Poetry February 1, 2018 1. What is poetry? 2. What do you associate with poetry?
Poetry defined Poetry is defined as the dramatization of experience in metrical language Words combined in ways that can be very different from everyday language. (i.e. prose)
Why poetry? Poetry has been used to: Entertain Record History Define the human experience Poetry is art
Vocabulary conscious intentionally conceived or done Artist one who creates medium an intervening substance through which something else is transmitted or carried on universe the context; you must consider the universe(s) of the author/sender, the art itself, and the receiver in order to fully understand a work.
THE UNIVERSE ARTIST MEDIUM AUDIENCE
Ancient Poetry The Epic of Gilgamesh c. 2100 BC Ancient Mesopotamia Author unknown Tells the epic story of God-King Gilgamesh The Iliad c. 1100 BC Ancient Greece Written by Homer Story of the legendary Trojan War Beowulf - c. 1000 AD Olde English Author Unknown Scandinavia hero Beowulf fights monsters/dragons dies in battle Christian allegory
The Renaissance The Middle Ages (400 1300) saw a decline in arts, sciences, education and literature The Renaissance (1300 1600) was cultural rebirth of these things Began in Italy The Medici Family Petrarch Influence spread to England William Shakespeare Edmund Spenser Christopher Marlowe John Milton Thematically, these poems had a lot to do with love
The Sonnet A highly structured type of closed-verse poem Explore the relationship between the poet and his/her beloved. 14 lines Petrarch
The Sonnet: 2 types of sonnet: Petrarchan (Italian) Composed of an octave and a sestet. Rhyme scheme = abbaabba cdecde. Shakespearean (English) Composed of three quatrains and a rhyming couplet. Rhyme scheme = abab cdcd efef gg.
Rhyme Scheme I had an uncle Fred His face turned red Now he s dead
Rhyme Scheme I got a hotrod Ford and a two dollar bill And I know a place right over the hill They got soda pop and the dancin s free So if you wanna have fun come along with me
Rhyme Scheme Hey good lookin What ya got cookin How about cookin something up with me? Hey sweet baby Won t ya say maybe We can find us a brand new recipe
William Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet Act 1. Prologue Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Whole misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children's end, nought could remove, Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage; The which if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
Sonnet 43 Edna St. Vincent Millay (1920) What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why, I have forgotten, and what arms have lain Under my head till morning; but the rain Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh Upon the glass and listen for reply, And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain For unremembered lads that not again Will turn to me at midnight with a cry. Thus in the winter stands the lonely tree, Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one, Yet knows its boughs more silent than before: I cannot say what loves have come and gone, I only know that summer sang in me A little while, that in me sings no more.
Sonnet 18 William Shakespeare (1609) Shall I compare thee to a summer s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer s lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm d; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance, or nature s changing course, untrimm d: But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow st; Nor shall Death brag thou wander st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow st: So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Sonnet 29 - John Milton (1655) When I consider how my light is spent, Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide, And that one Talent which is death to hide Lodged with me useless, though my Soul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and present My true account, lest he returning chide; "Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?" I fondly ask. But patience, to prevent That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need Either man's work or his own gifts; who best Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state Is Kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed And post o'er Land and Ocean without rest: They also serve who only stand and wait."
Sonnet 75 Edmund Spenser One day I wrote her name upon the strand, But came the waves and washed it away: Again I write it with a second hand, But came the tide, and made my pains his prey. Vain man, said she, that doest in vain assay, A mortal thing so to immortalize, For I myself shall like to this decay, And eek my name be wiped out likewise. Not so, (quod I) let baser things devise To die in dust, but you shall live by fame: My verse, your virtues rare shall eternize, And in the heavens write your glorious name. Where whenas death shall all the world subdue, Our love shall live, and later life renew.
