# data[].attributes.body
Kompetansemål:
1.lese, analysere og tolke  engelskspråklig skjønnlitteratur

2. diskutere og reflektere  over form, innhold og virkemidler i engelskspråklige kulturelle uttrykksformer fra ulike medier, inkludert musikk, film og spill

Week 2: Introduction.  Read different poems. Assess previous knowledge about literary analysis.
Week 3: Repetition - literary devices. Blackout poetry. Focus on analyzing song lyrics.  If any time left: Language tasks. Relevant exam preparation.
Week 4: Spoken word / slam poetry. Listen to and discuss different examples. Get inspired. Write a similar text.
Week 5: Perform the text. Preparation for the written assessment next week.
Week 6: Written assessment. Literary analysis and other short tasks (listening and reading comprehension, vocabulary etc.)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Some things are best expressed by poets. To recognize the unique ability of poetry, UNESCO declared March 21st as World Poetry Day to celebrate diversity and oral tradition. In honor of the holiday, enjoy these 12 TED-Ed lessons on poetry:

What exactly makes a poem ... a poem? Poets themselves have struggled with this question, often using metaphors to approximate a definition. Is a poem a little machine? A firework? An echo? A dream? Melissa Kovacs shares three recognizable characteristics of most poetry.

Humans are creatures of rhythm and repetition. From our breath to our gait: rhythm is central to our experience, and often brings us pleasure. We can find pleasure in the rhythm of a song, or even the rows of an orchard. Of course, too much repetition can also backfire. David Silverstein describes what poetic repetition is and why it works.

How do metaphors help us better understand the world? And, what makes a good metaphor? Explore these questions with writers like Langston Hughes and Carl Sandburg, who have mastered the art of bringing a scene or emotion to life.

With enough passion and practice, becoming a slam poet is within your reach. Explore a distant memory on paper, then read it out loud. Edit. Try reading it out loud again, and add your finishing touches. Gayle Danley offers five steps to being a slam poet - while being downright poetic in the process.

Shakespeare sometimes gets a bad rap in high schools for his complex plots and antiquated language. But a quick peek into the rhythm of his words reveals a poet deeply rooted in the way people spoke in his time - and still speak today. Why do Shakespeare's words have such staying power? David T. Freeman and Gregory Taylor uncover the power of iambic pentameter.

Death, a kindly gentleman riding in a horse carriage, comes to collect a woman for her journey to the afterlife. So begins Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for Death," an exploration of both the uncertainties of death and its inevitability. Dive into one of Dickinson's most celebrated works, which speaks to life's greatest mystery: what happens when you die?

"You're a fishmonger!" By taking a closer look at Shakespeare's words-specifically his insults-we see why he is known as a master playwright whose works transcend time and appeal to audiences all over the world.

An encounter with a man-eating giant. A sorceress who turns men into pigs. A long-lost king taking back his throne. On their own, any of these make great stories. But each is just one episode in the "Odyssey," a 12,000-line poem spanning years of ancient Greek history and legend. So how do we make sense of this massive text? Jill Dash shares everything you need to know to read Homer's "Odyssey."

Among the great poets of literary history, certain names like Homer, Shakespeare and Whitman are instantly recognizable. However, there's an early 20th century great poet whose name you may not know: Guillaume Apollinaire. Geneviève Emy shows how during Apollinaire's short lifetime he created poetry that combined text and image in a way that seemingly predicted a artistic revolution to come.

Take a journey through Walt Whitman's poem 'A Noiseless Patient Spider' with the help of three animators who each used a different animation style to bring this beautiful poem to life.

A romantic and a revolutionary, Pablo Neruda was one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, but also one of the most accessible and controversial. Originally written in Spanish, his poems often use straightforward language and everyday experience to create lasting impact. Ilan Stavans traces the life and legacy of the Chilean poet.

As Alice wanders through the dreamscape of Looking-Glass Land in Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There," she happens across a book written in an unintelligible language. Inside, she discovers an epic poem filled with nonsense, fearsome creatures, and whimsical language. Dive into Carroll's legendary poem, "Jabberwocky" and see if you can make sense of the nonsense.

And make sure to check out our series " There's A Poem for That," which pairs classical and contemporary poets with award-winning animators to grapple with some of life's biggest questions:
To get brand new TED-Ed Lessons delivered to your inbox each week, sign up for the free TED-Ed Newsletter here >>

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
12 TED-Ed Lessons to celebrate World Poetry Day

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Some things are best expressed by poets. To recognize the unique ability of poetry, UNESCO declared March 21st as World Poetry Day to celebrate diversity and oral tradition. In honor of the holiday, enjoy these 12 TED-Ed lessons on poetry: What exactly makes a poem ... a poem?

# data[].attributes.headline
Presentation and tasks- Week 2: What is poetry?

# data[].attributes.subject
Presentation and tasks- Week 2: What is poetry?

# data[].attributes.headline
Presentation and tasks - Week 3: How to analyze a song

# data[].attributes.subject
Presentation and tasks - Week 3: How to analyze a song

# data[].attributes.headline
Week 4: Spoken word and Slam Poetry - tasks

# data[].attributes.subject
Week 4: Spoken word and Slam Poetry - tasks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Forberedelse til skrivedag - literary analysis 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Actually understand poetry, with line-by-line analysis, a modern translation, and explanations of speaker, setting, meter, rhyme scheme, and poetic devices.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
50 Blackout Poems ranked in order of popularity and relevancy. At PoemSearcher.com find thousands of poems categorized into thousands of categories.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
NOTE: This Blackout Poetry DIY project was originally featured in Curious Jane Magazine. It has been republished on our website with permission.

Blackout poetry is a form of poetry that allows you to express yourself by transforming any existing piece of text into a poem. We love this type of poetry because anyone can do it and produces some seriously impressive poems.

According to our friends at Curious Jane, "blackout poetry takes a piece of existing writing and extracts from it particular words, literally 'blacking out' the focus as we knew it, and making something entirely new!"

(Image Provided by Curious Jane)

We love that this project combines poetry and art, allowing anyone with a spare page of text and some art supplies to dabble in poetry writing. Keep it simple like the example above, or show off your personality and let your creativity run free! The best thing about blackout poetry is that everyone can start with the same page of text, yet end up with a completely unique result that reflects who they are.

Thanks to our friends at Curious Jane, we're sharing some tips and tricks on how you can get started creating blackout poetry of your own! Be sure to check out their website for even more fantastic projects to try at home!

Blackout Poetry Tips & Tricks:

(Image Provided by Curious Jane - Click here for a version you can save and print!)

You'll Need:

- A page of text from a newspaper, magazine, old textbook, etc. (It can be ANY page of text, as long as you're willing to part with it!)

- A marker, crayon, pencil, or other creative tools you have on hand.

(Image Provided by Curious Jane)

How-To:

STEP 1: Cut out a page from an old newspaper, magazine, or another page of text that you don't need anymore. Grabbing something that was headed for the recycle bin is a perfect choice.

