American PoetryAmerican Poetry

The New World Finds its Voice The New World Finds its Voice and Celebrates its Diversityand Celebrates its Diversity

Poetry Techniques—A ReviewPoetry Techniques—A Review

Figurative LanguageFigurative Language

1.1. SimileSimile– Define/ExampleDefine/Example

2.2. MetaphorMetaphor– Define/ExampleDefine/Example

3.3. PersonificationPersonification– Define/ExampleDefine/Example

4.4. HyperboleHyperbole– Define/ExampleDefine/Example

Sight & SoundSight & Sound

1.1. ImageryImagery– SightSight– TouchTouch– TasteTaste– SmellSmell– SoundSound

2.2. RhymeRhyme– ExampleExample

3.3. AlliterationAlliteration– Define/ExampleDefine/Example

4.4. Onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia – Define/ExampleDefine/Example

Poetry Annotation Symbols Poetry Annotation Symbols 11

Universal SymbolsUniversal Symbols Main Idea (the poem Main Idea (the poem

is about thisis about this

! Something important ! Something important or something you or something you reacted to reacted to emotionallyemotionally

? Question/I don’t ? Question/I don’t understandunderstand

Figurative Language Figurative Language symbolssymbols

Si—SimileSi—Simile

Me—MetaphorMe—Metaphor

Pe—PersonificationPe—Personification

Hy—HyperboleHy—Hyperbole

Im—ImageryIm—Imagery

Rh—RhymeRh—Rhyme

Al—AlliterationAl—Alliteration

On—Onomatopoeia On—Onomatopoeia

Walt Whitman 1819—Walt Whitman 1819—1892 1892 Born May 31, 1819 in West Hills, Born May 31, 1819 in West Hills, Long IslandLong Island

Growing up, he spent weekends Growing up, he spent weekends on the beaches and in the woods on the beaches and in the woods of Long Islandof Long Island

Influenced by Sire Walter Scott, Influenced by Sire Walter Scott, the Bible, Dante, Homer, the Bible, Dante, Homer, Shakespeare, the British Shakespeare, the British Romantics, and ancient Hindu Romantics, and ancient Hindu poetrypoetry

Never went to college; became a Never went to college; became a journalist insteadjournalist instead

Fascinated by the written word Fascinated by the written word and the “boomtown” atmosphere and the “boomtown” atmosphere of Brooklynof Brooklyn

At 30, he took a trip across America, At 30, he took a trip across America, getting a sense of both the crowded getting a sense of both the crowded civilization as well as the wild civilization as well as the wild vastness of the countryvastness of the country

In 1855, he published his masterpiece In 1855, he published his masterpiece “Leaves of Grass” and continued to “Leaves of Grass” and continued to revise the work throughout his liferevise the work throughout his life

Whitman created an “image” for Whitman created an “image” for himself, that of “America’s first poet” himself, that of “America’s first poet” and the “everyman”, the and the “everyman”, the embodiment of a bold new embodiment of a bold new Democratic countryDemocratic country

Whitman’s work was largely Whitman’s work was largely misunderstood during his lifetimemisunderstood during his lifetime

He was criticized for breaking away He was criticized for breaking away from traditional poetry and for from traditional poetry and for including erotic elements in his including erotic elements in his writingwriting

ThemesThemes The individual & the “everyman”The individual & the “everyman”——

Celebrated himself as a unique Celebrated himself as a unique individual but also celebrated the individual but also celebrated the “oneness” of the group“oneness” of the group

DemocracyDemocracy—Democratic in both —Democratic in both subject matter and language; subject matter and language; capturing the new country capturing the new country growing around himgrowing around him

Body & SoulBody & Soul—The body is the —The body is the vessel that allows the soul to vessel that allows the soul to experience the world; the body experience the world; the body should be celebratedshould be celebrated

Cycle of LifeCycle of Life—All is born and —All is born and reborn; we all return from whence reborn; we all return from whence we camewe came

Emily Dickinson 1830-Emily Dickinson 1830-18861886 Born into a religious, Born into a religious,

well-to-do New England well-to-do New England familyfamily

It was expected that she It was expected that she would marry and would marry and become a housewife, but become a housewife, but something happened…something happened…

At 24, her father took At 24, her father took her on a trip because her on a trip because she had fallen in love she had fallen in love with an older, married with an older, married lawyerlawyer

During the trip, she fell in During the trip, she fell in love with Charles love with Charles Wadsworth, the married Wadsworth, the married pastor of the Arch Street pastor of the Arch Street Church in PhiladelphiaChurch in Philadelphia

She saw him as a “muse”, She saw him as a “muse”, someone who could inspire someone who could inspire her, someone she could her, someone she could love passionately in her love passionately in her imaginationimagination

Dickinson withdrew from Dickinson withdrew from society and began dressing society and began dressing in white, representing the in white, representing the bride she would never bride she would never becomebecome

She wrote hundreds of She wrote hundreds of poems, but had no interest poems, but had no interest in an audience, she wrote in an audience, she wrote only for herselfonly for herself

She instructed her family to destroy She instructed her family to destroy any poems left behind after her any poems left behind after her death; yet hid bundles of hand death; yet hid bundles of hand written poems for her relatives to findwritten poems for her relatives to find

Seventy years after her death, her Seventy years after her death, her work was published and she was work was published and she was recognized as one of America’s, and recognized as one of America’s, and perhaps the world’s, greatest poetsperhaps the world’s, greatest poets

Many critics note her strength was Many critics note her strength was her ability to see the universal in the her ability to see the universal in the particular; the relationship between a particular; the relationship between a drop of dew and a flood; a grain of drop of dew and a flood; a grain of sand and a desert, etc.sand and a desert, etc.

ThemesThemes Power of NaturePower of Nature—The beauty & —The beauty &

perfect balance in nature is perfect balance in nature is evidence of God’s existenceevidence of God’s existence

DeathDeath—Seen as a doorway to —Seen as a doorway to truth, the beginning of a new truth, the beginning of a new journeyjourney

Truth/MadnessTruth/Madness—A matter of —A matter of perspective; the majority doesn’t perspective; the majority doesn’t necessarily determine the truthnecessarily determine the truth

““Alone Time”Alone Time”—Value placed on a —Value placed on a solitary life in which only a few solitary life in which only a few close relationships are allowedclose relationships are allowed