Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

A Study of Poetry: Anthology of Wonder, #4
A Study of Poetry: Anthology of Wonder, #4
A Study of Poetry: Anthology of Wonder, #4
Ebook687 pages10 hours

A Study of Poetry: Anthology of Wonder, #4

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

()

Read preview

About this ebook

A Study of Poetry: #4 Anthology of Wonder Series is a collection of 125 narrative, dramatic, and lyrical poems with annotations from a Christian Biblical perspective. Complete with an elementary "Let's Practice" using a familiar patriotic ballad, examples of stylistic techniques with definitions, how to analyze poetry, and a glossary this book is sure to provide a stimulation of thought and form. A Study of Poetry contains the known greats such as Yeats, Longfellow, Tennyson, and even perhaps a few less familiar poets like Alexander Posey.

 

This collection cultivates critical thinking and promotes a Christian worldview. It is an educational resource intent upon developing the novice's burgeoning appreciation with questions after each poem to explore thematic concepts with scripture references, songs, hymns, and ancillary readings. This study is designed for general readers, group discussions, book clubs, young scholars (grades 6-12), and homeschooling families.

 

The whole family can read aloud together while gently stretching their imaginations from famous poets around the world. Hopefully, this collection will help those who are indifferent to poetry be more inclined to love it and those who find poetry pleasurable to love it more.

 

Includes:

Let's Practice: "America the Beautiful" by Katharine Bates

How to Analyze Poetry

Elements of Poetry

Stylistic Techniques: Schemes and Tropes

LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 30, 2021
ISBN9781736799031
A Study of Poetry: Anthology of Wonder, #4
Author

Melanie Chelpka

Melanie Chelpka is a Northern Arizona University alumna and Merit Scholar. Growing up abroad fostered her passion for history. In addition to being a lifelong learner, she is zealous in assisting others in their pursuit of knowledge, truth, beauty, and goodness. She’s a redeemed sister in Christ, a devoted wife, homeschool veteran, voracious reader, and Boston Terrier aficionado. The author resides in Northern Arizona with her husband and daughter.

Related to A Study of Poetry

Titles in the series (3)

View More

Related ebooks

Poetry For You

View More

Related articles

Related categories

Reviews for A Study of Poetry

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings

0 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    A Study of Poetry - Melanie Chelpka

    Cover Design by Melanie Chelpka.

    Copyright © 2020 Melanie Chelpka

    All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by information storage and retrieval system, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the author, except where permitted by law. For permission requests, write to, Attention: Permission Coordinator at the address below:

    info@melaniechelpka.com

    ISBN: 978-1-7367990-3-1 (ebook)

    Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

    Anthology of Wonder

    In order to preserve the nature of this work, British spellings and the formatting of the text have been kept as they were in the original book as found.

    Any internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) in this book are offered as a resource. The author has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URL’s for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

    But words are things, and a small drop of ink,

    Falling, like dew, upon a thought, produces

    That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think. — Lord Byron, Don Juan

    Introduction

    Poetry is finally for the imagination, and imagination can do ‘what all the kings horses and the king’s men’ can’t do: it can restore vision and make a Phoenix out of a bird. — Ronald J. Goba, Why Read Poetry in High School?

    ––––––––

    What is poetry? Poetry articulates thoughts and emotions by expressing the inexpressible. It attempts to explore an aspect of life, an element of nature, or a universal truth which can only be done through the art of observation. To put it another way, poetry expresses the soul’s most ardent passion, pleasure: whether it be pleasure of the eyes (sensation), pleasure of the mind (reflection or contemplation), or pleasure of the heart (emotion).

    There is an erroneous adage that claims, A poet is born not made. I affirm that the poet is a master and like any other craftsman worth his mettle, he must hone his art. Poetry requires form, tone, and passion, yet passion tempered with knowledge of mood, syntax, and structure artfully decorated by word-smithing. English essayist and poet, Thomas Macaulay wrote, By poetry we mean the art of employing words in such a manner as to produce an illusion on imagination, the art of doing by means of words what the painter does by means of colors (Macaulay). The poet choses words succinctly and intently which cultivates analytical thought for the reader. Let us illustrate careful attention to word choice by looking at the word lackadaisical. It used to mean alas with connotations of shame and despair or implied melancholy musing. However, in a modern context it more or less implies a lack of enthusiasm.