STEP 2: Use a marker to black out the words you don't want in your poem, keeping the words visible that you do want to use. Continue blacking out words until your poem is complete.

You can keep it traditional, using a black marker for your blackout poem, or you can get super creative with it! Try using glitter glue, doodles, washi tape, or any other fun materials you have on hand to express yourself. You can even transform the entire page into a work of art!

(Image Provided by Curious Jane)

REMEMBER: The only rule of blackout poetry is there are no rules! You can go with the flow, blacking out everything except what feels right as you read through the page. Or, you can make more of a plan, writing your poem out on scrap paper before you commit to a final version. Whatever works best for you creatively!

In need of more creative projects? Follow @curiousjane_fun on Instagram for live crafting sessions every Tuesday and Thursday at 3pm!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Here's How You Can Create Your Own Blackout Poetry | YAYOMG!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
NOTE: This Blackout Poetry DIY project was originally featured in Curious Jane Magazine. It has been republished on our website with permission. Blackout poetry is a form of poetry that allows you to express yourself by transforming any existing piece of text into a poem.

# data[].attributes.headline
Literary terms - definitions, examples (week 3)

# data[].attributes.subject
Literary terms - definitions, examples (week 3)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Poetry Vocabulary List - Engelskspråklig litteratur og kultur (LK06) - NDLA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Oppslagsverk og ordliste Poetry is a compressed form of literature, containing words with different layers of meaning. In order to stir emotions various literary devices are used. It may be traditional (with fixed rhyme and rhythm schemes and grammar and syntax) or modern (experimenting with new devices).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Denne lisensen gir deg rett til å dele og bruke dette innholdet på visse vilkår.

Du må alltid oppgi hvem som har laget innholdet.

Du kan bare dele innholdet med samme lisens som det opprinnelige innholdet.

Skrevet av Carol Dwankowski

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Language of Poetry - Engelskspråklig litteratur og kultur (LK06) - NDLA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Denne lisensen gir deg rett til å dele og bruke dette innholdet på visse vilkår. Du må alltid oppgi hvem som har laget innholdet. Du kan bare dele innholdet med samme lisens som det opprinnelige innholdet. Skrevet av Carol Dwankowski

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Themes - Engelskspråklig litteratur og kultur (LK06) - NDLA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The theme is the main idea, lesson or message in the poem. It is usually an abstract idea about the human condition, society, life or philosophy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sound - Engelskspråklig litteratur og kultur (LK06) - NDLA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The sound of a poem can be musical or rhytmical and should be read aloud. Can you find any of the following?

# data[].attributes.body
Home by Warsan Shire - Page 99 in Citizens SF
I, too by Langston Hughes page 241 in Citizens SF
Ballad of a hero by Kate Tempest, page 241

# data[].attributes.headline
13 of the best, most famous poems ever written 

# data[].attributes.subject
13 of the best, most famous poems ever written 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
13 Of The Best, Most Famous Poems Ever Written

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Masterpieces by some of our favorites like as Shakespeare, John Donne, and Homer.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool

On Wednesday, Amanda Gorman '20 stepped up to the podium to deliver the reading during the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden.

Her piece, titled "The Hill We Climb," called for unity and justice, through both reckoning with the nation's past and looking toward its future.

The former sociology concentrator is the U.S.'s first youth poet laureate. At 22 years old, she is also the youngest to present the inaugural reading, following in the footsteps of Maya Angelou, Robert Frost, and Elizabeth Alexander.

Former President Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey lauded Gorman for her performance. The Los Angeles native also received praise from "Hamilton" playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, which she referenced in her poem.

On a day for the history books, @TheAmandaGorman delivered a poem that more than met the moment. Young people like her are proof that "there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it; if only we're brave enough to be it." pic.twitter.com/mbywtvjtEH

- Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 20, 2021

You were perfect. Perfectly written, perfectly delivered. Every bit of it. Brava! -LMM

- Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) January 20, 2021

'The Hill We Climb'

When day comes we ask ourselves,
'where can we find light in this never-ending shade,'
the loss we carry,
a sea we must wade?
We've braved the belly of the beast.
We've learned that quiet isn't always peace,
and the norms and notions
of what just is
isn't always just-ice.
And yet the dawn is ours
before we knew it,
somehow we do it.
Somehow we've weathered and witnessed
a nation that isn't broken
but simply unfinished.
We, the successors of a country and a time
where a skinny Black girl
descended from slaves and raised by a single mother
can dream of becoming president
only to find herself reciting for one.
And yes, we are far from polished,
far from pristine,
but that doesn't mean we are
striving to form a union that is perfect.
We are striving to forge a union with purpose,
to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters, and
conditions of man.
And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us.
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,
we must first put our differences aside.
We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms
to one another.
We seek harm to none and harmony for all.
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew;
that even as we hurt, we hoped;
that even as we tired, we tried;
that we'll forever be tied together, victorious,
not because we will never again know defeat
but because we will never again sow division.
Scripture tells us to envision
that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree
and no one shall make them afraid.
If we're to live up to our own time
then victory won't lie in the blade
but in all the bridges we've made.
That is the promise to glade,
the hill we climb
if only we dare it,
because being American is more than a pride we inherit -
it's the past we step into
and how we repair it.
We've seen a force that would shatter our nation
rather than share it
would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.
And this effort very nearly succeeded.
But while democracy can be periodically delayed,
it can never be permanently defeated.
In this truth,
in this faith we trust,
for while we have our eyes on the future,
history has its eyes on us.
This is the era of just redemption
we feared at its inception.
We did not feel prepared to be the heirs
of such a terrifying hour
but within it we found the power
to author a new chapter,
to offer hope and laughter to ourselves.
So while once we asked,
'how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe,'
now we assert,
'how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?'
We will not march back to what was
but move to what shall be:
a country that is bruised but whole,
benevolent but bold,
fierce, and free.
We will not be turned around
or interrupted by intimidation
because we know our inaction and inertia
will be the inheritance of the next generation.
Our blunders become their burdens.
But one thing is certain:
If we merge mercy with might,
and might with right,
then love becomes our legacy
and change our children's birthright.
So let us leave behind a country
better than the one we were left with.
Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,
we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.
We will rise from the gold-limned hills of the west,
we will rise from the windswept northeast
where our forefathers first realized revolution,
we will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states,
we will rise from the sunbaked south.
We will rebuild, reconcile, and recover
in every known nook of our nation and
every corner called our country,
our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,
battered and beautiful.
When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid.
The new dawn blooms as we free it.
For there is always light,
if only we're brave enough to see it,
if only we're brave enough to be it.

