line, look for certain patterns to develop which provide insight into the dramatic situation, the speaker's state of mind, or the poet's use of details. Some of the most common patterns include the following:
*
Rhetorical Patterns: Look for statements that follow the same format.
*
Rhyme: Consider the significance of the end words joined by sound; in a poem with no rhymes, consider the importance of the end words.
*
Patterns of Sound: Alliteration and assonance create sound effects and often cluster significant words.
*
Visual Patterns: How does the poem look on the page?
1) Read the poem more than once. A good poem will no more yield its full meaning on a single reading than will a Beethoven symphony on a single hearing.
2) Keep a dictionary by you and use it. It is futile to try to understand poetry without troubling to learn the meaning of the words in which it is composed. A few other reference books should also be invaluable. Particularly desirable are a good book on mythology and a Bible.
3) Read as to hear the sounds of the words in your mind. Poetry is written to be heard: its meanings are conveyed through sound as well as through print. Every word is therefore important.
4) Always pay careful attention to what the poem is saying. One should make the utmost effort to follow the thought consciously and to grasp the full implications and suggestions. Because a poem says so much, several readings may be necessary, but on the first reading you should determine the subjects of the verbs and antecedents of the pronouns.
5) Practice reading the poem aloud. A) Read it affectionately, but not affectedly. B) Read it slowly enough that each word is clear and distinct and that the meaning has time to sink in. C) Read the poem so that the rhythmical pattern is felt but not exaggerated. Remember that poetry is written in sentences, just like prose is, and that punctuation is a signal as to how it should be read.
When writing a poetry explication make sure you start with a HOOK and a THESIS STATEMENT. Put here are a set of rules:
Poetry Explications
A poetry explication is a relatively short analysis, which describes the possible meanings and relationships of the words, images, and other small units that make up a poem. Writing an explication is an effective way for a reader to connect a poem's plot and conflicts with its structural features. This handout reviews some of the important techniques of approaching and writing a poetry explication, and includes parts of two sample explications.
Preparing to write the explication
1. Read the poem silently, then read it aloud (if not in a testing situation). Repeat as necessary.
2. Consider the poem as a dramatic situation in which a speaker addresses an audience or another character. In this way, begin your analysis by identifying and describing the speaking voice or voices, the conflicts or ideas, and the language used in the poem.
The large issues
Determine the basic design of the poem by considering the who, what, when, where, and why of the dramatic situation.
*
What is being dramatized? What conflicts or themes does the poem present, address, or question?
*
Who is the speaker? Define and describe the speaker and his/her voice. What does the speaker say? Who is the audience? Are other characters involved?
*
What happens in the poem? Consider the plot or basic design of the action. How are the dramatized conflicts or themes introduced, sustained, resolved, etc.?
*
When does the action occur? What is the date and/or time of day?
*
Where is the speaker? Describe the physical location of the dramatic moment.
*
Why does the speaker feel compelled to speak at this moment? What is his/her motivation?
The details
To analyze the design of the poem, we must focus on the poem's parts, namely how the poem dramatizes conflicts or ideas in language. By concentrating on the parts, we develop our understanding of the poem's structure, and we gather support and evidence for our interpretations. Some of the details we should consider include the following:
*
Form: Does the poem represent a particular form (sonnet, sestina, etc.)? Does the poem present any unique variations from the traditional structure of that form?
*
Rhetoric: How does the speaker make particular statements? Does the rhetoric seem odd in any way? Why? Consider the predicates and what they reveal about the speaker.
*
Syntax: Consider the subjects, verbs, and objects of each statement and what these elements reveal about the speaker. Do any statements have convoluted or vague syntax?
*
Vocabulary: Why does the poet choose one word over another in each line? Do any of the words have multiple or archaic meanings that add other meanings to the line? Use the Oxford English Dictionary as a resource.
The patterns
As you analyze the design line by line, look for certain patterns to develop which provide insight into the dramatic situation, the speaker's state of mind, or the poet's use of details. Some of the most common patterns include the following:
*
Rhetorical Patterns: Look for statements that follow the same format.
*
Rhyme: Consider the significance of the end words joined by sound; in a poem with no rhymes, consider the importance of the end words.
*
Patterns of Sound: Alliteration and assonance create sound effects and often cluster significant words.
*
Visual Patterns: How does the poem look on the page?
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