    When the topic of poetry is broached, the prevailing symptom is a lack enthusiasm bordering on loathing. This lack of enthusiasm, I believe, results from some inherent demand that poetry be read in sedate solemnity. No! It should be natural. It should be pleasing. Poetry invites the reader into a relationship built upon discourse which demands authenticity. Read aloud! The reader who may think himself blind when it comes to poetry, is encouraged to feel the text for structure, hear its cadence, taste its beauty, and converse by asking questions. Then, the reader may truly see the theme. The novice may be inclined to say, This is much too hard. Like all relationships, poetry requires investment. Read, re-read, and re-read again, and finally if you still don’t understand, take a break because your brain may be tired, but be sure to return once rested. Above all, have patience with yourself. The key is to try. If you stumble across a passage that is difficult take additional time by talking to a friend, classmate, or parent. How does one begin? I believe the simplest place to begin is with a familiar folk tune, lyrical ballad, or a narrative poem riddled with action and adventure such as: Afton Water, Barbara Allen, Lochinvar, or The Cremation of Sam McGee. The novice’s goal should be to appreciate the experience put forth by the poet, to read and read well, summarize the poem in a brief sentence or two, and to articulate why or why not the poem appealed to you.

    Memorization of poetry increases vocabulary and trains the mind to recognize stylistic techniques such as metaphor, simile, and imagery. In addition, stylistic techniques not only enhance composition but the imagination as well. In 1598, English poet and playwright, Ben Jonson, stated in his famous play, Every Man in His Humor, that imagination is the sacred food of poetry:

    Indeed, if you will look on Poesy

    As she appears in many, poor and lame,

    Patch’d up in remnants and old worn rags,

    Half starved for want of her peculiar food:

    Sacred invention, then I must confirm

    Both your conceit and censure of her merit,

    But view her in her glorious ornaments,

    Attired in the majesty of art,

    Set high in spirit, with the precious taste

    Of sweet philosophy, and which is most,

    Crown’d with the rich traditions of a soul

    That hates to have her dignity profaned

    With any relish of an earthly thought. . .

    Our modern proclivity is to dwell in a constant state of hurry. So often students are treated like ping-pong balls tossed from one extracurricular activity to the next, all in the name of being a well-rounded individual. Yet, it is the individual imagination that suffers! Education goes beyond the mere recitation of facts; it is a trained mind that actively wrestles and pursues truth, beauty, and goodness. An integral aspect of education should include poetry. Why? With brevity because character and virtue are cultivated thru fancy and without fancy our minds atrophy. It is fruitful imagination that sets free-thinking individuals apart from cold, barren automatons. Yes, automatons are highly effective and exact, but at the cost of the engineer who manipulates them.

    Poetry often helps us realize that we are not alone. Like scripture, poems are friends that find you in moments of pain, passion, or despair. In the Bible, poetry enhances the comparison of God’s truth, love, and forgiveness. Now is a time for you to slow down and reconsider poetry. Run your fingers thru your hair. Groan. Question. Laugh. Cry. Test the limits of your imagination because you may even surprise yourself.

    Section 1: How to Analyze Poetry

    Poetry is imaginative and therefore must be read differently than expository works. Imaginative literature tugs on our heartstrings and as a result, we either like or dislike it. The more difficult challenge lies in articulating the why behind your inclination (Adler 199). To properly understand poetry you must first appreciate the experience the poet created in his work by reading attentively and summarizing the text in a brief sentence or two, which proves whether you fully understood the text.

    Hopefully, this book will spur you on toward other works: similar poems, additional reading selections, and music. After you’ve read a selection of poetry, re-read it a second time. Then consider the following questions listed below, within the open-ended questions (Section 5), or the Investigations. Highlight passages that connect to your answers and make additional notes in the margins. If needed, take additional time by asking for help. Get out your stylus and prepare to mark up the margins, highlight words, connect patterns, and generate a conversation with the text by recording your questions.

    I highly recommend reading: "Introduction to Poetry" by former Poet Laureate of the United States, Billy Collins, from The Apple that Astonished Paris (University of Arkansas Press, 1996).

    Is there a title? What does it mean? Does it fit or is the poet deliberately misleading the reader? How does it paint a picture of the setting, time period, or action?

    Identify the narrative. Who tells the story? Identify the narrator’s audience.

    What is the mood? Hint: Look at the figurative and descriptive language. See Section 2 for definitions and examples.

