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Semester 2: English Poetry
Forms of Poetry: The Sonnet, The Elegy, The Ode, The Epic, The Ballad, The Lyric, The Dramatic Monologue, Allegory
Forms of Poetry
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A 14-line poem typically written in iambic pentameter. Common types include the Petrarchan sonnet (ABBAABBA) and the Shakespearean sonnet (ABABCDCDEFEFGG). Themes often revolve around love, beauty, and nature.
The Sonnet
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A mournful poem, often lamenting the death of an individual or reflecting on loss. Elegies explore themes of grief, memory, and mortality. Classical examples include 'Lycidas' by John Milton.
The Elegy
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A formal, often ceremonial lyric poem that addresses and praises a person, place, object, or event. Odes can be reflective and articulate profound feelings. Examples include John Keats' 'Ode to a Nightingale'.
The Ode
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A lengthy narrative poem, typically detailing heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Examples include 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey' by Homer. Epics often include themes of adventure, faith, and the human condition.
The Epic
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A narrative poem that tells a story, often of folk origin, and is typically composed in short stanzas. Ballads are characterized by their musical quality and simplicity. A famous ballad is 'Barbara Allen'.
The Ballad
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A concise poem that expresses personal feelings and thoughts, often written in the first person. Lyric poetry can cover a range of emotions from love to despair. Famous lyric poets include William Wordsworth and Emily Dickinson.
The Lyric
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A type of poem where a single speaker addresses a silent listener, revealing their thoughts and feelings. This form provides insight into character motivation and emotional depth. Notable examples include 'My Last Duchess' by Robert Browning.
The Dramatic Monologue
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A poem with hidden meanings, often conveying moral, spiritual, or political messages through symbolic figures and actions. Allegories invite multiple interpretations. An example is 'The Faerie Queene' by Edmund Spenser.
Allegory
Stanza Forms: The Heroic Couplet, Blank Verse, The Spenserian Stanza, Terza Rima
Stanza Forms: The Heroic Couplet, Blank Verse, The Spenserian Stanza, Terza Rima
Heroic Couplet
A heroic couplet consists of two rhymed lines of iambic pentameter. It is traditionally used in epic poetry and narrative verse. Couplets often convey a complete thought or argument. Notable examples include works by Alexander Pope.
Blank Verse
Blank verse is unrhymed iambic pentameter, known for its natural flow. It allows for complex ideas and structures while maintaining a rhythmic quality. Often used in dramatic and narrative poetry, significant examples can be found in the works of Shakespeare and Milton.
Spenserian Stanza
The Spenserian stanza was created by Edmund Spenser and consists of nine lines: eight lines in iambic pentameter followed by a final line in iambic hexameter (alexandrine). It features a rhyme scheme of ababbcbcc, blending lyrical and narrative qualities. Used extensively in Spenser's 'The Faerie Queene'.
Terza Rima
Terza rima is a three-line stanza form with an interlocking rhyme scheme (aba bcb cdc, etc.). This form creates a flowing rhythm and is often used in longer poems to connect ideas seamlessly. Dante's 'Divine Comedy' is a prime example of terza rima.
Poetic Device: Structure; Tone; Theme; Rhythm; Rhyme Scheme, Kinds of Metre; Stressed & Unstressed Syllables; Figures of Speech; Irony; Inversion; Negative Capability; Juxtaposition
Poetic Devices
Structure
Refers to the arrangement of lines, stanzas, and overall poem format. Can include fixed forms like sonnets or free verse. Structure influences the flow and meaning of the poem.
Tone
Describes the poet's attitude towards the subject. Tone can be joyful, somber, sarcastic, etc. It is conveyed through word choice and style.
Theme
Central idea or underlying message of the poem. Themes can range from love, loss, nature, to social issues. They provide deeper meaning and insight.
Rhythm
Pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line. Creates musical quality and enhances emotional impact. Tools to analyze rhythm include scansion.
Rhyme Scheme
Pattern of rhyme at the end of lines. Common schemes include AABB, ABAB. Rhyme scheme contributes to the poem's flow and helps emphasize certain ideas.
Kinds of Metre
Classification of poetical feet based on syllable pattern. Common types include iambic, trochaic, anapestic, and dactylic. Each creates a unique rhythm.
Stressed and Unstressed Syllables
Stressed syllables are emphasized, while unstressed are not. They play a crucial role in establishing the rhythm of the poem.
Figures of Speech
Devices like metaphors, similes, personification that enhance imagery and express ideas creatively. They add layers of meaning to the text.
