Poetry Analysis: Scansion, Refrain, and Literary Devices
SCANSION
This is simply the term to describe the ANALYSIS of poems.
In a scansion, you might analyze and make note of:
•
the metrical pattern
•
the type of feet
•
the stressed & unstressed syllables
•
pauses
•
stanza breaks
•
rhyme scheme
•
structure of the poem
We did a scansion of the poem “Yes”
REFRAIN
A part of a poem which is repeated.
Example:
“O Best of All Nights, Return and Return Again”
By James Laughlin
APOSTROPHE
This is when a poem sounds like it is
speaking to someone or something.
The poem may address a dead or absent person.
It may also address something that is personified.
John Donne’s “Death, Be Not Proud” is an example. In it, the poet
speaks directly to death.
Emily Dickinson addresses a person who is no longer in her life in “Wild
nights! – Wild nights!”
ABECEDARIAN
Related to acrostic, a poem in which the first letter of each
line or stanza follows sequentially through the alphabet.
Or, a poem which uses the alphabet as its organizational
structure.
These are usually long poems, but here is a shorter example
on the next slide.
“A Primer of the Daily Round” by Howard Nemerov
A peels an apple, while B kneels to God,
C telephones to D, who has a hand
On E’s knee, F coughs, G turns up the sod
For H’s grave, I do not understand
But J is bringing one clay pigeon down
While K brings down a nightstick on L’s head,
And M takes mustard, N drives to town,
O goes to bed with P, and Q drops dead,
R lies to S, but happens to be heard
By T, who tells U not to fire V
For having to give W the word
That X is now deceiving Y with Z,
Who happens, just now to remember A
Peeling an apple somewhere far away.
METONYMY
A figure of speech – when a word is not used because it is
more poetic to use another term which represents that word.
For example, instead of saying, “The British Monarchy,” you
could use the metonymy “Crown.”
In Shakespeare, “lend me your ears” should not be taken
literally. “Ears” is a metonymy for “your attention.”
“The pen is mightier than the sword.” “Pen” is a metonymy
for
the written word
, and “sword” is a metonymy for
the force
of the military
.
SYNECDOCHE
A figure of speech – when you use a part of something as a
replacement for the actual word.
You might call your car your “wheels.” “Wheels” is a
synecdoche for vehicle or car.
We often say we will give someone a “hand.” “Hand” is a
synecdoche for assistance, help, support, applause. “Hand”
can also be a synecdoche for a person when it is used, “hired
hand.”
CAESURA
This is a stop or a pause in a line of poetry. It is often marked
by some punctuation or by a grammatical boundary.
Dead! One of them shot by sea in the east
No voice says ‘my mother’ again to me. What?
These are lines from Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s long poem
“Mother and Poet”
END-STOPPED
When a line of poetry ends at a grammatical boundary or
break. Sometimes a dash, punctuation, a closing parenthesis.
Example of end-stopped lines of poetry from Alexander Pope:
Then say not man’s imperfect, Heav’n in fault;
Say rather, man’s as perfect as he ought:
His knowledge measur’d to his state and place,
His time a moment, and a point his space.
If to be perfect in a certain sphere,
What matter, soon or late, or here or there?
The blest today is as completely so,
As who began a thousand years ago.
ENJAMBMENT
This is the opposite of end-stopped. Enjambed lines continue
and cross-over from one line to the next, as in this example:
the back wings
of the
hospital where
nothing
will grow lie
cinders
in which shine
the broken
pieces of a green
bottle
Delve into the world of poetry analysis with a focus on scansion, refrain, and literary devices such as apostrophe, abecedarian, metonymy, and synecdoche. Explore the nuances of metrical patterns, rhyme schemes, and organizational structures in poems, along with repeated refrains and figures of speech that add depth and meaning to poetic works.
Uploaded on Sep 06, 2024 | 0 Views
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
SCANSION This is simply the term to describe the ANALYSIS of poems. In a scansion, you might analyze and make note of: the metrical pattern the type of feet the stressed & unstressed syllables pauses stanza breaks rhyme scheme structure of the poem We did a scansion of the poem Yes
REFRAIN A part of a poem which is repeated. Example: O Best of All Nights, Return and Return Again By James Laughlin
APOSTROPHE This is when a poem sounds like it is speaking to someone or something. The poem may address a dead or absent person. It may also address something that is personified. John Donne s Death, Be Not Proud is an example. In it, the poet speaks directly to death. Emily Dickinson addresses a person who is no longer in her life in Wild nights! Wild nights!
ABECEDARIAN Related to acrostic, a poem in which the first letter of each line or stanza follows sequentially through the alphabet. Or, a poem which uses the alphabet as its organizational structure. These are usually long poems, but here is a shorter example on the next slide.
A Primer of the Daily Round by Howard Nemerov A peels an apple, while B kneels to God, C telephones to D, who has a hand On E s knee, F coughs, G turns up the sod For H s grave, I do not understand But J is bringing one clay pigeon down While K brings down a nightstick on L s head, And M takes mustard, N drives to town, O goes to bed with P, and Q drops dead, R lies to S, but happens to be heard By T, who tells U not to fire V For having to give W the word That X is now deceiving Y with Z, Who happens, just now to remember A Peeling an apple somewhere far away.
METONYMY A figure of speech when a word is not used because it is more poetic to use another term which represents that word. For example, instead of saying, The British Monarchy, you could use the metonymy Crown. In Shakespeare, lend me your ears should not be taken literally. Ears is a metonymy for your attention. The pen is mightier than the sword. Pen is a metonymy for the written word, and sword is a metonymy for the force of the military.
SYNECDOCHE A figure of speech when you use a part of something as a replacement for the actual word. You might call your car your wheels. Wheels is a synecdoche for vehicle or car. We often say we will give someone a hand. Hand is a synecdoche for assistance, help, support, applause. Hand can also be a synecdoche for a person when it is used, hired hand.
CAESURA This is a stop or a pause in a line of poetry. It is often marked by some punctuation or by a grammatical boundary. Dead! One of them shot by sea in the east No voice says my mother again to me. What? These are lines from Elizabeth Barrett Browning s long poem Mother and Poet
END-STOPPED When a line of poetry ends at a grammatical boundary or break. Sometimes a dash, punctuation, a closing parenthesis. Example of end-stopped lines of poetry from Alexander Pope: Then say not man s imperfect, Heav n in fault; Say rather, man s as perfect as he ought: His knowledge measur d to his state and place, His time a moment, and a point his space. If to be perfect in a certain sphere, What matter, soon or late, or here or there? The blest today is as completely so, As who began a thousand years ago.
ENJAMBMENT This is the opposite of end-stopped. Enjambed lines continue and cross-over from one line to the next, as in this example: the back wings of the hospital where nothing will grow lie cinders in which shine the broken pieces of a green bottle
