There is no succinct definition for poetry, but we can say that it is a form of literature, written in verse, that captures the emotions of life through the use of concrete details.

–We will study several aspects of poetry . . .

Narrative: Tells a storyLyric: a short poem that expresses a speaker’s thoughts and emotionsOde: A lyric poem that is serious in subject and treatment, elevated in style, and elaborate in its stanzaic structure.Dramatic poetry: a type of lyric poem where a single speaker interacts with one or more people

Tone: The speaker or author’s attitude toward his or her subject.

In poetry, we look at diction, imagery, and rhyme to find tone.When the speaker says the opposite of what the author means, the tone is ironic.

Sonnets (little songs) are types of lyric poemsAll sonnets consist of 14 lines All sonnets are written primarily in iambic pentameterThere are two types of sonnets: Italian or Petrarchan and English or Shakespearean

Poetry was originally sung and accompanied by a musical instrument called a lyre.Kings and Queens would hire traveling poets called scops and have them recite stories of heroism and adventure.These poets made use of sound and metaphors to help them remember these poems

We will study how poets combine sounds to make alliteration, assonance, and consonance.We will study the effect of metaphors such as similes, personification, synecdoche, and metonymyThese devices help the careful reader to understand tone and theme

Read the poem once without stopping; try to understand the general topic of the workRead the poem a second time, stopping to look up words that you do not understand and paraphrase passages that you have problems with.Read the poem a third time, and look for literary devices and sound devices that help unlock the theme.

33. "Loveliest of Trees"

LOVELIEST of trees, the cherry now

 Is hung with bloom along the bough,

And stands about the woodland ride

Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my threescore years and ten, 5

Twenty will not come again,

And take from seventy springs a score,

It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom Fifty springs are little room, 10

About the woodlands I will go

To see the cherry hung with snow.

 

Define

EastertideRideBoughScore

Eastertide: Springtime (Easter)Ride: A horse pathBough: The branch of a treeScore: 20

Do the math

Threescore years and tenTwenty will not come againTake from seventy years a scoreIt leaves me only 50 more

How old is the narrator?What is his point?

Analysis

Divide lines into stanzas and paraphrase

It is Easter time and the cherry trees are now in bloom so I will walk along the horse path to look at them.I plan to live until I’m 70, and since I am already 20, I’ll only have 50 more springs to live through.

I will only have 50 more opportunities to see cherry trees in bloom, so I will walk through the woods to admire nature’s beauty while I have the opportunity.

Theme

What point is the speaker trying to make about life?

Life is short, so we must make time to appreciate beauty.Carpe Diem: Seize the Day!!!