Irony
Contrast between expectation and reality. Can be verbal, situational, or dramatic. Irony adds depth and often highlights the complexity of situations.
Inversion
Alteration of usual word order in a sentence. Often used to create emphasis or fit a rhyme scheme. Examples include Yoda's speech style.
Negative Capability
Concept introduced by John Keats. Refers to the ability of a poet to embrace uncertainty and ambiguity in their work.
Juxtaposition
Placement of contrasting ideas, themes, or characters side by side to highlight differences or create tension. Enhances meaning and evokes emotional response.
Poetry by Shakespeare (Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Minds (Sonnet No. 116)), John Donne (Twicknam Garden), Alexander Pope (Essay on Man)
English Poetry
Shakespeare's Sonnet 116
This sonnet explores the nature of true love, which remains constant and unchanging amidst challenges. It reinforces the idea that love is a guiding star and an unwavering force.
John Donne's Twicknam Garden
This poem reflects on love and the passage of time, using rich imagery to convey feelings of loss and reflection. It employs metaphysical elements to portray love's complexity and the emotional struggles that accompany it.
Alexander Pope's Essay on Man
This philosophical poem discusses human nature, morality, and the universe. Through wit and reason, Pope attempts to explain humanity's place within the grand scheme of things, emphasizing balance and harmony.
Poetry by Thomas Gray (Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard), William Wordsworth (The World is Too Much with Us), John Keats (Ode to a Nightingale)
English Poetry
Thomas Gray and Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
Explores themes of mortality, the value of the humble life, and the reflection on the lives of common people. Gray's elegant use of language and structure invokes a somber mood, emphasizing the inevitability of death and the universal experience of loss.
William Wordsworth and The World is Too Much with Us
Critiques the materialism of the industrial age and advocates for a return to nature. Wordsworth expresses a profound disconnection from the natural world due to the relentless pursuit of wealth and progress. His work calls for greater appreciation of the spiritual benefits of nature.
John Keats and Ode to a Nightingale
Captures the tension between the transient nature of life and the eternal beauty of the nightingale's song. Keats uses rich imagery and sensory language to explore themes of mortality, beauty, and the desire for escapism through art. The poem reflects on the contrast between the fleeting moments of human existence and the enduring nature of art and beauty.
Poetry by Alfred Lord Tennyson (Break, Break, Break), Matthew Arnold (Dover Beach), Robert Browning (Prospice)
English Poetry
Alfred Lord Tennyson - Break, Break, Break
Matthew Arnold - Dover Beach
Robert Browning - Prospice
Poetry by T.S. Eliot (The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock), W.B. Yeats (The Lake Isle of Innisfree), Philip Larkin (Church Going)
English Poetry
A dramatic monologue that explores the thoughts and feelings of J. Alfred Prufrock as he grapples with his insecurities and fears about life and relationships.
Alienation
Self-doubt
Modernity
Time and mortality
Imagery
Symbolism
Allusion
Stream of consciousness
A lyric poem expressing the speaker's desire to escape to a peaceful and idyllic place, Innisfree, reflecting a longing for nature and tranquility.
Escape and longing
Nature
Isolation
Inner peace
Imagery
Repetition
Symbolism
Alliteration
A meditation on the role of churches in contemporary society, exploring belief, spirituality, and the significance of religious spaces.
Religion and spirituality
Agnosticism
Mortality
Cultural heritage
Imagery
Symbolism
Colloquial language
Irony
Rhetoric & Prosody, Practical Criticism Introduction (Introduction to Practical Criticism), One Stanza from Poetry for Practical Criticism
Rhetoric and Its Importance
Rhetoric is the art of persuasion through language. It encompasses strategies and techniques used to convey ideas effectively. Understanding rhetoric is essential for analyzing texts and enhancing communication skills.
Elements of Rhetoric
Key elements of rhetoric include ethos (credibility), pathos (emotional appeal), and logos (logical reasoning). Each element plays a significant role in constructing persuasive arguments.
Prosody in Poetry
Prosody refers to the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech. In poetry, prosody shapes the mood and enhances meaning through sound patterns, such as meter and rhyme.
Practical Criticism Overview
Practical criticism involves the close reading and analysis of texts to evaluate their aesthetic and emotional impact. It allows readers to engage deeply with literature.
Introducing Practical Criticism
Practical criticism promotes an understanding of literature by focusing on the text itself, free from external contexts. This encourages personal interpretation and critical thinking.
Analyzing a Stanza: English Poetry
When analyzing a stanza, consider elements such as structure, imagery, theme, and sound devices. This deepens appreciation and understanding of the poem's significance.
