AP English 11/25

Introduction

  • Morning greetings between Brooke and Barret

  • Barret mentions he has submitted an assignment

Progress Check

  • Discussion about Progress Check 3

    • Barret forgot to include the completion date.

    • Brooke instructs Barret to add the date to show it is finished.

  • Mention of Session 17 regarding the assignment.

  • Transition to Session 20.

Objective of Today’s Class

  • Focus areas:

    • Pieces and parts of poems

    • Line of reasoning

  • Class schedule mentioned: No class on Thursday due to the holiday.

Pieces and Parts of Poems

  • Definition of Poetry:

    • Any combination of words can be considered poetry if they are carefully selected to evoke a specific experience, image, or sentiment.

  • Importance of Syntax:

    • Syntax is crucial in poetry as it dictates how words are assembled and understood.

Categories of Poetry

  1. Narrative Poetry:

    • Tells a story with characters, a plot, and a setting, typically in third person. Examples: Ballads and Epics.

    • Ballad: A story-telling poem that romanticizes its characters; often short with rhythmic lines.

    • Epic: A lengthy narrative poem that chronicles the heroic deeds of characters, often book-length (e.g., "Iliad," "Odyssey").

  2. Lyric Poetry:

    • Expresses personal feelings and emotions, often in the first person. Common types include:

    • Sonnet: 14 lines with a specific rhythm and rhyme scheme (e.g., Shakespearean, Petrarchan).

    • Elegy: Mournful poetry, typically reflecting on themes of death. Often occurs in funerals.

    • Ode: Serious poems written in an elevated style, focused on a specific subject.

    • Poetic structure is often intrinsic and follows an ABAB rhyme scheme with a concluding couplet.

  3. Dramatic Poetry:

    • A poem that presents a story through the words and thoughts of characters.

    • An example includes monologues and soliloquies like those in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Hamlet.

      • Monologue: A long speech by an imagined speaker addressing a silent listener.

      • Soliloquy: When a character expresses thoughts while alone on stage.

Additional Forms of Poetry
  • Haikus: Brief Japanese poems that follow a specific structure of lines and stanzas.

    • Commonly consists of 3 lines.

Structure of Poetry

  • Lines: May be a single word, phrase, or full sentence; reflect the poet's intention.

  • Stanzas: Groups of lines in poetry, similar to paragraphs.

    • Special terms based on the number of lines:

    • Couplet: 2 lines

    • Tercet: 3 lines

    • Quatrain: 4 lines

    • Cinquain: 5 lines

    • Sestet: 6 lines

    • Septet: 7 lines

    • Octave: 8 lines

    • Nonet: 9 lines

Line and Punctuation Techniques

  • End Stop: A line that ends with punctuation and makes sense on its own, creating a pause.

  • Enjambment: A line that does not end logically and pushes the reader into the next line for completion. Often compared to a run-on sentence.

  • Examples for Clarity:

    • Enjambment: "The winds repeat there…"; meaning isn’t clear until the next line.

    • End Stop: Tennyson’s "The Eagle" where each line has punctuation and completes its thought.

Assignment Reminder

  • Students are reminded to study the structure of poems, focusing on end stops and enjambment in preparation for upcoming quizzes and poetry analysis.

Upcoming Homework and Assignments

  • Students are expected to work on:

    • Progress checks and rely on reading material.

    • Complete a critical guide on Wuthering Heights.

    • Submit assignments through Canvas by December 2 by 8:30 AM.

  • Analyze how poets craft lines and stanzas to enhance poem meaning.

Meter and Foot in Poetry

  • Meter: Defined as a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.

  • Foot: A unit of measurement in poetry, typically seen as an individual set of stressed and unstressed syllables.

  • Syllable counting: A foundational aspect of understanding meter; represented in examples for hands-on learning.

    • Example: In "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

    • Count of stressed versus unstressed syllables to identify the foot and meter as iambic pentameter.

Line of Reasoning Assignment

  • Definition: A sequence of claims supported by evidence leading to a conclusion.

  • Structure required for academic writing:

    • Thesis

    • Claims with evidence and commentary

  • Reminder about the necessary flow and interconnectedness of claims, analogous to fitting puzzle pieces.

Analyzing Poems

  • Students will analyze a poem and its structure focusing on the who, what, and why for comprehension.

  • Homework includes reading a specific poem and responding to prompts based on reflective questions and analyzing student examples from AP exams.

Conclusion

  • Instructor offers holiday wishes and announces the next class date on December 2.

  • Final check for understanding and reminders about homework impact on grades.