World

National & World Affairs

AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Amanda Gorman's inauguration poem, 'The Hill We Climb'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On Wednesday, Amanda Gorman '20 stepped up to the podium to deliver the reading during the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden. Her piece, titled "The Hill We Climb," called for unity and justice, through both reckoning with the nation's past and looking toward its future.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
To analyze a poem, you must break it down into all its important elements and explain how they work together to create an effect or reinforce a meaning. Read your assignment carefully to find out what you're being asked to do, since there are many ways to present an analysis. You may, for example, be required to do research in order to incorporate the opinion of literary critics into your own analysis. Or you may be asked to present only your own interpretation. In any case, before you write, you need a solid understanding of the poem or poems you'll be analyzing. This handout will help you break down a poem into its key elements and get you started on writing a thesis.

Summarize

Before you break the poem apart, identify its basic content. You should be able to summarize your poem. Creating a summary will focus your thoughts about the poem. However, you may not need to include it when you write your analysis, since you can usually assume your readers will know what the poem is about.

Ex. Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" is about a man who is haunted by a raven and the memory of the woman he loved.

It's also sometimes helpful to label the sections of a poem. Can you find a pattern of organization? Stanzas may be a guide, but even poems not divided into obvious stanzas may have sections that function differently. A Shakespearian sonnet, for example, can be divided into four parts. It may help to write down what each section says.

Ex. Shakespeare's Sonnet XIV, "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?"
Section 1- She's more lovely than summer because she's warmer and gentler than summer.
Section 2 - She's fairer because the sun doesn't always shine and summer's beauty fades.
Section 3- Her beauty will never fade and she will never die.
Couplet - All of this is because the poet has made her and her loveliness immortal with his poetry.

You may not need to write about all these elements in your essay, but think about them all before you begin writing so you can decide which contribute most to the poem's effect or theme.

Narrators, Characters, and Setting

Consider the narrator. Remember, the person voicing the words is not necessarily the author. For example, in "The Forsaken Merman," the speaker is the merman rather than the poet, Matthew Arnold. Also consider to whom the poem is addressed. Gwendolyn Brooks' famous poem about abortion, "The Mother," first speaks to other mothers who have had an abortion, then switches to addressing the babies who were never born. These speakers and addressees are like characters in the poem. How do they affect the poem's words? Why did the poet choose them as vehicles for the words?

Setting can also be important as can the poet's personal history. In Claude's McKay's "Harlem Shadows" we see the image of prostitutes "wandering" and "prowling" the streets of New York City on a cold night in the 1920s. Harlem, the setting for the struggles of McKay's "fallen race," is also symbolic for the whole country, the larger site of struggle and oppression. If you also know that McKay was a communist as a young man and that he eventually converted to Catholicism, it may shed some light on his attitude toward the women in the poem.

Structure

Look at the structure of the poem and consider the type of poem the author chose to write. There are a number of poetic forms, and poets will choose one carefully. Think also about the poem's rhythm. Is it fast and breathless or slow and halting? Did the author use a specific meter? Meter measures the number of stressed and unstressed syllables in each line. For example, in iambic pentameter, the most commonly used meter in English, each line is ten syllables with a stress on every second syllable.

Once you've looked at structure, ask why the poet made these choices. Elizabeth Bishop's poem "Sestina," for example, uses the traditional French sestina to tell about a grandmother and granddaughter in a kitchen. The sestina is a classic form of poetry that does not rhyme but has repeating end words according to a strict pattern. The style is somewhat artificial and not very popular. So why did Bishop choose not only to write in this form, but name the poem after the form? In the poem, Bishop is presenting the façade of happy home life and hinting at the sadness behind it. By using the sestina, Bishop brings more attention to the artificial structure, using the rigid sestina to control and conceal the poem's emotion just as the grandmother tries to conceal her heartbreak.

Tone

Tone is difficult to define concretely because it's essentially the mood, which can be personal to each reader. Consider the effect of these words from Robert Frost's "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening":

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

The first line creates a comforting haven of the woods, a slumberous peace. The next three lines are those of a weary traveler. The repetition of "miles to go before I sleep" makes the reader feel the narrator's longing for rest along with his resigned determination to finish what he's started. Contrast Frost's words with these from "The Congo" by Vachel Lindsay:

barrel-house kings with feet unstable
sagged and reeled and pounded on the table
pounded on the table
beat an empty barrel with the handle of a broom
hard as they were able
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM

Lindsay writes about the way men in the African Congo murder over diamonds and gold. A heavy, deep, chanting rhythm creates a primal tone of force and foreboding to match his subject matter.

Diction, Imagery, Metaphor

Because a poem is generally compact, every word is important. Examine the words (diction) and how they're used to create an impression that evokes the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, or sound (imagery). Comparisons (metaphor or simile) are also powerful ways poets create an impression or convey an idea. For example, Naomi Shihab Nye's poem "Two Countries" is about loneliness and finding love again:

Skin remembers how long the years grow
when skin is not touched, a gray tunnel
of singleness, feather lost from the tail
of a bird, swirling onto a step,
swept away by someone who never saw it was a feather.

Nye uses metaphor by comparing loneliness to "a gray tunnel" and a "feather lost from the tail of a bird." The tunnel signifies a void with no end. The fact that the tunnel is gray renders it vague and ghostly. Consider the difference it would have made if she'd described the tunnel as black. The feather, a delicate, tiny thing that was once part of a greater whole, is now listless and lost. These metaphors portray loneliness as an empty and floating nothingness, without direction or end.

Nye also uses imagery. She talks of the feather "swirling onto a step" and "swept away by someone who never saw it was a feather." Here, the feather is personified, looking for welcome but carelessly brushed aside by someone who just didn't see it. This imagery evokes the sense of touch, presenting the human as a delicate, hopeful thing easily brushed aside. Finally, Nye chose to refer to a person as "skin." This diction immediately creates an intimacy between the subject and the reader, something we can feel and touch.

Thesis

After you determine the key elements of the poem, you can begin to write your thesis. Start by making an observation about the poem; then explain how it is achieved. Usually in an analysis you can focus on one key element, such as imagery, and show how it works in the poem; or, you can focus on a theme or mood or some overarching aspect of the poem, and show how the parts contribute to that.

Ex. (Statement of meaning) T. S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is about a man imprisoned in the mediocre life he has chosen, dreaming of things he lacks the courage to do.

Ex. (How meaning is conveyed) To convey the ordinary and oppressive world Prufrock lives in, Eliot talks about the smoke and smog, clinking coffee spoons, and trivial social aspirations of women chattering in a drawing room.

One way to write a thesis for your analysis is to link these two sentences. You may have to rephrase it or omit some words, but your basic ideas will be the same.

Thesis Ex. In the "Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," Eliot writes about a man imprisoned in the mediocre life he has chosen, dreaming of things he lacks the courage to do; Eliot creates this portrait of a trapped man by alluding to the fantastical world Prufrock dreams of and contrasting it with the oppressive ordinariness of his real life.