    Identify the theme. Ask yourself, What does the poem tell me about life, people, or society? The purpose of poetry often intentionally illustrates an aspect of real life or a universal truth.

    Find the poem’s deepest spiritual truth and whether it is definitely expressed or only suggested.

    How is the poem a product of its culture or time period? How has culture changed from then to today?

    What question does the poet ask? What is the answer? What does your response reveal about you?

    Does the poem have a rhyme scheme? If so, what is it?

    Describe the poem’s rhythm. Use an example to support your description.

    Which words or phrases stand out to you? Explain. What has the poet illustrated by his/her choice of words?

    Section 2: Elements of Poetry

    Rhythm | Metrics | Pattern

    Like prose has paragraphs, poetry is organized into stanzas or groups of lines forming the text.

    Monostich: one line

    Couplet: two lines

    Tercet: three lines

    Quatrain: four lines

    Cinquain: five lines

    Sestain/Sestet: six lines

    Septet: seven lines

    Octave: eight lines

    Stanzas can also be grouped. For example, a sonnet is comprised of 14 lines. An English sonnet is typically comprised of three quatrains and closed with a couplet whereas the Italian sonnet contains an octave and a sestet. A Sestina is a six stanza poem with six lines each, closed with a seventh stanza of just three lines.

    Rhyme

    Rhymes create expression and shape. Full rhyme, such as night and light repeat the same sounds as do day and prey. Rhymes can also be imperfect, such as again and rain. Rhyme also helps us memorize. One must be careful not to label a poem as poorly written just because it doesn’t rhyme. In fact, unrhymed poetry is called blank verse. Many of the Psalms of David are blank verse. In order to identify the rhyme scheme, each new sound at the end of a line is given a letter, starting with A, then B, and so on. If an end sound repeats the end sound of an earlier line, it gets the same letter as the earlier line. For example:

    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: — William Shakespeare, Sonnet 18

    You should have: ABAB

    Rhythm

    Rhythm is a flow, a pulsing if you will. As Robert Browning plainly puts it, What does it all mean, poet?—Well, / Your brains beat into rhythm (The Last Last Ride Together). Reading poetry naturally allows the accent to fall perfectly into place. Never mispronounce words, say them as you would in common, familiar, amiable speech. Simply for entertainment purposes, there a scene in a movie, The Renaissance Man (Touchstone Pictures, 1994), which perfectly demonstrates unnatural rhythm. In the film, actor Danny DeVito teaches a band of army misfits Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

    Meter

    For this part, I recommend using a reliable dictionary such as Webster’s 1828 Dictionary or my favorite, the American Heritage Dictionary. Poetry uses stressed (/) and unstressed (u) syllables to provide a way to measure the cadence of the poem, which is measured in feet. Even though this part may seem more like dissection rather than wonder, there is value in that it trains the mind to analyze the melody. I would like to point out that meter will not be stressed in the Investigation sections, because I affirm that the novice’s goal should be enjoyment and to read well, rather than knowing the proper name of a verse foot. I believe Oscar Wilde said it best, Better to take pleasure in a rose than to put its root under a microscope (qtd in. Melmoth).

    Meters with Two-syllable Feet

    Iambic (u /)

    Ex. reLENT, beTRAY, comPUTE, or comPARE

    shall I compARE thee TO a SUMmers DAY? — William Shakespeare, Sonnet 18

    but, SOFT! What LIGHT through YONder WINDdow BREAKS? — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

    Pyrrhic (u u)

    Ex. on the, in a

    Note: Typically found in Greek poetry more than modern meters.

    to a green thought in a green shade — Andrew Marvell, The Garden

    Spondaic (/ /)

    Ex. PURE GOLD, ICE CREAM, CELL PHONE, or HOG-WILD

    how, how, how, how? CHOPPED LOGIC! what is THIS? — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

    Trochaic (/ u)

    Ex. ARgue, FAIRest, BISHop, or HIGHway

    TELL me NOT in MORNful NUMbers — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, A Psalm of Life

    TYger TYger BURNing bright — William Blake, The Tyger

    Meters with Three-syllable Feet

    Anapestic (u u /)

    Ex. souvenIR, contraDICT, underSTAND, or underFOOT

    ’twas the NIGHT before CHRISTmas, when ALL through the HOUSE — Major Henry Livingston Jr., Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas

