Holy Spirit School of Tagbilaran

English Grade 9
SY. 2020 - 2021

Handout Owned by: ____________________________________ Grade ______ 9 Date:

_____________

POETRY AND SOUND DEVICES

Poetry is a word of Greek origin. It comes from a verb with means “to make, to create”.
(Noun) it is a literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use
of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature.
A poem is “something made or created”.
The poet is the creator and language is the material out of which s/he creates his/her work of art.

POETRY ASSUMPTIONS
Readers of poetry often bring with them many related assumptions:
 That a poem is to be read for its "message,"
 That this message is "hidden" in the poem,
 The message is to be found by treating the words as symbols which naturally do not mean what they
say but stand for something else,
 You have to decipher every single word to appreciate and enjoy the poem.

STRUCTURE and POETRY

An important method of analyzing a poem is to look at the stanza structure or style of a poem. Generally
speaking, structure has to do with the overall organization of lines and/or the conventional patterns of sound.
Again, many modern poems may not have any identifiable structure (i.e. they are free verse), so don't panic if
you can't find it!

STANZAS: Stanzas are a series of lines grouped together and separated by an empty line from other stanzas.
They are the equivalent of a paragraph in an essay. One way to identify a stanza is to count the number of
lines. Thus:
 couplet (2 lines)
 tercet (3 lines)
 quatrain (4 lines)
 cinquain (5 lines)
 sestet (6 lines) (sometimes it's called a sexain)
 septet (7 lines)
 octave (8 lines)

FORM: A poem may or may not have a specific number of lines, rhyme scheme and/or metrical pattern, but it
can still be labeled according to its form or style. Here are the three most common types of poems according
to form:

1. Lyric Poetry: It is any poem with one speaker (not necessarily the poet) who expresses strong thoughts and
feelings. Most poems, especially modern ones, are lyric poems.
2. Narrative Poem: It is a poem that tells a story; its structure resembles the plot line of a story [i.e. the
introduction of conflict and characters, rising action, climax and the denouement].
3. Descriptive Poem: It is a poem that describes the world that surrounds the speaker. It uses elaborate
imagery and adjectives. While emotional, it is more "outward-focused" than lyric poetry, which is more
personal and introspective.
In a sense, almost all poems, whether they have consistent patterns of sound and/or structure, or are free
verse, are in one of the three categories above. Or, of course, they may be a combination of 2 or 3 of the
above styles!

Here are some more types of poems that are subtypes of the three styles above:

Ode: It is usually a lyric poem of moderate length, with a serious subject, an elevated style, and an elaborate
stanza pattern.
Elegy: It is a lyric poem that mourns the dead. [It's not to be confused with a eulogy.]It has no set metric or
stanzaic pattern, but it usually begins by reminiscing about the dead person, and then laments the reason for
the death, and then resolves the grief by concluding that death leads to immortality. It often uses
"apostrophe" (calling out to the dead person) as a literary technique. It can have a fairly formal style, and
sound similar to an ode.
Sonnet: It is a lyric poem consisting of 14 lines and, in the English version, is usually written in iambic
pentameter. There are two basic kinds of sonnets: the Italian (or Petrarchan) sonnet and the Shakespearean
(or Elizabethan/English) sonnet. The Italian/Petrarchan sonnet is named after Petrarch, an Italian Renaissance
poet. The Petrarchan sonnet consists of an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines). The Shakespearean
sonnet consists of three quatrains (four lines each) and a concluding couplet (two lines). The Petrarchan
sonnet tends to divide the thought into two parts (argument and conclusion); the Shakespearean, into four
(the final couplet is the summary).
Ballad: It is a narrative poem that has a musical rhythm and can be sung. A ballad is usually organized into
quatrains or cinquains, has a simple rhythm structure, and tells the tales of ordinary people.
Epic: It is a long narrative poem in elevated style recounting the deeds of a legendary or historical hero.