Once your thesis is written, outline your paragraphs and choose your evidence. Include specific examples quoted from the poem. Don't forget to check your assignment for particulars about how you're supposed to write the essay.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
University Writing Center (UWC) - Analyzing Poetry

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To analyze a poem, you must break it down into all its important elements and explain how they work together to create an effect or reinforce a meaning. Read your assignment carefully to find out what you're being asked to do, since there are many ways to present an analysis.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.
View All posts by Alison Doherty

Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.
View All posts by Alison Doherty
It's hard to think of the right words to write about the recent political events surrounding refugees and immigrants entering the United States and the moral injustice of families being separated, imprisoned, and inhumanely punished at the U.S. Border. And I don't have the right words for describing the end of DACA or the demonization of Syrian refugees. Of course, part of me wants to say this isn't America. Except, I also don't have the right words to write about t he Immigration Act of 1924 and that was almost a hundred years ago. I don't have the words today, but so many immigrants have used words to share their stories in picture books, young adult books, fiction and nonfiction, and new releases that are coming out this year. And so many writers have used immigration poems to talk about their experiences. These words are more than just right. They are moving, emotional, informative...I don't have enough words for these poems, so I'll leave you with the beautiful ones crafted by these fifteen amazing poets.

1. "Things we carry On The Sea" by wang ping

Excerpt:

We carry tears in our eyes: good-bye father, good-bye mother

We carry soil in small bags: may home never fade in our hearts

Check Your Shelf Newsletter

Sign up to receive Check Your Shelf, the Librarian's One-Stop Shop For News, Book Lists, And More.

Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.

By signing up you agree to our terms of use

We carry names, stories, memories of our villages, fields, boats

We carry scars from proxy wars of greed

We carry carnage of mining, droughts, floods, genocides

We carry dust of our families and neighbors incinerated in mushroom clouds

We carry our islands sinking under the sea

2. "The Unwritten Letter from my Immigrant Parent" by Muna Abdulahi

Excerpt:

it was clear they were hungry
with their carts empty the clothes inside their empty hands

they were hungry because their hands
were empty their hands in trashcans

the trashcans on the street
the asphalt street on the red dirt the dirt taxpayers pay for

up to that invisible line visible thick white paint
visible booths visible with the fence starting from the booths

4. "Things That Shine in the Night" by Rigoberto González

Excerpt:

-from "The Bordercrosser's Pillowbook"

Fulgencio's silver crown-when he snores
the moon, coin of Judas, glaring
at the smaller metals we call stars
my buckle
the tips of my boots
the stones in my kidneys

5. "Everyday we get more illegal" by juan Felipe Herrera

6. "We Are Americans Now, We Live in the Tundra" by Marilyn Chin

Excerpt:

Today in hazy San Francisco, I face seaward
Toward China, a giant begonia-

Pink, fragrant, bitten
By verdigris and insects. I sing her

A blues song; even a Chinese girl gets the blues,
Her reticence is black and blue.

7. "Immigrant" by Wyclef Jean

8. "Translation for Mamá" by Richard Blanco

Excerpt:

What I've written for you, I have always written
in English, my language of silent vowel endings
never translated into your language of silent h's.
Lo que he escrito para ti, siempre lo he escrito
en inglés, en mi lengua llena de vocales mudas
nunca traducidas a tu idioma de haches mudas.

Excerpt:
So tell me what you think of when the sky is ashen?
-Mahmoud Darwish
I could tell you that listening is made for the ashen sky,
and instead of the muezzin's voice, which lingers
like weeping at dawn,
I hear my own desire, as I lay my lips against my mother's cheek.

10.

11. "A Simple Trajectory" by May Yang

Some time ago pale bodies slipped into Indochina and harvested

slave bodies to sow opium and mine silver. These slaves developed a

dependency on this unsustainable and temporary economy, becoming

heavily addicted to this intoxicating flower. Some no longer planted their

own food or raised their own livestock. A body from this time was that

of my grandmother's. Impoverished-she was-mind, body and soul.

12. "At the Wall, US/Mexico Border, Texas 2020" by Paola Gonzalez and Karla Guitierrez

13. "Why Whales Are Back in New York City" by Rajiv Mohabir

Excerpt:

After a century, humpbacks migrate
again to Queens. They left
due to sewage and white froth

banking the shores from polychlorinated-
biphenyl-dumping into the Hudson
and winnowing menhaden schools.

14. "Before Your Arrival" by Ellen Hagan

Excerpt:

the ones who brought your father here, come. Bring
with them whole almonds, dried berries & clementines
wrapped in cloth. Their clothes & smart shoes too.

They come looking for the place I've taken your father.
Looking for the New York City that could rival home.
Your Abba loves the East Village, its graffiti, trash
& all the languages on all the streets. On 14th & 1st,
we visit the Phillipines. Elvie's Turo Turo.

15. "Lessons on being an African Immigrant in America" by Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa

What other immigration poems do you recommend?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
15 Moving Immigration Poems to Read Today | Book Riot

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A list of 15 powerful immigration poems written about the experience of immigrating to the United States.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Most of us have recited a poem out loud at some point in our lives. It might have been for a school assignment or a for a special occasion, such as a friend's birthday party. Or maybe you just wanted to read a poem out loud. But did you know that there is a lot of poetry out there that was never meant for the page, only for the stage?

What is performance poetry

Performance poetry is a term that can be used for all poetry that was written with the goal of being performed instead of being published in the written form. There are just about as many types of performance poetry as there are performers. Some poems sound like speeches or rants, with no apparent poetic structure or form. Others might incorporate rhymes and repetition to create a more distinguished reading rhythm. There are no rules - the only boundaries are set by your imagination.

Common techniques used in performance poetry

While there really are no restrictions to how you can compose your performance poem, there are certain techniques that are commonly used to elevate the parts of the poem that the composer feels are the most important.

Pausing to create tension

Changing the reciting speed from slow to fast and vice versa

Acting out the poem by physically expressing chosen parts of it

Creating an elliptical structure where things that were already said are revisited later in the performance

Although it is common that the performer chooses the techniques they use based on what best serves the what they want to convey, many performers also develop their own unique voice, a performing style that becomes their calling card.
So if I want to recite a poem, should I only choose performance poems?
Certainly not! While poems that have been composed in order to be recited might not work as well in the written form, that does not mean that the opposite is true. The best poem to recite is the one that truly resonates with you. The most memorable poetry performances are those that can create emotions in the audience, so always perform something you feel strongly about - your audience will surely sense it.

Is performing poetry for you?
Performing poetry is for anyone - even those that have a stage fright. Because of websites such as YouTube, performing poetry is becoming increasingly popular. A lot of people are taking part in events such as poetry slams and videos of the performances are being uploaded for all to see. But if the live audience makes you nervous or you cannot go to an event, you can always record your poem yourself. All you need is a webcam, a poem and the courage to try it out.

Tips for performing and reciting

If you are ready to take the plunge and try performing poetry, just remember these four things:

1. Think about how you want to perform your poem - try different things and make notes of what works and what doesn't

2. Relax and take your time

3. Remember to speak clearly

4. Have fun!

This video illustrates these points perfectly, and also gives other great tips.

So what do you think? Are you ready to give it a go?