    Dactylic (/ u u)

    Ex. CApital, ELephant, POetry, or TRINity

    THIS is the FORest priMEval, the MURmuring PINES and the HEMlock — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie

    Amphibrachic (u / u)

    Ex. reLENTing, There ONCE was, good MOther, roMANtic, or beHOLDen

    Oh DIDn’t you KNOW I’d been RUin’d said SHE — Thomas Hardy, The Ruined Maid

    how DEAR to my HEART are the SCENES of my CHILDhood — Samuel Woodworth, The Old Oaken Bucket

    The following poem plays with meter, Metrical Feet: Lesson for a Boy composed by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1806.

    Trōchĕe trīps frŏm lōng tŏ shōrt;

    From long to long in solemn sort

    Slōw Spōndēe stālks; strōng fo͞ot! yet ill able

    Ēvĕr tŏ cōme ŭp wĭth Dācty̆l trĭsȳllăblĕ.

    Ĭāmbĭcs mārch frŏm shōrt tŏ lōng;—

    Wĭth ă le͞ap ănd ă bo͞und thĕ swĭft Ānăpæ̆sts thrōng;

    One syllable long, with one short at each side,

    Ămphībrăchy̆s hāstes wĭth ă stātely̆ stride;—

    Fīrst ănd lāst bēĭng lōng, mīddlĕ shōrt, Am̄phĭmācer

    Strīkes hĭs thūndērīng ho͞ofs līke ă pro͞ud hīgh-brĕd Rācer.

    If Derwent be innocent, steady, and wise,

    And delight in the things of earth, water, and skies;

    Tender warmth at his heart, with these metres to show it,

    With sound sense in his brains, may make Derwent a poet,—

    May crown him with fame, and must win him the love

    Of his father on earth and his Father above.

    My dear, dear child!

    Could you stand upon Skiddaw, you would not from its whole ridge

    See a man who so loves you as your fond S.T. Colerige.

    Pattern

    Aural pattern is comprised of rhyme and tone. Visual pattern, or concrete poetry is written in a particular shape to convey the poem’s meaning, such as: George Herbert’s "Easter Wings Lewis Carroll’s The Mouse’s Tale or Dylan Thomas’s Vision and Prayer."

    A Square Poem by Lewis Carroll playfully demonstrates pattern as well as paronomasia. When read vertically, the poem (the first word of each line, proceeded by the second word of each line, etc.) results in the same poem as reading it horizontally. Try it!

    I often wondered when I cursed,

    Often feared where I would be—

    Wondered where she’d yield her love,

    When I yield, so will she.

    I would her will be pitied!

    Cursed be love! She pitied me. . .

    Narration / Point of View

    Narration is a detailed account of events, whether real or imaginary. From what perspective is the poem seen or told? First person narrative is where a character tells the poem directly to the reader using the tell-tale I. The reader, via an inside view, knows exactly how the character thinks and feels. Third person narrative occurs when a poem is told from outside the character where characters are referred to as he or she. The narrator is limited to knowing the thoughts and feelings of only one character. Omniscient or all knowing narrative tells the poem from the knowledge of the thoughts and feelings of more than one, or all the characters.

    You can analyze a narrator much the same way you might analyze a character. You might think about: What motivates the narrator? What role the narrator plays in the poem? How might the poem change if the narration changed? An excellent example of a short story well told in verse is, "Incident of the French Camp" by Robert Browning.

    Mood / Tone

    Mood is the dominant feeling that surrounds the poem. The mood of a poem may be influenced by syntax, word choice, and figurative language all of which conveys the narrator’s implied attitude toward the poem’s topic. Tone is how a thing is communicated by the poet. It is a harmony of tone and meaning. Essentially, poems are songs and it is more enjoyable if you sing along. Think of the whimsical tones of Mother Goose: Mary, Mary, quite contrary, / How does your garden grow? / With silver bells, and cockle shells, / And cowslips all of a row.

    Theme

    Theme is the main message that the poet wants to convey to the reader. It could be as simple as love, family, fate, death, loneliness, revenge, or coming of age. To determine the theme ask yourself, What does the poem tell me about life, people, or society? The purpose of poetry is to intentionally illustrate an aspect of real life or a explore a universal truth. Theme can also be the emotional hook that compels the reader to finish.

