Introduction to

Poetry

3/11/15

DIRECTIONS

1) Take a folder off the table.

2) Use a dark marker or sharpie to write your

name CLEARLY and large enough to read on

the front cover.

3) Take out a piece of paper and write a

couple of sentences answering this

question: What is poetry?

Take a moment to think to yourself…

Then turn to your table and share your ideas.

"Roar" by: Katy Perry

– http://youtu.be/9dgng_ekbV0

– Could this be considered poetry? Why or

why not?

– What was the author trying to say?

How can poetry be expressed?

– Written (most common)

– Music

– Acting (with or without words)

– Oral speaking (with emotion)

Topics of poetry

– Emotions (happy, sad, scared..)

– Mood

– Stories

– Informative / Informational

– Thoughts

Any other ideas?

Why is it important to know how to

read poetry?

– Someone took the time to pick specific words and a

specific style of writing to help express their

thoughts in a certain way.

– Why didn't they write a book, song, movie script,

short story, etc.?

– If you don't know things to look for, you could miss

key or important details.

How do you read poetry? Things to look

for…Figurative language

• Metaphor

• Simile

• Hyperbole

• Alliteration

• Personification

• Onomatopoeia

• Analogy

• Euphemism

• Idiom

• Pun

Punctuation

• Signs to slow down or speed up)

• Period, comma, question mark,

exclamation mark, colon, semi-

colon, long dash, quotation

marks

Stanzas

Rhyme patterns

Rhythm and meter

Repetition

Word choice

Type of

Figurative

Language

Meaning

MetaphorA comparison not

using like or as

SimileA comparison using

like or as

PersonificationHuman qualities are

given to an object,

animal, or idea.

Alliteration

Repetition of

sounds/letters at

the beginning of a

word

HyperboleAn over

exaggeration

Language

Onomatopoeia

Words where the

sound suggests

their meaning

PunA play on words

(silly)

Idiom

The figurative

meaning of the

connotation of a

word (not literal

meaning). Play on

words, more

serious

AnalogyA comparison of

two things

Euphemism

An indirect or

polite word

substituted for one

considered too

harsh or blunt

Punctuation Mark What it looks like What it makes you do

Period . Stop for end of thought

Comma ,Pause in the middle of a

thought

Exclamation mark ! Stop a thought with excitement

Question mark ? Stop a thought with curiosity

Quotation mark "Nothing, simply someone

talking

Long dash --Pause a little longer in the

middle of a thought

Colon :Pause, for a list or answer to a

question

Semi colon ;Pause, for a thought that is

related to what was said before

(however...)

Personal

– Poetry is very personalized

– Meaning varies from one person to the next

– What they find interesting

– Values

– Background knowledge

– Tools used to analyze

1) Read poem out loud together.

2) Re-read the Poem to yourself quietly

3) Take a moment to free write what this poem

means to you.

Why?

What do you take away from it?

4) What is it about?

Why do you think that?

Did you use any tools (figurative language,

punctuation, word choice) to help you decide

that?