Performance poetry on the internet
The Internet is full of poetry performances that are made and target people of all ages. Here are some of our favorites.

For teachers and children
Perform-a-poem is a great website for anyone who is interested in poetry recited by children. For example, this performance of the " In the Gatehouse" filmed in Torriano Junior School in Camden is heartwarmingly energetic, and a great idea for getting kids involved with poetry.

For teens and adults
Button Poetry is becoming more and more popular after some of the videos on the channel went viral. This performance by Lily Myers where she recites " Shrinking Women", her original work, has become so popular that people are creating their own versions of it, including typography videos.

You might also be inspired by this great performance poem by Sarah Kay called " If I should have a daughter" given as the beginning of her Ted Talk. She also speaks about why she writes poetry, which is something many aspiring writers can relate to.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Performing Poetry - How To Recite A Spoken Word Poem

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Spoken Word Poems are poems to perform and recite aloud. Most of us have recited a poem out loud at some point in our lives. It might have been for a school assignment or a for a special occasion, such as a friend's birthday party.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I Can Lyrics

[Intro: Children's Choir]
I know I can
Be what I wanna be
If I work hard at it
I'll be where I wanna be
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (Be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard at it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)

[Verse 1]
Be, b-boys and girls, listen up
You can be anything in the world , in God we trust
An architect, doctor, maybe an actress
But nothing comes easy, it takes much practice
Like, I met a woman who's becoming a star
She was very beautiful, leaving people in awe
Singing songs, Lena Horne , but the younger version
Hung with the wrong person , got her strung on that heroin
Cocaine, sniffing up drugs, all in her nose
Could've died, so young, now looks ugly and old
No fun 'cause now when she reaches for hugs, people hold they breath
'Cause she smells of corrosion and death
Watch the company you keep and the crowd you bring
'Cause they came to do drugs and you came to sing
So if you gonna be the best, I'ma tell you how
Put your hands in the air, and take the vow

[Chorus x2]
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (Be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard at it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (Be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard at it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)

[Verse 2]
Be, b-boys and girls, listen again
This is for grown-looking girls who's only 10
The ones who watch videos and do what they see
As cute as can be, up in the club with fake ID
Careful, 'fore you meet a man with HIV
You can host the TV like Oprah Winfrey
Whatever you decide, be careful, some men be
Rapists, so act your age, don't pretend to be
Older than you are, give yourself time to grow
You thinking he can give you wealth, but so
Young boys, you can use a lot of help, you know
You thinking life's all about smoking weed and ice
You don't wanna be my age and can't read and write
Begging different women for a place to sleep at night
Smart boys turn to men and do whatever they wish
If you believe you can achieve, then say it like this

[Chorus x2]
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (Be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard at it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (Be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard at it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)

[Verse 3]
Be, be-fore we came to this country
We were kings and queens, never porch monkeys
There was empires in Africa called Kush
Timbuktu, where every race came to get books
To learn from black teachers, who taught Greeks and Romans
Asian Arabs and gave them gold, when
Gold was converted to money it all changed
Money then became empowerment for Europeans
The Persian military invaded
They heard about the gold, the teachings, and everything sacred
Africa was almost robbed naked
Slavery was money, so they began making slave ships
Egypt was the place that Alexander the Great went
He was so shocked at the mountains with black faces
Shot up they nose to impose what basically
Still goes on today, you see?
If the truth is told, the youth can grow
They learn to survive until they gain control
Nobody says you have to be gangstas, hoes
Read more, learn more, change the globe
Ghetto children, do your thing
Hold your head up, little man, you're a king
Young princess, when you get your wedding ring
Your man will sing, "She's my Queeeeeen"

Nas spits inspirational lyrics over a very prominent Beethoven sample. KIDS: You can do anything you want in life!

From Rolling Stone:

That was a groundbreaking period for me. That was my biggest radio record I ever had, and like 'If I Ruled the World,' it was used by tons of schools for their graduation. A song like that helped me because I have a daughter, and because I make so much music that when she was younger I didn't want her to listen to, I owed her and other kids something, something real, something real that's up their alley, to show that I cared, that I'm a human being, that I'm not just about giving you a tune about what happens in the 'hood and all that every day. I've got to be a real human being, and that was one of my real human being records right there, for my daughter. So yeah, that's one of the most important records I ever made.

Ask us a question about this song

Ask a question *‌

Transcontinental Studios, Orlando, Fl & Right Track Recordings, New York, NY

View I Can samples

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I Can Lyrics: I know I can / Be what I wanna be / If I work hard at it / I'll be where I wanna be / I know I can (I know I can) / Be what I wanna be (Be what I wanna be) / If I work hard at it (

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Analyze Poetry - Samfunnsfaglig engelsk (LK06) - NDLA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Poetry is the shortest form of literary expression and if you know where to look, poems are all around us.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Early one mornin' the sun was shinin'
I was layin' in bed
Wond'rin' if she'd changed at all
If her hair was still red
Her folks they said our lives together
Sure was gonna be rough
They never did like Mama's homemade dress
Papa's bankbook wasn't big enough
And I was standin' on the side of the road
Rain fallin' on my shoes
Heading out for the East Coast
Lord knows I've paid some dues gettin' through
Tangled up in blue

She was married when we first met
Soon to be divorced
I helped her out of a jam, I guess
But I used a little too much force
We drove that car as far as we could
Abandoned it out West
Split up on a dark sad night
Both agreeing it was best
She turned around to look at me
As I was walkin' away
I heard her say over my shoulder
"We'll meet again someday on the avenue"
Tangled up in blue

I had a job in the great north woods
Working as a cook for a spell
But I never did like it all that much
And one day the ax just fell
So I drifted down to New Orleans
Where I happened to be employed
Workin' for a while on a fishin' boat
Right outside of Delacroix
But all the while I was alone
The past was close behind
I seen a lot of women
But she never escaped my mind, and I just grew
Tangled up in blue

She was workin' in a topless place
And I stopped in for a beer
I just kept lookin' at the side of her face
In the spotlight so clear
And later on as the crowd thinned out
I's just about to do the same
She was standing there in back of my chair
Said to me, "Don't I know your name?"
I muttered somethin' underneath my breath
She studied the lines on my face
I must admit I felt a little uneasy
When she bent down to tie the laces of my shoe
Tangled up in blue

She lit a burner on the stove
And offered me a pipe
"I thought you'd never say hello," she said
"You look like the silent type"
Then she opened up a book of poems
And handed it to me
Written by an Italian poet
From the thirteenth century
And every one of them words rang true
And glowed like burnin' coal
Pourin' off of every page
Like it was written in my soul from me to you
Tangled up in blue

I lived with them on Montague Street
In a basement down the stairs
There was music in the cafés at night
And revolution in the air
Then he started into dealing with slaves
And something inside of him died
She had to sell everything she owned
And froze up inside
And when finally the bottom fell out
I became withdrawn
The only thing I knew how to do
Was to keep on keepin' on like a bird that flew
Tangled up in blue