Qualities of an Epic Poem:

 narrative poem of great scope; dealing with the founding of a nation or some other heroic
theme requires a dignified theme requires an organic unity requires orderly progress of the
action always has a heroic figure or figures involves supernatural forces
 written in deliberately ceremonial style

Other types of poems include:

 Haiku: It has an unrhymed verse form having three lines (a tercet) and usually 5,7,5 syllables,
respectively. It's usually considered a lyric poem.
 Limerick: It has a very structured poem, usually humorous & composed of five lines (a cinquain), in an
aabba rhyming pattern; beat must be anapestic (weak, weak, strong) with 3 feet in lines 1, 2, & 5 and 2
feet in lines 3 & 4. It's usually a narrative poem based upon a short and often ribald anecdote.

SOUND PATTERNS
Three other elements of poetry are rhyme scheme, meter (ie. regular rhythm) and word sounds (like
alliteration). These are sometimes collectively called sound play because they take advantage of the
performative, spoken nature of poetry.

RHYME is the repetition of similar sounds. In poetry, the most common kind of rhyme is the end rhyme, which
occurs at the end of two or more lines. It is usually identified with lower case letters, and a new letter is used
to identify each new end sound. Take a look at the rhyme scheme for the following poem: The rhyme scheme
of the poem is abab.
I saw a fairy in the wood,
He was dressed all in green.
He drew his sword while I just stood,
And realized I'd been seen.
Internal rhyme occurs in the middle of a line, as in these lines from Coleridge, "In mist or cloud, on mast or
shroud" or "Whiles all the night through fog-smoke white" ("The Ancient Mariner"). Remember that most
modern poems do not have rhyme.

RHYTHM AND METER

Meter: the systematic regularity in rhythm; this systematic rhythm (or sound pattern) is usually identified by
examining the type of "foot" and the number of feet.

1. Poetic Foot: The traditional line of metered poetry contains a number of rhythmical units, which are
called feet. The feet in a line are distinguished as a recurring pattern of two or three syllables ("apple" has 2
syllables, "banana" has 3 syllables, etc.). The pattern, or foot, is designated according to the number of
syllables contained, and the relationship in each foot between the strong and weak syllables. Thus:
__ = a stressed (or strong, or LOUD) syllable
U = an unstressed (or weak, or quiet) syllable
In other words, any line of poetry with a systematic rhythm has a certain number of feet, and each
foothas two or three syllables with a constant beat pattern.
a. Iamb (Iambic) - weak syllable followed by strong syllable. [Note that the pattern is sometimes fairly hard
to maintain, as in the third foot.]

b. Trochee (Trochaic): strong syllable followed by a weak syllable.

c. Anapest (Anapestic): two weak syllables followed by a strong syllable.

e.g.
In her room at the prow of the house
Where light breaks, and the windows are tossed...

From "The Writer", by Richard Wilbur

d. Dactyl (Dactylic): a strong syllable followed by two weak syllables.

DD

Here's another (silly) example of dactylic rhythm.

DDDA was an / archer, who / shot at a / frog
DDDB was a / butcher, and / had a great / dog
DDDC was a / captain, all / covered with / lace
DDDD was a / drunkard, and / had a red / face.

e. Spondee (Spondaic): two strong syllables (not common as lines, but appears as a foot). A spondee usually
appears at the end of a line.

2. The Number of Feet: The second part of meter is the number of feet contained in a line. Thus:
one foot= monometer
two feet= dimeter
three feet= trimeter
four feet= tetrameter
five feet= pentameter
six feet= hexameter (when hexameter is in iambic rhythm, it is called an alexandrine)

Poems with an identifiable meter are therefore identified by the type of feet (e.g. iambic) and the number of
feet in a line (e.g. pentameter). The following line is iambic pentameter because it (1) has five feet
[pentameter], and (2) each foot has two syllables with the stress on the second syllable [iambic].

That time | of year | thou mayst | in me | behold

Thus, you will hear meter identified as iambic pentameter, trochaic tetrameter, and so on.

3. Irregularity: Many metered poems in English avoid perfectly regular rhythm because it is monotonous.
Irregularities in rhythm add interest and emphasis to the lines. In this line:

The first foot substitutes a trochee for an iamb. Thus, the basic iambic pentameter is varied with the opening
trochee.

