Part 1: This week, we are delving into poetry. Begin your discussion by briefly discussing each of the following for one poem of your choice.
Who is the speaker (persona) in the poem? How would you describe this persona?
What is the speakers tone? Which words reveal this tone? Is the poem ironic?
What heavily connotative words are used? What words have unusual or special meanings? Are any words or phrases repeated? If so, why? Which words do you need to look up?
What images does the poet use? How do the images relate to one another? Do these images form a unified pattern (a motif) throughout the poem?
What figures of speech are used? How do they contribute to the tone and meaning of the poem?
Are there any symbols? What do they mean? Are they universal symbols or do they arise from the context of this poem?
What is the theme (the central idea) of this poem? Can you state it in a single sentence?
How important is the role of sound effects, such as rhyme and rhythm? How do they affect tone and meaning? (you may want to read the poem out loud to yourself to help with answering this!)
How important is the contribution of form, such as rhyme scheme and line arrangement? How does form influence the overall effect of the poem?
Part 2: Briefly compare two of the poems. What is similar about them? What is different? What lead you to choose to compare these two poems specifically? Draw upon your answers from section 1 to discuss these poems in relation to one another.
Part 3: Finally, make a claim about these poems as a grouping. What do they all have in common? Be sure to support your claim with an explanation of what you noticed in the poems.
USE ATTACHMENTS ONLY !
