Identifying Characters in Poetry

Character Components in Poetry

Dramatic Situation

• In poetry, a dramatic situation is a literary device used to create tension and conflict within the poem.

• It involves presenting an event or circumstance that causes emotional upheaval for the speaker and/or other characters in the poem.

• The dramatic situation typically involves some kind of crisis or conflict that must be resolved.

• This can take many different forms, such as a personal struggle with inner demons, a romantic entanglement gone wrong, or even an epic battle between good and evil.

Imagery and Figures of Speech

• Imagery and figures of speech are commonly used in literature and writing to create a vivid description or convey an idea.

• Imagery refers to the use of language that appeals to the senses, such as sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.

• Figures of speech are more complex forms of language that create meaning beyond literal interpretation.

  • There are many types of figures of speech including similes (comparing one thing with another using "like" or "as"), metaphors (describing something by comparing it directly to something else), personification (giving human characteristics to non-human things), hyperbole (exaggeration for emphasis), and many others.

Understanding and Interpreting meaning in Poetic Structure

• In a poem, line breaks and stanza breaks help to develop ideas.

• Contrasts are also utilized to build on the audience's interpretations of the poem.

• Authors use various techniques (such as establishing imagery, character development, a dramatic situation, setting, and the speaker's perspective) to signify and implicitly create contrasts in a text.

• Contrasts can also be the direct result of juxtapositions and shifts.

• Shifts can be determined by punctuation, a structural convention, or simply a word.

Syntax & Interpretations

Structure

• The composition of a poem is deliberately contrived by authors and commonly utilized to assist readers in interpreting the urgency.

  • The structure of the poem as a totality can allude to ideas, just as the structure of each section can grow an idea.

• Punctuation is crucial towards understanding the structure of a poem, or any text in general.

• Readers can study many punctuational elements, including the amount of commas, exclamation points, complete or incomplete sentences, periods, question marks, and semicolons, within a poem.

• Rhythm, parallel syntax, repetition, and figurative language can help formulate patterns in a poem.

• As readers and interpreters, it is important to recognize these patterns and contemplate its purpose in the poem.

Themes

• Many poems are crafted to convey specific themes, which can be explicitly pronounced or intricately woven (oftentimes left for readers to decipher or infer).

• Despite some works being more intricate than others, readers can glean the author's messages through their utilization of syntax.

Analyzing Word Choice to Find meaning

• Antecedent refers a phrase, clause, or word in which precedes its referent.

• Referents can include clauses, nouns, pronouns, or phrases.

• Alliteration and repetition can also affect interpretations and assumptions, seeing as they can emphasize associations or ideas.

• Similes and metaphors also serve different purposes in poems.

  • A simile uses "like" or "as" to compare two concepts or objects.

  • A metaphor similarly compares two concepts or objects, but it does not use "like" or "as"

Grammar, Diction, & Tone

Grammar

• Grammar plays a fundamental role in literature, as it provides the framework for texts and conveys the author's intended message.

• With grammar, authors are able to create a composition that is precise and powerful, forming a connection with the reader and conveying their thoughts in a precise and articulate manner.

• Grammar also contributes to the overall aesthetic of a work, as punctuation, spelling, and word choice are all essential components of any writing.

• Furthermore, grammar enables writers to easily establish their ideas, as well as create a distinct voice in their work. In short, grammar is a crucial element of any piece of literature, and its importance should not be overlooked.

Diction

• Diction in literature is the selection of words employed by an author to give life to their writing and express a certain atmosphere or feeling.

• It is a fundamental element in creating vivid and captivating stories, as it enables authors to evoke imagery in their readers' minds and shape the way they interpret a given text.

• The use of diction can also emphasize certain ideas and themes, as the words chosen can connote certain emotions, feelings, and attitudes.

• Diction is an essential tool of the writer, as it can be utilized to craft an array of powerful and evocative stories and messages.

Tone

• Tone in literature refers to the attitude of the author towards the work's characters, themes, and settings.

• This attitude is expressed through the author’s use of language, such as through diction, syntax, imagery, and other literary devices.

• Tone can be either positive or negative, and conveys the author's feelings and opinions about the work, thereby creating an emotional response from the reader.

• Tone can also be used to create suspense, mystery, and humor, as well as to enhance the overall mood of the work.

Identifying Techniques in Poetry to Analyze Literary Works

Literary Devices

• Literary devices are a wide variety of techniques used to enhance the written word, including figures of speech, rhetorical devices, and imagery.

• They are often utilized to provoke emotion, evoke imagery, and to help the reader understand a particular message or concept more clearly.

• Popular figures of speech include alliteration, metaphor, and simile, while rhetorical devices include anaphora, antithesis, and asyndeton. Imagery, meanwhile, is a literary device that uses sensory descriptions to create vivid mental images for the reader.

Prosody

• is the study of the rhythmic, metrical, and tonal aspects of verse. It is a multifaceted discipline, which encompasses a range of elements such as cadence, syllabic structure, emphasis, and stress.

• Additionally, prosody is employed to emphasize certain words or phrases and convey a range of emotions to the reader.

• Furthermore, prosody highlights the poetic elements of a text, such as rhyme, alliteration, and assonance.

• As a result, prosody plays an important role in literature, aiding readers in better understanding the intent of the author.