4. Blank Verse: Any poetry that does have a set metrical pattern (usually iambic pentameter),
butdoes not have rhyme, is blank verse. Shakespeare frequently used unrhymed iambic pentameter in his
plays; his works are an early example of blank verse.
5. Free Verse: Most modern poetry no longer follows strict rules of meter or rhyme, especially throughout an
entire poem. Free verse, frankly, has no rules about meter or rhyme whatsoever! [In other words, blank
verse has rhythm, but no rhyme, while free verse has neither rhythm nor rhyme.] So, you may find it difficult
to find regular iambic pentameter in a modern poem, though you might find it in particular lines. Modern
poets do like to throw in the occasional line or phrase of metered poetry, particularly if they’re trying to create
a certain effect. Free verse can also apply to a lack of a formal verse structure.

How do I know if a poem has meter? How do I determine the meter?

To maintain a consistent meter, a poet has to choose words that fit. For example, if a poet wants to write
iambic poetry, s/he has to choose words that have a naturally iambic rhythm. Words like betrayand
persuade will work in an iambic poem because they are naturally iambic. They sound silly any other way.
However, candle and muscle will work best in a trochaic poem, because their natural emphasis is on the first
syllable. (However, a poet can use trochaic words if s/he places a one syllable word in front of them. This often
leads to poetic feet ending in the middle of words - after one syllable - rather than the end.) It's not surprising
that most modern poetry is not metered, because it is very restrictive and demanding.
Determining meter is usually a process of elimination. Start reading everything in iambic by emphasizing every
second syllable. 80 to 90% of metered poetry is iambic. If it sounds silly or strange, because many of the
poem's words do not sound natural, then try trochaic, anapestic or dactylic rhythms. If none of these sounds
natural, then you probably do not have metered poetry at all (ie. it's free verse).
If there are some lines that sound metered, but some that don't, the poem has an irregular rhythm.

MEANING and POETRY

CONCRETENESS and PARTICULARITY
In general, poetry deals with particular things in concrete language, since our emotions most readily respond
to these things. From the poem's particular situation, the reader may then generalize; the generalities arise by
implication from the particular. In other words, a poem is most often concrete and particular; the "message,"
if there is any, is general and abstract; it's implied by the images.
Images, in turn, suggest meanings beyond the mere identity of the specific object. Poetry "plays" with
meaning when it identifies resemblances or makes comparisons between things; common examples of this
"figurative" comparison include:
ticking of clock = mortality
hardness of steel = determination
white = peace or purity
Such terms as connotation, simile, metaphor, allegory, and symbol are aspects of this comparison. Such
expressions are generally called figurative or metaphorical language.

DENOTATION AND CONNOTATION

Word meanings are not only restricted to dictionary meanings. The full meaning of a word includes both the
dictionary definition and the special meanings and associations a word takes in a given phrase or expression.
For example, a tiger is a carnivorous animal of the cat family. This is the literal or denotative meaning. But we
have certain associations with the word: sinuous movement, jungle violence, and aggression. These are the
suggestive, figurative or connotative meanings.