So now I'm goin' back again
I got to get to her somehow
All the people we used to know
They're an illusion to me now
Some are mathematicians
Some are carpenters' wives
Don't know how it all got started
I don't know what they're doin' with their lives
But me, I'm still on the road
Headin' for another joint
We always did feel the same
We just saw it from a different point of view
Tangled up in blue

Copyright © 1974 by Ram's Horn Music; renewed 2002 by Ram's Horn Music

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Early one mornin' the sun was shinin' I was layin' in bed Wond'rin' if she'd changed at all If her hair was still red Her folks they said our lives together Sure was gonna be rough They never did like Mama's homemade dress Papa's bankbook wasn't big enough And I

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
[Verse 1]
They say, "Oh my God, I see the way you shine
Take your hands, my dear, and place them both in mine"
You know you stopped me dead while I was passing by
And now I beg to see you dance just one more time

[Pre-Chorus]
Ooh, I see you, see you, see you every time
And oh my, I, I like your style
You, you make me, make me, make me wanna cry
And now I beg to see you dance just one more time

[Chorus]
So they say
"Dance for me, dance for me, dance for me, oh-oh-oh
I've never seen anybody do the things you do before"
They say
"Move for me, move for me, move for me, ayy-ayy-ayy
And when you're done, I'll make you do it all again"

[Verse 2]
I said, "Oh my God, I see you walking by
Take my hands, my dear, and look me in my eyes"
Just like a monkey, I've been dancin' my whole life
But you just beg to see me dance just one more time

[Pre-Chorus]
Ooh, I see you, see you, see you every time
And oh my, I, I like your style
You, you make me, make me, make me wanna cry
And now I beg to see you dance just one more time

[Chorus]
So they say
"Dance for me, dance for me, dance for me, oh-oh-oh
I've never seen anybody do the things you do before"
They say
"Move for me, move for me, move for me, ayy-ayy-ayy
And when you're done, I'll make you do it all again"
They say
"Dance for me, dance for me, dance for me, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh
I've never seen anybody do the things you do before"
They say
"Move for me, move for me, move for me, ayy-ayy-ayy
And when you're done, I'll make you do it all again"

[Bridge]
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh
Ooh, ah-ah, ah-ah

[Chorus]
They say
"Dance for me, dance for me, dance for me, oh-oh-oh
I've never seen anybody do the things you do before"
They say
"Move for me, move for me, move for me, ayy-ayy-ayy
And when you're done, I'll make you do it all again"
They say
"Dance for me, dance for me, dance for me, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh
I've never seen anybody do the things you do before"
They say
"Move for me, move for me, move for me, ayy-ayy-ayy
And when you're done, I'll make you do it all again
All again"

"Dance Monkey" is a song by Australian singer Tones and I, released as the second single from her debut EP The Kids Are Coming. In the track, Tones sings about the struggles of being a musical performer, inspired by her experiences as a busker. She explained to Billboard:

It's a song about a moment where I felt frustrated about how people had no patience anymore. [...] If you replace the word 'dance' with 'sing,' it's pretty self-explanatory. I've literally turned quotes that people say to me into lyrics - they're all very real. [...] It was one night where people just wouldn't let me be. I'd been busking for seven or eight hours, and I had done six encores. So many people get inspired in the moment and just make up bullshit to try to give you hope. Every person swears black and blue on their kids' lives that they're someone and they can help me and they never do.

"Dance Monkey" was written in October 2018, at her manager's house. Tones posted a video of herself performing the track the day she wrote it.

Ask us a question about this song

My manager warned me that "Dance Monkey" wouldn't be a big track like "Johnny Run Away." Then all of a sudden it became my biggest hit. I had people singing it back to me at Splendour in the Grass [Australian music festival in New South Wales] and it's been on every single radio station in Australia. I didn't write this track for radio. I wrote this song for the people at the Byron Bay hostel so we could all dance to it. People were trying to write songs to knock Lil Nas X off his perch; I didn't try to do that. I wrote this song before his song was even released. "Dance Monkey" showed me that I'm good enough. I have confidence in the songs that I've written and I'm not going to change anything.

I wrote this song about being a busker and realizing that you can definitely tell that people are so entertained now by the click of a button now or a swipe. And when you're playing live shows, I can see that, and I think there were a lot of times when I was busking where there were a lot of people in your face, like, "More, more! Go again, again, again!" ... There were times where it was really prominent that people were so used to be able to swipe and see something different to entertain themselves that the patience had diminished. The quick changeovers were kind of what you need to do on the street now. You have to really be quick, you can't talk as much, tell your story and get on with the song.

Dance Monkey by Eden xo, ​dance monkey by Tate McRae, Dance Monkey (X Factor Recording) by Kevin McHale, Dance Monkey by Andrew Foy, Dance Monkey by Moncrieff, Dance Monkey by Operación Triunfo 2020 (Ft. Chica Sobresalto), Dance Monkey by KIDZ BOP Kids, Dance Monkey (Piano Acoustic) by Sam Tsui, Dance Roomie (Dance Monkey Cover) by Doctorpotato69, Dance Monkey by First to Eleven, Dance Monkey by Casadilego, 2020 Mashup by Kurt Hugo Schneider & Sam Tsui, Dance Monkey by Vitamin String Quartet, Dance Monkey (Live In Concert / 2021) by KIDZ BOP Kids & Dance Monkey by Andrew VanWyngarden

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dance Monkey Lyrics: They say, "Oh my God, I see the way you shine / Take your hands, my dear, and place them both in mine" / You know you stopped me dead while I was passing by / And now I beg to see

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In order to learn how to analyze a poem, you have to understand what poetry is. Poetry is a literary form used to express feelings and ideas. Poetry analysis involves examining the independent elements of a poem to understand those feelings and ideas.

There is no one right way to analyze a poem. However, some of the possible ways will be explored in this article.

We'll break down the main aspects of poetry analysis and poetic elements to help you form and focus your own analyses. This guide can also serve as a poetry analysis worksheet as there are questions to guide you.

Below are the poetic elements, tips, and examples you need to guide you in your quest to analyze any poem.

Understand and Dissect The Theme of The Poem

The theme of a poem is its central topic, subject, or message. Examining the theme of a poem is a great method of analysis; the easiest way to break anything down is by understanding what it's about.

To understand how to analyze that poem, start by studying the poem for its main idea. It could be about love, loss, patriotism, nature, etc.

As an example, let's look at "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost.

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

Learn To Find The Theme Of The Poem

To find the theme of the poem, we have to break it down to find what it is about. Let's break down Frost's poem to find the theme.

Frost begins this poem by talking about nature and flowers, and how they don't last very long. He says the same about dawn; at first, the sky is golden but then it rapidly fades as the sun rises higher. This loss is compared to the fall from Eden, and then Frost concludes with "Nothing gold can stay."