    Commonplace Book

    Create a journal with a list of titles, authors, and themes. You can also record: thoughts, questions, favorite quotations, musical lyrics, and general impressions. This practice dates back to the Renaissance is called a commonplace book. Although I enjoyed poetry, I couldn’t identify a favorite poem until I created this anthology. Now I am delighted to say that, A Psalm of Life by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is my favorite. For more information on commonplace books, please visit Read-Aloud-Revival’s website, <https://readaloudrevival.com>.

    Section 3: A Psalm of Life

    Tell me not, in mournful numbers,

    Life is but an empty dream!

    For the soul is dead that slumbers,

    And things are not what they seem.

    ––––––––

    Life is real! Life is earnest!

    And the grave is not its goal;

    Dust thou art, to dust returnest,

    Was not spoken of the soul.

    ––––––––

    Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,

    Is our destined end or way;

    But to act that each to-morrow

    Finds us farther than to-day.

    ––––––––

    Art is long, and Time is fleeting,

    And our hearts, though stout and brave,

    Still, like muffled drums, are beating

    Funeral marches to the grave.

    ––––––––

    In the world’s broad field of battle,

    In the bivouac of Life,

    Be not like dumb, driven cattle!

    Be a hero in the strife!

    ––––––––

    Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!

    Let the dead Past bury its dead!

    Act, act in the living Present!

    Heart within, and God o’erhead!

    ––––––––

    Lives of great men all remind us

    We can make our lives sublime,

    And, departing, leave behind us

    Footprints on the sands of time;

    ––––––––

    Footprints, that perhaps another,

    Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,

    A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

    Seeing, shall take heart again.

    ––––––––

    Let us, then, be up and doing,

    With a heart for any fate;

    Still achieving, still pursuing,

    Learn to labor and to wait.

    Section 4: Stylistic Techniques

    Schemes

    Schemes play with the way words, phrases, and clauses appear by changing spelling, order, or sound. Ex:

    Alliteration, anaphora, antithesis, assonance, asyndeton, cacophony, consonance, epiphora, euphony, parallelism, and polysyndeton

    Tropes

    Tropes turn or change the meaning of words. Ex:

    Allegory, apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, litotes, metaphor, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, paronomasia, personification, rhetorical question, simile, and synecdoche

    Can you identify examples of stylistic techniques?

    Allegory

    An allegory is a figurative description of real facts in which symbols teach lessons, explain moral concepts, and imply something else. An allegory is a story, novel, poem, or painting in which characters, images, and/or events can be interpreted to have a broader meaning. Aesop Fables often are examples of allegory because it helps children understand complex concepts. In the Bible, Psalm 80 uses an allegory to compare the children of Israel to a vineyard. (Allegorical poems: Dante’s Divine Comedy, Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, and James Thomson’s The Castle of Indolence.) Ex:

    Claudite jam rivos, pueri; sat prata biberunt.

    Stop the currents, young men, the meadows have drank sufficiently. (In other words, stop singing; we’ve heard enough.) — Virgil, The Works of Virgil Translated into English Prose

    Alliteration

    Repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of words placed near each other, usually on the same or adjacent lines. It is also based on the sound of consonants rather than spelling. Ex: fast and furious or keen and car.

    Gaffer Gilpin got a Goose and Gander:

    Did Gaffer Gilpin get a Goose and Gander?

    If Gaffer Gilpin got a Goose and Gander,

    Where’s the Goose and Gander Gaffer Gilpin got? Peter Piper’s Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation

    ...

    With blade, with bloody, blameful blade,

    He bravely broached his boiling bloody breast. — William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

    Anaphora

    Repetition of a word, phrase, or expression during the opening lines. This can also be used in conjunction with parallelism. Ex: Monkey see, monkey do.

    When I heard the learn’d astronomer,

    When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,

    When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them

    When sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the

    lecture room — Walt Whitman, When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer

    ...

    Cannon to right of them,

    Cannon to left of them,

    Cannon in front of them

    Volley’d and thunder’d — Alfred Tennyson, The Charge of the Light Brigade

    Anthropomorphism

    Literally humanizes the animal or object. Personification creates visual imagery whereas anthropomorphism allows the animal or object to act like a human. Ex: Animal Farm by George Orwell, Disney’s Cars, or The Green Ember by S.D. Smith.

    Why do trees along the river

    Lean so far out o’er the tide?

