Capturing the ordinary i n an extraordinary way

1. Capturing the ordinary in an extraordinary way

2. In Your Words

3. Writer Gary Soto “Poetry is a concentrated form of writing; so much meaning is packed into such a little space. Therefore, each word in a poem is very important and is chosen very carefully to convey just the right meaning.”

4. Verse & Prose • Verse – a poem, a piece of poetry, a line of poetry • Prose – the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure

5. Speaker • The speaker is the voice talking to the reader in a poem. • The speaker is not always the poet. • Think of the speaker as a character the poet has created. • The speaker may be an animal, an object, or an idea.

6. Speaker vs. Narrator Speaker narrator The person telling the story in a short story or novel Does not have to be the writer Example: Harry Potter and J.K. Rowlings • The voice in a poem • Does not have to be the poet

7. Favorite Outdoor Activity • It could be playing a sport, sunning on a beach, walking your dog, picnicking at the park, snowboarding on the mountain, etc. • Write a paragraph describing your favorite outdoor activity? • Describe using your five senses (sights, sounds, smells, taste, & touch).

8. Epic • It’s a long narrative poem written in formal, elegant language that tells about a series of quests undertaken by a great hero. • In the ancient epics this hero is a warrior who embodies the values cherished by the culture that recites the epic.

9. Casey at the Bat • “Casey at the Bat” is a short narrative poem that imitates the old epic tales, but in a comical way. • A narrative poem tells a story and, like fiction, contains characters, settings, and plots.

10. Look for TheseElements of Plot • Exposition – background information on the characters and the present situation • Conflict/complication – a struggle between opposing characters or opposing forces • Climax – the turning point in the story that creates the greatest suspense or interest (right before the story changes course) • Resolution – the final part of the story in which the conflict is resolved and the story is brought to a close

11. Stanza • Stanza is a group of consecutive lines in a poem that forms a single unit. • A stanza in a poem is something like a paragraph in prose. • It often expresses a unit of thought. • A stanza may consist of any number of lines; it may even consist of a single line.

12. Read • Read “Casey at the Bat” • Note the exposition, conflict/complication, climax, and resolution of the poem. • How many lines in a stanza in this poem?

13. Poem #1 Figurative Language • These are expressions that are not literally true. • The purpose is to create fresh and original descriptions.

14. Figurative Language • Metaphor • Simile • Personification • Hyperbole

15. Metaphor • It directly compares two very different things. • The moon was a golden grapefruit high up in the sky.

16. Simile • It directly compares two very different things using like, such as, as, than, or resembles. • The moon looked like a gleaming new penny.

17. Personification • Giving human qualities to an animal, object, or idea • The moon smiled down on all the creatures of the forest. • The wind tapped at my window. • Poetry dances across the white canvas with grace and beauty.

18. Hyperbole • Extreme exaggeration for the purpose of emphasis or humor • He was so hungry he ate the entire Double-Double in five seconds. • The sun blinded my eyes.

19. Practice Figurative Language Practice

20. Your Turn Write a poem on your favorite outdoor activity using figurative language

21. Poem #2 Symbolism - A symbol is a person, a place, a thing, or an event that stands for something beyond its dictionary meaning.

22. Symbolism Examples • A tree • Dictionary definition It’s a plant having a permanently woody main stem or trunk. • Meaning beyond the dictionary It could symbolize life or strength. • The rain might symbolize sadness. • What does this symbolize?

23. Denotation & Connotation • Denotation – the dictionary definition of a word • Connotation – a meaning, association, or emotion suggested by a word, in addition to its dictionary definition • Connotation is important in symbolism.

24. What’s the Difference? Denotation Connotation Determined – positive association Pigheaded – negative association • You could use either “determined”or “pigheaded” to describe a person. • They both describe a person who is very decided or resolved on an idea.

25. House vs. Home Denotation Connotation Is there a connotation for house? Is there a connotation for home? • What is the denotation of house and home?

26. A Favorite Object Is there an object in your life that symbolizes something important to you? It could be an old toy or a favorite book or maybe a food that brings back memories. Your object may represent happy times or sad times.

27. Writing Topic • Write a paragraph about your favorite object. What does this object symbolize? • Describe your object and choose your diction wisely. Think about denotation and connotation of certain words as you write.

28. Read • Read “My Mother Pieced Quilts” • Pay attention to the symbolism, diction, denotation, and connotation.

29. Verse • “My Mother Pieced Quilts” is written in free verse • Free verse is poetry without a regular meter or rhyme scheme. • Free verse imitates natural speech.

30. Your Turn Write a poem about your favorite object.

31. Poem #3 Imagery • Language that appeals to the senses • Use sensory details to help the reader imagine how things look, feel, smell, sound, and taste.

32. Poet Li-Young Lee • “Succulent peaches we devour, dusty skin and all” (Taste) • “Her hair, heavy and black as calligrapher’s ink” (Sight) • “The long grain is softening in the water, gurgling over a low stove flame” (Sound)

33. The Best Gift • Write a paragraph about the best gift you could ever have. • The gift does not have to be a material object. • It can be a special day spent at a special place or it could be something nice someone did for you.

34. Write About It • What makes this gift so special? • Describe the gift using descriptive and figurative language (i.e. simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole).

35. Read • Read “The Gift” • Pay attention to the symbolism and imagery

36. Your Turn Write a poem about the best gift you can ever receive.

37. Poem #4 Alliteration • It is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. • He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake. • It does NOT have to start with the same letter! CK

38. Write About It • How would you describe yourself? • Write a paragraph about yourself using descriptive and figurative language (i.e. simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole). • Try adding alliteration.

39. Read • Read “Identity” • Pay attention to the symbolism, imagery, and alliteration.

40. Your Turn Write a poem about your identity.

41. Write About It - Love • What is love? • Write a paragraph describing what love is. It does not have to be romantic love. It can be love for family, friends, humanity, or a material object. • Use similes and metaphors.

42. Poem #5 Onomatopoeia • The use of words whose sounds imitate or suggest their meaning. • Buzz, rustle, boom, tick tock, tweet, and bark • “Outside, / A few cars hissing past”

43. Read • Read “Oranges” • Pay attention to the symbolism, imagery, and onomatopoeia.

44. Sonnet • A fourteen-line poem, usually written in iambic pentameter. • There are two kinds of sonnets: • English (a.k.a. Shakespearean or Elizabethan) • Italian (a.k.a. Petrarchan)

45. Iambic Pentameter • A line of poetry that contains 5 beats • Has the pattern of unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable • Example:

46. English Sonnet • It has three quatrains • It ends with a couplet • Example: • 4 lines • 4 lines • 4 lines • 2 lines

47. Quatrain & Couplet • A quatrain is a four-line stanza • A couplet is a two-line stanza

48. Rhyme • Rhyme is the repetition of accented vowel sounds and all sounds following them in words that are close together in a poem. • “Mean” and “screen” are rhymes, as are “crumble” and “tumble.”

49. Rhyme Scheme • The pattern of end rhymes • English sonnets have this rhyme scheme: ababcdcdefefgg • That means the end of these lines rhyme: 1 & 3, 2 & 4, and so on

50. English vs. Italian Sonnets English italian The speaker poses a question or makes a point in the first eight lines. The response to the question or point comes in the last six lines. Rhyme scheme abbaabbacdecde or abbaabbacdccdc • The 1st two quatrains presents an idea. • The 3rd quatrain takes a turn, sometimes introducing something unexpected. • The couplet summarizes the point of the sonnet. • Rhyme scheme: ababcdcdefefgg