Poetry Analysis 101

Poetry Analysis 101 A basic introduction

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow • Voices in the Night published in 1839 • First American poet to reach a wide audience and create a national interest in poetry • Translated foreign poetry, which inspired him. • Romanticized America’s early history and democratic ideals. • Criticized for being to optimistic and sentimental—ironic b/c that’s what made him popular in the first place.

William Cullen Bryant • “Thanatopsis” (about nature) • Journalist and political activist • Defender of human rights and freedoms—for women and slaves • First American poet to win world=wide critical acclaim

Oliver Wendell Holms • Descendent of Anne Bradstreet • Contributed to literature and medicine as a medical researcher • Saved a battleship planned for destruction with his poem “Old Ironsides”

TP-CASTT • Helps to give you something general to say about the poem in order to personally interpret

Title—Ponder the title before reading the poem Paraphrase—Translate the poem into your own words Connotation—Contemplate the poem for meaning beyond the literal; suggestive meaning Attitude—Observe both the speaker’s and the poet’s attitude (tone). Shifts—Note shifts in speakers and attitudes Title—Examine the title again, this time on an interpretive level Theme—Determine what the poet is saying How to discover shift Key words (but, yet, however, although) Punctuation (dashes, periods, colons, ellipsis) Stanza divisions Changes in line or stanza length, or both Irony (sometimes irony masks a shift) Structure Changes in sound or rhythm Changes in diction (ex. slang to formal language) TP-CASTT

Figurative Language & Literary Terms • Also be sure to consider what type of figurative language is being used so you can adequately interpret the poem. Some figurative language to consider… • Alliteration: • Refrain: • Onomatopoeia: • Mood: • Tone: • Personification: • Repetition: Quatrain Ballad Stanza Iamb Trochee Sonnet Octave Sestet Theme • Metaphor: • Simile: • Rhyme: • Diction: • Imagery

They've Put a Brassiere On a Camel They've put a brassiere on a camel, She wasn't dressed proper, you know. They've put a brassiere on a camel, So that her humps wouldn't show. And they're making other respectable plans, They're even even insisting the pigs should wear pants, They'll dress up the ducks if we give them the chance Since they've put a brassiere on a camel. They've put a brassiere on a camel, They claim she's more decent that way. They've put a brassiere on a camel, The camel had nothing to say. They squeezed her into it, i'll never know how, They say that she looks more respectable now, Lord knows what they've got in mind for the cow, Since they've put a brassiere on a camel.

Romantic Poetry Take 1 Bryant, Longfellow & Holmes

Terms to know Iamb: 2 syllables where the first is unstressed while the second is stressed Trochee: 2 syllables where the first is stressed while the second is unstressed Ballad Stanza: quatrain written in folk ballad format (has a story/plot); usually with a/b/c/b pattern Quatrain: Poem/stanza with 4 lines Sonnet: 14 line poem that follows a strict structure/rhyme scheme usually an octave followed by a sestet Octave: poem/stanza with 8 lines Sestet: poem/stanza with 6 lines

Act 1 • Bryant— • Read the poem to the group • Share your TPCASTT chart • Teach your group all that you learned about your poem. • Group members should write their first impressions of the poem on the worksheet based on what their group member taught them

Act 2: Critical Analysis (structure) Read through side 1 of the handout (structure of the poem) paying special attention to the terms on the board. Together, discuss how the structure affects the reading of the poem. Write your response in the first part of the 2nd box (or on your TPCASTT page), but leave room for the explanation piece!

Act 3: Critical Analysis (Explanation) Read through Side 2 of the handout—explanation. Together, discuss and summarize what the critic had to say about the poem. Write your summary in the second ½ of box 2—be thorough Consider: Theme, Figurative Language, effect of figurative language, effect of structure Make sure to talk about how you feel about the analysis.

Act 4: The mixing bowl Consider your first impressions and the critical analysis. Also consider how you feel about the analysis and answer these questions in box three (or on your TPCASTT page). Discuss with your group—but keep it personal. How does analyzing the structure affect your perception of the poem? Explain. Did you have thoughts the critic didn’t touch? Explain why you think you did/didn’t Did the critic have ideas you didn’t think about? Explain. Did you agree with the critic? Explain. How does the theme relate to the time period in which it was written? (Romanticism) What are your final thoughts about the poem? (positive, negative, neutral, good message, bad message)

Act 1 Longfellow— Read the poem to the group Share your TPCASTT chart Teach your group all that you learned about your poem. Group members should write their first impressions of the poem on the worksheet based on what their group member taught them

Act 1 Holmes— Read the poem to the group Share your TPCASTT chart Teach your group all that you learned about your poem. Group members should write their first impressions of the poem on the worksheet based on what their group member taught them

Sharing • Elect a spokesperson from your group • Be clear in articulating your responses

Reflect • How is poetry both OBJECTIVE and SUBJECTIVE?

Poetry Analysis 101