The recurring message here is that nothing golden and beautiful lasts. We can then develop this idea into the main theme of the poem, which is transience; the most beautiful things tend to have the shortest longevity. After finding the theme, an analysis can be made about how Frost delivers the theme.

You can also explore the literary devices he uses in order to do so, who the intended audience is, etc.

Poems can also have multiple themes. And a poetry analysis can be built on their relationship with one another. Moreover, some poems are written to deliver a message or moral which can also be a point of examination.

Poetry analysis questions to ask about the theme:

What is the theme of the poem?

Are there multiple themes? How do they relate to each other?

Is the poem trying to deliver a message or moral?

What audience is the message for?

What techniques does the poet use to deliver the themes in the most effective way possible?

Pay Attention To The Context Of The Poem

The context of a poem forms the foundation of its comprehension. A poet's background can be crucial to your ability to understand their poetry. A poet's life and experiences can affect the interpretation or provide extra information. Examining such context is another solid method of poetry analysis.

Details about a poet's life can suggest a specific point of view. For example, some of Grace Nichols poetry, such as "Island Man," is more meaningful if the reader knows that Nichols is a Guyanese poet who moved to London when she was 27. And a lot of Nichols's poetry is inspired by her homesickness.

The culture of the place and time a poem was written in also has an effect on the interpretation. For instance, "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel L. Coleridge has strong themes of nature and religion. The reason for this is because it was written during the Industrial Revolution when people were entranced by science and technology. Coleridge wanted to draw their attention back to what they were overlooking.

The effect of the culture of place is observable in Dareen Tatour's poem "قوم يا شاب قومهم" ("Resist, My People, Resist Them") which she wrote as a Palestenian in protest against the Israeli government. Her poem made a defiant statement, and she was arrested for it.

In some cases, poetry is influenced by the era or movement it was written in, like how Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" was written during the Beat Generation movement.

Researching About The Poet Can Help You To Analyze A Poem

A little extra research about a poet and their life can go a long way in improving your understanding of their poetry. Take some time to read up on the context. You'll be better equipped to write a thorough analysis of the poem.

Poetry analysis questions to ask about context:

Do details about the poet's life suggest a specific point of view ?

Does the culture of that era (I,e. time, and/or place) have any effect on the interpretation of the poem?

Does the poem belong to a ? How might this affect its interpretation?

Focusing On Mood and Tone Is A Solid Way To Analyze A Poem

Mood and tone are similar, but the distinction between the two is important. Mood refers to the feeling the audience gets from the writing.

For instance, a mood shift can be observed in Billy Collin's poem "Introduction to Poetry."

I ask them to take a poem

and hold it up to the light

like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem

and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room

and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski

across the surface of a poem

waving at the author's name on the shore.

But all they want to do

is tie the poem to a chair with rope

and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose

to find out what it really means.

In the first four stanzas, the mood of this poem is of wonder and exploration. It's light and invokes the marvel of learning new things.

However, in the later stanzas, the mood becomes darker and sinister. The mood shift and how and why Collins creates it is a strong point of analysis.

Remember, Tone Differs From Mood

Tone, as mentioned earlier, is a little different than mood. Tone refers to the attitude the writer has towards the subject they are writing about.

For example, the tone of a poem could be satirical, serious, humorous, critical, or appreciative. The tone in "Another Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries" by Hugh MacDiarmid is quite easy to detect.

It is a God-damned lie to say that these

Saved, or knew, anything worth any man's pride.

They were professional murderers and they took

Their blood money and their impious risks and died.

In spite of all their kind some elements of worth

With difficulty persist here and there on earth.

As previously mentioned, the tone is how the writer feels about the subject of their poem. The subject here is mercenary soldiers. It's pretty clear that MacDiarmid doesn't care very much for them.

The tone of the poem is undeniably contemptuous and angry. Taking note of this tone creates an opportunity for analysis on how MacDiarmid conveys the tone and why he feels so strongly about mercenary soldiers.

Poetry analysis questions to ask about mood and tone:

What is the mood of the poem?

Does the mood change over the course of the poem? Why did the poet create said change?

What strategies does the poet use to convey the mood?

What is the tone of the poem? Does the poet agree, disagree, admire, ridicule, or condemn the subject of the poem? What is the reason?

How does word choice affect the tone of the poem?

What strategies does the poet use to convey the tone?

Explore The Literary Devices Used In The Poem

Literary devices are techniques writers use to produce special effects in their writing. It is especially helpful when you're still grappling with learning ways to analyze a poem.

As can be sensed from the definition, it's a pretty broad category. As such, an analysis of a poem based on literary devices can go in many directions. A few of them have been highlighted below.

Repetition is a literary device frequently found in poetry, as can be demonstrated by Merrill Glass's "But You Didn't."

Remember the time you lent me your car and I dented it?

I thought you'd kill me...

But you didn't.

Remember the time I forgot to tell you the dance was

formal, and you came in jeans?

I thought you'd hate me...

But you didn't.

Remember the times I'd flirt with

other boys just to make you jealous, and

I thought you'd drop me...

But you didn't.

There were plenty of things you did to put up with me,

to keep me happy, to love me, and there are

so many things I wanted to tell

you when you returned from

But you didn't.

To learn how to analyze repetition in a poem, first, find the repeating phrases. Secondly, assess their function and contribution to the poem.

The repeating phrases in this poem are "Remember the time" and "But you didn't." Their functions are reinforcing the mood of the poem and the building structure.

The repetition of "Remember the time" produces a nostalgic mood. The repetition of both phrases creates a framework for the poem.

Therefore, when the mood drastically changes in the last stanza, the continued repetition of "But you didn't" still keeps the poem within its structure; it doesn't feel like it came out of nowhere. It is important to consider this when figuring out how to analyze a poem.

Next in literary devices, let's discuss the imagery and sensory language. Imagery is an author's use of descriptive language to build visuals. Meanwhile, sensory language is words and phrases that create vividity in writing. This vividness is created by appealing to the senses.

Both are employed by writers to add depth to their work. The use and effect of these two devices can be observed in this excerpt from "The Young Sun's Greeting" by Léopold Sédar Senghor.

The young sun's greeting

On my bed, your letter's glow

All the sounds that burst from morning

Blackbirds' brassy calls, jingle of gonoleks

Your smile on the grass, on the radiant dew.

This stanza is rich with sensory language. The description of sunlight on the bed, the sounds of birds in the morning and dew on the grass creates a strong image of a serene morning.

The resulting effect is a vivid and entrancing poem. This effect can be analyzed in terms of how it's achieved, the impact it creates, and how it supports the theme of the poem.

There are many other literary devices that are frequently found in poetry including metaphors, personification, flashbacks, symbolism, diction, and more. These can all be analyzed in a similar manner as highlighted above.

Poetry analysis questions to ask about literary devices:

What are the most prominent literary devices used in the poem? How can it help you to analyze the poem?

What function do the devices have in the poem? Do they build the structure?

