Some general information about poetry.

1. Poetry Unit

2. Poetry is unlike other types of literature. Poets use language imaginatively to create images, tell stories, explore feelings and experiences, and suggest meanings. They choose and combine words carefully to enable you to see your world in a fresh or unusual way.

3. They may also use rhythm and rhyme to create musical effects in a poem. MOOD - the feeling a reader gets from the work. TONE - the feeling the writer brings to the work.

4. How to Read a Poem *Punctuation marks are like traffic signals. *They tell you when to pause, for how long and when to stop. *If there is NO punctuation mark at the end of a line, read on without pausing or stopping.

5. From “The Secret Heart” “ Across the years he could recall His father one way best of all.”

6. Comma - pause briefly Semicolon - pause & use tone of voice Exclamation Point - intensity of emotions -Dash - shows a thought is not finished

7. Use Your Senses Poetry is full of images that appeal to your senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Identify those images as you read.

8. Themes Each piece of poetry has a theme: Love First Love Lost Love Hardship Loneliness Fear Poverty War Anti-War City Life Country Life Nature

9. Alliteration The repetition of initial consonant sounds -draws attention to certain words or ideas, to imitate sounds, and to create musical effects.

10. Examples of alliteration P eter P iper p icked a p eck of p ickled p eppers. He who l aughs l ast l aughs first. T ime and t ide wait for no man.

11. One wet wellington walked on water Two tired travelers tried to talk Three thick thorns thought thick thorn thoughts Four frantic fish fought for flat fish fins Five fit flies flew forward fast Six slow snails saw swooping sparrows Seven sneaky snakes slid slyly and silently Eight eating earwigs eat an entire egg Nine naughty nettles nick nice knickers Ten tall tornadoes tear tiny tents.

12. Onomatopoeia The use of words that imitate sounds. crash buzz screech hiss neigh jingle cluck ding

13. Hear the sledges with the bells— Silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night! “ The Bells” - Edgar Allen Poe