Secondary One Literature

Poetry (+ Prose) Revision Notes (Secondary One) (Part 1) Introduction to Poetry Descriptions of poetry: • less common than prose, typically reserved • for expressing something artisticaly • often uses rhyme and rhythm to create a • particular mood or feeling • ideas are written in lines that may or may • not be sentences and grouped into stanzas • does not need to follow grammar rules • language is figurative and “decorated” • tend to use a limited number of words and • are of shorter length • the shape of the text varies depending on • what meaning the author wants to convey Key parts of a poem: Verse: a single line in a poem. Stanza: a group of lines. Space: gap between stanzas. Couplet: t wo lines of verse, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme, that form a unit. Title: the name of the poem. Capital letters : e ach line of a poem must begin with capital letters. Speaker / Persona: tells the story To analyse poems, annotation is the most effective way to ‘think with your pen’ and it pushes you to go beyond surface or literal meaning • highlight striking words or phrases and jot • down your interpretation 1 • mark out techniques used by the poet, and • consider their effects and meanings • make notes about important ideas, feelings • and thoughts you uncover Types of poems: (1) Acrostic - first letters of each line spell out a word - word is usually the subject of the poem (2) Free Verse - free of rules and limitations - do not have to use rhyme - need not use a specific form or number of - syllables (3) Haiku - exactly 3 lines and 17 syllables - syllables are arranged in a 5-7-5 pattern (4) Rhyming Poem - uses rhyme to create rhythm and musicality - *refer to ‘Additional Tips: [Sound] - rhyme’ (5) Shape Poem - plays with line length and format - shapes take the form of the topic or images - seen in the poem - interesting shapes to add meaning (Part 2) Level Up Analysis - Devices 1. Diction A poet carefully chooses each word and the order in which they appear to convey feelings and thoughts. Analysing Words • denotation - connotation 2 • word intensity • why (this word), not (that word)? • subtext Examples: hungry peckish starving talk whisper shriek (shy) (insane) Striking words | Absolute words | Repetition Capitalisation | Punctuation 2. Imagery It is the picture created in our minds through words used in a text. This mental picture engages one or more of our senses. Visual - how things appear Aural - how things sound Tactile - sense of touching things Olfactory- descriptions of smell & odour Gustorial - how things taste Examples (respectively): “The boy had rosy cheeks” “And thud! Fump! Thud! Down to the steep steps came thumping and splashing in the flood!” “... in the furry dark” “Seasons of citrus mists and mellow fruitfulness” 3

1) Which sound is repeated in the phrase / line? (e.g. /s/) 2) The length of the sound is? (e.g. short) 3) The sound texture is ...? (e.g. harsh) 4) Such a sound quality is used to highlight? “With jellies smoother than creamy curd and lucent syrups” It also includes Figure of Speech: - Simile: compares one quality of an object / - person with another (like, as) - “I wandered as lonely as a cloud” - Metaphor: strong comparison, where all --- - qualities of one is identified with another - (is, was, are, were, am) - “My hear is the light of the moon” - Personification: non-human entities are - - - given human attributes - “A host of daffodils dancing in the breeze” - Hyperbole: exaggeration & overstatement, - which could be genuine, comic or ironic - “Homework is giving me fits” 3. Sound The way a poem sounds is created though words and their letter sounds. [Alliteration] Repetition of first letter sound in words next to or close to one another “wild and wicket wind” (/w/) [Consonance] Repetition of co nsonant (not vowel) sounds found at the start, middle or end of words, which are next to or close to another “let’s kill this love” (/l/) [Onomatopoeia] Words containing sounds similar to the noise(s) they describe “The clanging of pots woke the baby” (other examples: hiss, splat, clang, meow, boom) 4 Devices and the sound texture they produce can be used to: • draw attention to certain words, to • emphasise a point • simulate an action or experience captured • in a line (making it more life-like and • intimate) • mirror the emotional landscape of speaker • enhance the mood of a poem Analysing sound: 4. Tone & Theme Tone refers to the use of words to convey a person’s attitude towards a topic. A theme is a central idea or topic of a story. By studying a theme, we can uncover key messages or lessons to be learnt from the poem. (Part 3) Essay Writing Use (M.E.A.L.) to eriting a clear and insightful response: 5 (M)ain Point : have I closely and clearly answered the question based on its keywords and what it requires? (E)vidence: have I accurately quotes from the book to prove my main point? (A)nalysis: have I deeply analysed the quote for techniques and its effect and meaning to best prove my point? (L)ink: have I linked my analysis to a relevant theme / purpose of the poem, and its related messages or learning points? Poem analysis technique: ‘See-Show-Feel’ Ask: • What do I see happening? What devices do • I see? • What does it show or symbolise about the • speaker in or situation? What is the effect • of the device? • How does the speaker and I, as a reader, • feel? Using questions to ‘dig deeper’ (5W1H): (Who...) - is the poem about? - is the poem addressed to? - else is in the poem? - point of view is the poem written from? (What...) - does the title tell me about the poem? - is the poem about? - a person / place / - experience / emotion? - words / images are particularly striking or 6

- unusual? - is noticeable about stanzas and lines? - kinds of sound patterns are used in the ---- - poem? - messages are being conveyed through the - poem? (When...) - is the poem set in? - present, past, future? (Where...) - is the poem set? - can we find a shift in the tone or feelings? (Why...) - are certain words/images used/repeated? - is the poem structured in a particular way? - does the poem open and end in a particular - way? (How...) - does the poem start and end? - does the poem look on the page? Paul Elder’s Critical Thinking Elements Of Thoughts Trigger Questions Purpose • What is the poet’s purpose of • writing the poem? • What is the purpose of the • words or images used? Problem Or Issue? • What are the main issues • discussed in the poem? • What problems can be seen • in the poem, and how do you • know? • What themes are covered? 7 Point Of View • What point of view is adopted? • Whose point of view are we • made to engage with? • Who are we made to • empathise with? • Who is being addressed in • the poem? Evidence • Which line(s) best highlight • the persona’s feelings or • situation? • Which techniques in the poem • are significant, and why? Conseq- uence And Outcome • What key messages does the • poet leave the reader with? • What thoughts and feelings • are evoked by the poem? (Part 4) Wrapping Up ‘Poetry’ - Additional Resources 1. Examination Information Please note that this aplies to Weighted Assessment One only that only consists of a poem (unseen / seen poetry). 1 Hour | Annotation (5 Marks) + 3 Essay Questions (25 Marks Total) = 30 Marks Recommended Time Allocation (minutes) Annotate Essay Writing Check 8 45 7 Tips to avoid time constraints: *Try not to analyse too much, as it will take time away for other quest