Poetic Devices Metaphor a word or phrase is applied to an object to which it is not literally applicable Simile Personification Symbolism Allusion Alliteration Hyperbole Onomatopoeia Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines
Sonnet 43 Edna St. Vincent Millay (1920) What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why, I have forgotten, and what arms have lain Under my head till morning; but the rain Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh Upon the glass and listen for reply, And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain For unremembered lads that not again Will turn to me at midnight with a cry. Thus in the winter stands the lonely tree, Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one, Yet knows its boughs more silent than before: I cannot say what loves have come and gone, I only know that summer sang in me A little while, that in me sings no more. 1. What is this poem about? 2. What kind of Sonnet is this? How can you tell? Transcribe the Rhyme scheme 3. Consider the use of metaphor. What does the poet mean when she talks about the following? Ghosts Trees Summer Song 4. How is personification used to enhance some of the metaphors?
William Blake (1757 1827) Born in London, England Worked as an engraver, illustrator and printmaker Influenced by the Enlightenment and the French Revolution His most famous poems are the Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs of Experience (1793) Published as Songs of Innocence and Experience showing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul. (1794)
Vocabulary Juxtaposition - a literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts.
The Lamb (1789) Little lamb, who made thee Dost thou know who made thee, Gave thee life, and bid thee feed By the stream and o er the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing, woolly, bright; Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice? Little lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made Little lamb, I ll tell thee; thee? Little lamb, I ll tell thee: He is callèd by thy name, For He calls Himself a Lamb. He is meek, and He is mild, He became a little child. I a child, and thou a lamb, We are callèd by His name. Little lamb, God bless thee! Little lamb, God bless thee!
The Tyger (1794) Tyger! Tyger! burning bright, In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry? In what distant deeps or skies Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand dare sieze the fire? And what shoulder, & what art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat, What dread hand? & what dread feet? What the hammer? what the chain? In what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? what dread grasp Dare its deadly terrors clasp? When the stars threw down their spears, And water'd heaven with their tears, Did he smile his work to see? Did he who made the Lamb make thee? Tyger! Tyger! burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
Songs of Innocence and Experience showing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul: The Lamb & The Tyger by William Blake 1. How does Blake use visual imagery in the poems? Cite an example. 2. What are some juxtaposing descriptions of nature that Blake uses? 3. How does Blake express a contrarian point of view about God with these two poems? 4. What do the lamb and the tiger symbolize?
William Blake s The Chimney Sweeper Part I: The Reading Linda Freedman 1. How did one become a chimney sweep in London during the late 18 th century? 2. What risks did a chimney sweep face? 3. How do Blake s Illustrations compliment the poems? Part II: Innocence 4. Quote a line that highlights optimism 5. What is described in the stanzas 3, 4 & 5? 6. What is meant by the last line So if all do their duty, they need not fear harm? Part III: Experience 7. What repetitive device links this poem to it s innocence companion poem? 8. What is the meaning of weep, weep? 9. If this poem has an angry tone, toward whom/what is the anger directed?
Emile Durkheim (1858 1917) Sociologist (studied society) Believed society functioned when people shared similar beliefs and values Thought religion was important because: It set rules It gave people hope & purpose in life
Karl Marx (1818 1883) Philosopher, economist, social critic Believed that industrialized society was unfair Wrote the Communist Manifesto Argued that religion prevented people from taking action to improve their life Religion: The opiate of the people
William Blake on religion Essay Would Blake agree with Durkheim or Marx? Write an argumentative essay State your claim Back it up Use quotes from the poems/readings
MLA Essay Assignment What is Blake s attitude toward religion? When it comes to the role of religion in society would William Blake agree with Emile Durkheim or Karl Marx? Things I expect to see: At least 1 page double space MLA Format Works cited page Clear thesis statement Quotes from the text(s)
What is MLA format? MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. When writing an MLA style essay you must account for Page Setup Quotations Works Cited
Quotations in your essay Type short quotations of three lines or less in the text of your essay. Insert a slash with a space on each side to separate the lines of the poem. Indent quotations of four or more lines. Do not add quotation marks for a long quote. Add the line numbers inside parentheses right after the closing punctuation of the quotation.
Robert Frost Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound's the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.
Example Robert Frost writes about solitude and man s relationship with nature: Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. (1-4)
Example Robert Frost has long been intrigued with the complexities of companionship and lonliness. In "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," Frost writes, The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, / But I have promises to keep, / And miles to go before I sleep."
