Poetry Unit Test

Form

Refers to a poem’s structure or the way the words are arranged on the page.

Lines

All poems are made up of a series of lines. The length of the lines, where they break, and how they are punctuated all contribute to a poem’s rhythm and meaning.

Stanzas

In many poems, the lines are grouped into stanzas, which function like paragraphs in prose. Each stanza plays a part in conveying the overall message of a poem.

Prose

Refers to all forms of written or spoken expression that are not in verse

Poems com in in a variety of forms, but they are usually talked about in terms of two categories: _______________ and __________________

traditional and organic

What are the characteristics of traditional poetry?

• Follows fixed rules, such as specified number lines

• Has a regular pattern of rhythm and/or rhyme

What are the forms of traditional poetry, and what do they mean?

Narrative Poetry - Tells a story or recounts events, like a short story or novel with a plot, characters, setting, and theme (Ex: “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe)

Lyric Poetry - Short poem in which the speaker express personal thought and feelings on subject. Has rhythm + melody, imaginative word choice, & unified impression.

Epic

Long Narrative poem on serious subject, present in formal style. Tracks the adventures of hero whose actions reflect values of nation or race. They address universal concerns (good and evil, life and death, etc.). The Odyssey is an example of an epic.

Ode

A poem that highly praises something (person, place, or thing). Traditional odes are about serious subjects, and formal tone and language. Many odes commemorate events or praise people or elements of nature.

Ballad

A narrative poem that tells a story and was originally meant to be sung or recited. Ballad has a setting, plot, and characters. Traditional ballad’s are written in four-line stanzas with regular rhythm and rhyme. Folk ballads are composed orally and handed down by mouth, and told about ordinary people who have unusual adventures.

Limerick

A light or humorous poem, usually with three long lines and two short lines with a rhyme scheme of A-A-B-B-A.

Blank Verse Poetry

Unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter (link of blanker verse that has 5 pairs of syllables), unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed syllable. The most versatile poetic form, blank verse initiates the natural rhythms of English speech. Most of Shakespeare’s drama is written in blank verse such as Romeo & Juliet.

Haiku

Form of Japanese poetry having a set number of lines and syllables

• 17 syllables, arranged in 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables

• Poet creates clear picture that will create strong emotions to reader

• Nature is important source of inspiration, and details from nature are often main subject

Elegy

Extended meditative poem in which speaker reflects on death, tributes to recent passing, or is often on equally serious subjects. Usually formation and serious tone.

Sonnet

Lyric poem of 14 lines, commonly written in iambic pentameter. Sonnets have set pattern of rhythm and rhyme. Sonnets are classified as Petrarchan (Francesco Petrarch, poet) or Shakespearean.

• Petrarchan sonnet = (1) eight-line stanza (octave/octect) + (1) six-line stanza (sestet), and rhyme scheme is abbaabba and then cdcdcd or cdecde

• Shakespearean or Elizabethan sonnet = (3) quatrains + (1) couplet, and rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg

Dramatic Monologue

Poem where speaker addresses a silent or absent listener, as if engaged in private conversation, revealing their personal thoughts, characters, and high intensity.

What are the characteristics of poetry?

• Does not follow established rules or form

• Does not have a regular pattern of rhythm and may not rhyme

• May use unconventional spelling, punctuation, and grammar

What are the forms of organic poetry?

Free Verse Poetry - Poetry that does not contain regular meter; free verse does not adhere to a regular pattern of rhythm and rhyme. (Think: “Free from all the rules of poetry”)

Concrete Poetry - Poetry that conveys meaning visually though the arrangement of letters and words, the poetry uses visible shapes to create a picture related to poems subject.

What is the difference between free verse and blank verse?

Free Verse: no rhyme, no rhythm, and free from limitations

Blank Verse: no rhyme, but has rhythm (iambic pentameter)

Rhythm

The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in each line is what creates the rhythm.