    Very wise men tell me why, but

    I am never satisfied;

    And so I keep my fancy still,

    That trees lean out to save

    The drowning from the clutches of

    The cold, remorseless wave. — Alexander Posey, My Fancy

    ...

    Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art—

    Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night

    And watching, with eternal lids apart,

    Like nature’s patient, sleepless Eremite,

    The moving waters at their priestlike task

    Of pure ablution round earth’s human shores,

    Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask

    Of snow upon the mountains and the moors—

    No—yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,

    Pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast,

    To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,

    Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,

    Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,

    And so live ever—or else swoon to death. — John Keats, Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art

    Antithesis

    Is placing things in opposition to heighten their contrast and contains two ideas within one statement. Ex: Flattery makes friends, Truth makes foes.

    He rais’d a mortal to the skies,

    She drew an angel down. — John Dryden, Alexander’s Feast

    ...

    Ring out the old, ring in the new,

    Ring out the false, ring in the true. — Alfred Lord Tennyson, In Memoriam

    Aphorism

    Is a brief phrase or pithy adage that expresses an opinion or asserts wisdom in poetic language like a proverb. Ex: Actions speak louder than words or Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

    When by night the frogs are croaking,

    kindle but a torch’s fire,

    Ha! how soon they are silent! Thus

    Truth silences the liar. — Friedrich Von Logau translated by Longfellow, Truth

    ...

    If like cures like,

    Explain to me, my brother,

    How is it doctors

    Cannot cure each other? — Eugene Ware, The Homeopathic Doctor

    Apostrophe

    A direct address to the absent as present, to the inanimate as living, or to the abstract as personal. Ex:

    My Country tis of thee—

    Sweet land of liberty,

    Of thee I sing. — Samuel Francis Smith, America

    ...

    Death be not proud, though some have called thee

    Mighty and dreadful, for, thou art not so,

    For, those, whom thou think’st, thou dost overthrow,

    Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me. — John Donne, Death Be Not Proud

    Assonance

    Repeated vowel sounds in words placed near each other, usually on the same or adjacent lines. These should be in sounds that are accented, or stressed, rather than in vowel sounds that are unaccented. Ex: squeal and tweedle.

    I wandered lonely as a cloud

    That floats on high o‘er vales and hills,

    When all at once I saw a crowd,

    A host, of golden daffodils;

    Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

    Fluttering and dancing in the breeze — William Wordsworth, The Daffodils

    Asyndeton

    A deliberate omission of a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, by, yet, so) between words or phrases. It creates a sense of impact due to an accelerated or slowed rhythm, emotional distress or excitement. It is important to note that asyndeton and polysyndeton are not necessarily indicative of a run-on sentence. Ex:

    Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,

    Shrunk to this little measure? — William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

    ...

    We are selfish men;

    Oh! Raise us up, return to us again;

    And give us manners, virtue, freedom, power. — William Wordsworth, "London, 1802"

    ...

    Without looking, without making a sound, without talking. . . — Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus

    Cacophony

    A discordant series of harsh, unpleasant sounds helps to convey disorder or chaos. This is often furthered by the combined effect of the meaning and the difficulty of pronunciation. Ex:

    ‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

    Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

    All mimsy were the borogoves,

    And the mome raths outgrabe. — Lewis Carroll, "Jabberwocky"

    Consonance

    Repeated consonant sounds at the ending of words placed near each other, usually on the same or adjacent lines. These should be in sounds that are accented, or stressed, rather than in vowel sounds that are unaccented. This produces a pleasing kind of near-rhyme. Ex: cool soul or bugle and fiddle.

    It was many and many a year ago,

    In a kingdom by the sea,

    That a maiden there lived whom you may know

    By the name of Annabel Lee;

    And this maiden she lived with no other thought

    Than to love and be loved by me. — Edgar Allan Poe, Annabel Lee

    Epiphora

    Also known as epistrophe, occurs when a phrase or word is repeated at the end of a sentence or clause, which creates a sense of rhythm. This can also be used in conjunction with parallelism. Ex: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

    If you had known the virtue of the ring,

    Or half her worthiness that gave the ring,

    Or your own honor to contain the ring,

    You would not then have parted with the ring.— William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

    Epithet

    Is an adjective expressing some real quality of the thing to which it is applied. Ex: an innocent maid or verdant hillside.

    What time the gray-fly winds her sultry horn,. . .

    Blind mouths! that

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1