Do literary devices contribute to the mood? Do they support the theme?

How does the poet's use of literary devices make for a better and more meaningful poem?

Analyze The Language and Structure

Poetry allows for eccentric language and structure use in a way that no other literary form does. This makes for engaging reads and great points of analysis.

As an example, here is an excerpt of "Half-caste" by John Agard

Explain yuself

When yu say half-caste

Yu mean when light an shadow

Mix in de sky

Is a half-caste weather??

Well in dat case

England weather

Nearly always half-caste

In fact some o dem cloud

Half-caste till dem overcast

So spiteful dem dont want de sun pass

Explain yuself

When yu say half-caste?

Yu mean tchaikovsky

Sit down at dah piano

An mix a black key

Wid a white key

Is a half-caste symphony?

This is a great piece about the absurdity of racism, but let's focus on the language. Agard writes in his Caribbean dialect. By doing so, he is legitimizing his way of speech and asserting himself and his mixed race identity. It's a strong statement and connects well with the message of the poem.

Pay Attention To Creative Use Of Grammar

In terms of grammar and punctuation, what better example is there than Emily Dickinson's poetry? She's well known for her odd capitalization and punctuation.

Here's poem #466 "I dwell in Possibility." In this poem, Dickinson writes about the limitless power of poetry and its superiority over prose.

I dwell in Possibility -

A fairer House than Prose -

More numerous of Windows -

Superior - for Doors -

Of Chambers as the Cedars -

Impregnable of eye -

And for an everlasting Roof

The Gambrels of the Sky -

Of Visitors - the fairest -

For Occupation - This -

The spreading wide my narrow Hands

To gather Paradise -

Dickinson's grammar can seem daunting, but it's just a matter of breaking it down. Beginning with the capitalization, these are all the words (excluding the words at the beginning of each line) that she capitalizes:

Possibility, House, Prose, Windows, Doors, Chambers, Cedars, Roof, Gambrels, Sky, Visitors, Occupation, This, Hands, Paradise

The most recurring image produced by these words is of a house, which is the main metaphor of the poem. Dickinson compares poetry to a fair house that has many windows, an endless roof, and other appealing characteristics.

So, it can already be reasoned that Dickinson's capitalization is in order to emphasize the main focus of her poetry. This analysis can be furthered by examining the capitalized words that don't fit in with the rest, such as "Paradise."

A possible reason that "Paradise" is stressed could be the religious context; Dickinson could've been trying to portray just how divine poetry is by giving it a more powerful connotation.

The other notable grammatical element in Dickinson's poem is the abundance of em dashes. Almost every line ends in an em dash, and several have em dashes in the middle of them.

Dickinson's use of em dashes in the middle of her lines is usually to highlight words of significance. For instance, "for Doors" is enclosed in em dashes in the first stanza. To find out why, let's consider the rest of the stanza.

I dwell in Possibility -

A fairer House than Prose -

More numerous of Windows -

Superior - for Doors -

Dickinson is talking about the superiority of the "Possibility" a.k.a poetry house over the prose house. Poetry has more windows and it has doors.

It's important to notice that she says "More numerous of Windows," because this means that the prose house also has windows, poetry just has more. In terms of doors, however, the prose house doesn't seem to have any. So it's just a house of windows.

Windows are nice, but you need doors to enter and exit. Therefore, "for Doors" could be stressed because Dickinson wanted to establish that prose isn't as open as poetry.

Just as important as the use of em dashes,is the absence of them. Dickinson uses so many of her trademark dashes in this poem, so the two places where she doesn't stand out: "And for an everlasting Roof" and "The spreading wide my narrow Hands."

Both of these lines describe something that's expanding: the eternal roof and hands that are reaching out to paradise. Without the usual em-dashes, these lines visibly expand on the page which enhances their meaning.

Poetry often accommodates unusual structure and language that many poets utilize for emphasis, to make a statement or other similar reasons. All these can act as effective focal points of poetry analysis.

Poetry analysis questions to ask about language and structure:

Does the poet make use of language or grammar in an unconventional manner? What effect does this have on the poem?

Do the language and diction complement the theme and mood of the poem?

How is the poem structured? How are the lines and stanzas arranged? Why might the poet have made that decision?

Do the language and structure correspond with the poem's form? Why or why not?

Identify and Explore The Poetic Form

Identifying and exploring the poetic form is a great way to analyze a poem.

The poetic form determined by the poem's rhythm and structure. The easiest way to detect the rhythm and structure of a poem is by listening to it.

Poetry is meant to be heard, so read it aloud or listen to a recording of the poem. This will allow for the detection of patterns in rhythm and rhyme schemes. Use that information to identify the poetic form.

A fourteen-line rhyming poem may be a sonnet. A poem with an AABBA scheme is a limerick. A long narrative poem could be an epic, and a poem that seems to be a tribute may be an ode. Maybe the poem doesn't seem to follow any form, which would make it free verse.

While it's not necessary to know the exact poetic form - you don't have to memorize all the forms and their distinctions - it can be helpful because certain forms have specific associations.

For example, sonnets are usually about love. Limericks tend to be humorous, and epics are often adventurous and historical. An understanding of the form of the poem can then open up opportunities for analyses about whether the poem adheres to or challenges its conventions.

Poetry analysis questions to ask about the form of the poem:

Is the poem traditional or contemporary?

Does the poem follow a rhyme scheme or rhythm?

Does the poem follow a specific structure?

Can the poem be classified under a certain form?

Does it adhere to or challenge its respective form's conventions?

Does the poem break away from its form or structure at any point? Why might the poet have made the change?

Last Words On How To Analyze A Poem

Analyzing poetry can seem overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be difficult. Simply break the poem down to its basic elements. Most of the major poetic elements have been outlined in this guide. Then, choose one or two to examine.

Also, make sure you're asking the right questions. Create your own analysis worksheet or use the ones in this guide.

The main idea of poetry analysis is to investigate and evaluate the way the poet makes an impression. Find what jumps out and talk about it in your essay, or audio literary magazine , podcast. Good luck!

Have you tried to analyze a poem? What challenges did you face? And how did you overcome these challenges? What poetic elements do you explore the most in your poetry analysis?

Please share your ideas and experiences in the comments below.

Interested in poetry contests? Check out the The 6th Singapore Poetry Contest 2020/How to Submit ($170)

and

The Origami Poems Project 2020/ How To Submit ($175)

References

Glass, Merrill. "But You Didn't." Family Friend Poems, www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/but-you-didnt-by-merrill-glass .

Macdiarmid, Hugh. " Another Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries." The Complete Poems of Hugh MacDiarmid . Penguin Books, 1985.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How To Analyze A Poem (Examples, Worksheet Questions and Tips)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A guide that shows you how to analyze a poem like an expert. It includes examples , poetry analysis worksheets, and questions to help you analyze any poem.

# data[].attributes.headline
5 things to consider when analyzing poetry 

# data[].attributes.subject
5 things to consider when analyzing poetry 