FIGURATIVE/CONNOTATIVE DEVICES
1. Simile is the rhetorical term used to designate the most elementary form of resemblances: most
similes are introduced by "like" or "as." These comparisons are usually between dissimilar situations or
objects that have something in common, such as "My love is like a red, red rose."
2. A metaphor leaves out "like" or "as" and implies a direct comparison between objects or situations.
"All flesh is grass." For more on metaphor, click here.
3. Synecdoche is a form of metaphor, which in mentioning an important (and attached) part signifies the
whole (e.g. "hands" for labour).
4. Metonymy is similar to synecdoche; it's a form of metaphor allowing an object closely associated
(butunattached) with a object or situation to stand for the thing itself (e.g. the crown or throne for a
king or the bench for the judicial system).
5. A symbol is like a simile or metaphor with the first term left out. "My love is like a red, red rose" is a
simile. If, through persistent identification of the rose with the beloved woman, we may come to
associate the rose with her and her particular virtues. At this point, the rose would become a symbol.
 6. Allegory can be defined as a one to one correspondence between a series of abstract ideas and a
series of images or pictures presented in the form of a story or a narrative. For example, George
Orwell's Animal Farm is an extended allegory that represents the Russian Revolution through a fable of
a farm and its rebellious animals.
7. Personification occurs when you treat abstractions or inanimate objects as human, that is, giving them
human attributes, powers, or feelings (e.g., "nature wept" or "the wind whispered many truths to
me").
8. Irony takes many forms. Most basically, irony is a figure of speech in which actual intent is expressed
through words that carry the opposite meaning.
o Paradox: usually a literal contradiction of terms or situations
o Situational Irony: an unmailed letter
o Dramatic Irony: audience has more information or greater perspective than the characters
o Verbal Irony: saying one thing but meaning another
 Overstatement (hyperbole)
 Understatement (meiosis)
 Sarcasm
Irony may be a positive or negative force. It is most valuable as a mode of perception that assists the
poet to see around and behind opposed attitudes, and to see the often conflicting interpretations that
come from our examination of life.
9. Enjambment is when a sentence, phrase, or thought does not end with the line of poetry. Rather, it
carries over to the next line. Typically, enjambed lines of poetry do not have punctuation marks at the
end.
10. Onomatopoeia is a word that actually looks like the sound it makes, and we can almost hear those
sounds as we read. Here are some words that are used as examples of onomatopoeia: slam, splash,
bam, babble, warble, gurgle, mumble and belch. But there are hundreds of such words!
11. Alliteration occurs when a series of words in a row (or close to a row) have the same first consonant
sound. For example, “She sells sea-shells down by the sea-shore” or “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of
Pickled Peppers” are both alliterative phrases.
12. Hyperbole derived from a Greek word meaning “over-casting” is a figure of speech, which involves an
exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day
speech. ... Therefore, a hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration to emphasize the real situation.
13. Repetition is when words or phrases are repeated in a literary work. Repetition is often used in poetry
or song, and it is used to create rhythm and bring attention to an idea. Repetition is also often used in
speech, as a rhetorical device to bring attention to an idea.
14. Imagery means to use figurative language to represent objects, actions and ideas in such a way that it
appeals to our physical senses. Usually it is thought that imagery makes use of particular words that
create visual representation of ideas in our minds.

POETRY AS A LANGUAGE OF INDIRECTION

Thus, if we recognize that much of the essential quality of our experience is more complex than a simple
denotative statement can describe, then we must recognize the value of the poet's need to search for a
language agile enough to capture the complexity of that experience. Consider this four-line stanza:
O Western wind, when wilt thou blow
That the small rain down can rain?
Christ, that my love were in my arms,
And I in my bed again!
The center of the poem is the lover's desire to be reunited with his beloved (lines 3 and 4). But the full
meaning of the poem depends on the first two lines also. Obviously, the lover associates his grief with the
wind and rain, but the poet leaves to implication, to indirection, just how the lover's situation and the wind
and rain are related. We note that they are related in several ways: the need for experiencing and manifesting
love is an inherent need, like nature's need for rain; in a word, love, like the wind and rain, is natural.
Secondly, the lover is living in a kind of drought or arid state that can only be slaked by the soothing presence
of the beloved. Thirdly, the rising of the wind and the coming of the rain can neither be controlled nor foretold
exactly, and human affairs, like the lover's predicament, are subject to the same sort of chance.
Undoubtedly, too, there are associations with specific words, like "Western" or "small rain" that the reader is
only half aware of but which nonetheless contribute to meaning. These associations or connotations afford a
few indirections that enrich the entire poem. For example, "small rain" at once describes the kind of rain that
the lover wants to fall and suggests the joy and peace of lover's tears, and "small" alone might suggest the
daintiness or femininity of the beloved.

Source: http://learn.lexiconic.net/elementsofpoetry.htm