Rhyme

The occurrence of similar or identical sounds at the end of two or more words (ex: suite and heat and complete)

End rhyme - rhyme that occurs at end of lines

Internal rhyme - rhyme that occurs within single line

Slant rhyme - end rhyme that is not exact but approx. (ex: care & dear)

Rhyme Scheme

Regular pattern of rhymein a poem, typically described using letters (e.g., ABAB, AABB) to indicate which lines rhyme with each other.

Meter

A regular pattern of rhythm, stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem.The meter of a poem emphasizes the musical quality of the language. Each unit of meter is known as a foot, consists of one stressed and one or two unstressed syllables.

Stressed symbol

/

Unstressed symbol

ᴗ

Scansion

Where meters are charted and have the syllables marked stressed or unstressed. Using scansion can help determine the rhythm and meter of a poem.

Foot

Consists of 1 stressed syllable and 1-2 unstressed.

Iambic pentameter

Metrical pattern of 5 feet, or units each of which is made up of two syllables, the first unstressed and the second stressed

What is the pattern of the basic metrical foot, iamb?

unstressed, stressed (ex: reSIST)

How many feet are in a pentameter?

5 feet

Repition

A poetic device that involves the deliberate use of the same word or phrase multiple times to emphasize a point or theme.

Alliteration

The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words (Ex: Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared…")

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within and at the end of words (ex: Only their usual maneuvers, dear)

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds within and at the end of words (ex: lonely afternoon)

Quatrain

Four line stanze, or group of lines in poetry

Couplet

Rhyming pair of lines

End-stopped line

A line of poetry in which a sentence or phrase concludes at the end of the line.

Enjabment

The continuation of a complete idea from one line of a poem to the next line without a pause or break.

Syntax

Order in which words appear

Allusion (MISSED ON LAST QUIZ)

Indirect reference to a famous person, place, thing, or literary work

Pun

Joke that comes from a play on words, it can be used in multiple ways or meaning. (Ex: Sole & Soul)

Oxymoron

Concise paradox that brings together two contradictory term (ex: loving hate, brawling love)

Simile

Comparison between two unlike things containing like, as, or as if

Metaphor

Comparison between two unlike things without using the words like or as

Tone

The attitude a writer has towards a subject

Mood

The feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader

Lyric poetry

Internal experience, expresses emotion in 1st person, and focuses on action

Concrete Poetry

Poet uses shapes to create picture related to poem’s subject

What is the poem “The Road Not Taken” about?

This poem uses a fork in a forest road as an extended metaphor for life’s choices and irreversibly of decisions we make in life.

What is the poem “The Seven Ages of Man” about?

This poem by William Shakespeare explores the stages of a man's life, portraying the transformation from infancy to old age, and reflects on the roles we play throughout our lifetime.

What is the poem “O What Is That Sound” about?

This ballad depicts a tense conversation between a couple as soldiers approach, eventually leading to a traumatizing betrayal when the husband abandons his wife.

What is the poem “Ode to My Sock” about?

Pablo Neruda celebrates the extraordinary beauty of ordinary objects by describing a pair of handmade wooden socks as both magical treasures and humble, useful tools.

What is the poem “Elegy for the Giant Tortoises” about?

Poetry reflects on the extinction of giant tortoises, contemplating themes of nature, loss, and the passage of time, ultimately serving as a tribute to their beauty and fragility.

What is the poem “Today” about?

This poem explores themes of joy, hope, and the significance of everyday moments, celebrating the beauty of life and the present.

What is the poem “400-Meter Free Style” about?

This shaped poem visually mimics a swimmer’s movement to highlight the pain and perseverance required for competitive sports.

What is the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” about?

This poem captures the complexities of a father-son relationship, using the metaphor of a waltz to explore themes of love, nostalgia, and the impact of a father's roughness juxtaposed with warmth.

What is the poem “I Ask My Mother to Sing” about?

This poem reflects on cultural heritage and family bonds, portraying the emotions associated with memory, loss, and the connection between generations through song.

What is the poem “Grape Sherbet” about?

This poem evokes the sensory experiences of childhood, focusing on themes of innocence, nostalgia, and the joy found in simple pleasures through vivid imagery.