Works Cited Blake, William. Songs of innocence and experience, with other poems. London: Basil Montagu Pickering, 1866. Print. Freedman, Linda. "Blake's Two Chimney Sweepers." British Library (2011): n. pag. Web. Jan. & feb. 2017.
Romantic Poetry 1800 1850 Developed against the backdrop of the Enlightenment Romanticism focused on feeling, emotions and sentimentality rather than science, reason, intellect Big Names Samuel Taylor Coleridge Rime of the Ancient Mariner William Wordsworth Lord Byron Percy Bysshe Shelley
My Heart Leaps Up My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in the sky: So it was when my life began; So it is now I am a man; So be it when I shall grow old, Or let me die! The Child is the father of the Man; And I could wish my days to be Bound each to each by natural piety. William Wordsworth
Love s Philosophy The fountains mingle with the river, And the rivers with the ocean; The winds of heaven mix forever With a sweet emotion; Nothing in the world is single; All things by a law divine In another's being mingle-- Why not I with thine? See, the mountains kiss high heaven, And the waves clasp one another; No sister flower could be forgiven If it disdained its brother; And the sunlight clasps the earth, And the moonbeams kiss the sea;-- What are all these kissings worth, If thou kiss not me? - Percy Bysshe Shelley
The Funeral of Shelley
The Romantics The Victorians The Victorian Era refers to the Reign of Queen Victoria (1837 1901) The Victorian era is characterized by social repression and conformity During this period poetry lost popularity and literature, in particular novels became more widely read (eg, Charles Dickens) Victorian poetry was influenced by Romanticism but placed more emphasis on feelings of classicism and nationalism
Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809 1892) The Eagle He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands, Ring'd with the azure world, he stands. The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt he falls
Charge of the Light Brigade Based on a battle during the Crimean War, a conflict fought 1853 1856 between Great Britain and the Russian Empire The Battle of Balaclava
Lord Tennyson The Charge of the Light Brigade 1. According to the first stanza of "The Charge of the Light Brigade", how many British forces rode into the battle? 2. In stanza one, what does the phrase the Valley of Death refer to? Why do you think the poet refers the valley as The Valley of Death? 3. In stanza 1, what was the light brigade ordered to do? 4. What kind of weapons did the Light Brigade have? 5. What weapons did their opponents/enemies have? 6. In stanza 2, what does the line Someone had blundered suggest? Does this affect how the soldiers feel? 7. Who won the battle? 8. What is the attitude of Tennyson toward war? 9. How is death depicted in the poem? 10. Give two adjectives to describe the six hundred men
Allusion Psalm 23 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Reactions to Charge of the Light Brigade Authority doing what you re told History of warfare It has been going on since their has been civilization Power being given the authority to kill Death before Dishonour Leadership what makes good leaders? Patriotism/Nationalism Allusion The Valley of Death
Charge of the Light Brigade What is Tennyson s attitude toward war? Explain with a quote
World War I (1914 1918) Belligerents: The Central Powers Germany Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire The Allied Powers England France Russia What was the fighting all about? What was the fighting like?
Second battle of Ypres (22 April -25 May) Photo: visitflanders.co.uk
British Infantry hit by gas at Ypres. 1915. Archive Photos Collection, Garibaldi
WWI Poets Siegfried Sassoon (1886 1967) Served as a Captain in the British Army on the Western Front in WWI Awarded the Military Cross for bravery His poetry emphasized the horrors of the trenches and criticized the Jingoism he felt was responsible for the war Hospitalized for shellshock (PTSD) Was shot in the head by friendly fire, survived, but taken out of active service Wilfred Owen (1893 1918) Personal friend and protégé of S. Sassoon Served as a Second Lieutenant in the British Army on the Western Front Met Sassoon when hospitalized alongside him for shellshock Also awarded the Military Cross KIA in France, one week before the signing of the armistice Most of his work was published posthumously
Poetry Test March 2 nd Ancient Poetry The Renaissance Sonnets William Blake Romantic Poetry Victorian Poetry Tennyson Charge of the Light Brigade World War I Poetry
Written Response Question Compare Tennyson s attitudes toward war with those of Seigfried Sassoon or Wilfred Owen