Humanities 8 Poetry
Ms. Lee
Name: ___________________________
Date:_____________________________
Figurative Language
Metaphor
a comparison of unlike without the use of comparing
words such as like or as
Example:
She has a heart of a lion.
write your own
example:
Simile
a comparison of unlike things using the words like or as
Example
My dog is as smelly as dirty socks.
write your own
example:
Humanities 8 Poetry
Hyperbole
Ms. Lee
exaggeration for the sake of emphasis. The opposite of
understatement
write your own
example:
I Ate a Spicy Pepper by an unknown poet
I ate a spicy pepper
From my brother on a dare.
The pepper caught my head on fire
And burned off all my hair.
My mouth erupted lava
And my tongue began to melt.
My ears were shooting jets of steam.
At least that’s how they felt.
I ricocheted around the room.
I ran across the ceiling.
I dove right in the freezer
To relieve the burning feeling.
I drank a thousand soda pops
And chewed a ton of ice
To try to stop the scorching
Of that spicy pepper’s spice.
At last, the flames extinguished,
I admitted to my brother,
“That pepper was the best one yet.
May I please have another?”
Humanities 8 Poetry
Ms. Lee
Personification: a figure of speech, which attributes human thought or emotion to
inanimate object
Example of Personification in a Poem:
Two Sunflowers
Move in the Yellow Room.
"Ah, William, we're weary of weather,"
said the sunflowers, shining with dew.
"Our traveling habits have tired us.
Can you give us a room with a view?"
They arranged themselves at the window
and counted the steps of the sun,
and they both took root in the carpet
where the topaz tortoises run.
William Blake
(1757‐1827)
Read the following examples of personification and underline subject being personified and circle
the human trait assigned to the subject.
1) I tripped because the curb jumped out in front of me.
2) The fire ran wild.
3) The thunder clapped angrily in the distance.
4) The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky.
5) I could hear Hawaii calling my name.
6) She did not realize that opportunity was knocking at her door.
7) Time flew and before we knew it, it was time for me to go home.
8) The news took me by surprise.
9) The storm attacked the town with great rage.
10)The avalanche devoured everything in its path.
Humanities 8 Poetry
Ms. Lee
Oxymoron
a figure of speech, which contains contradictory ideas paced
side by side
Examples
deafening silence, a known secret, head butt, awfully nice,
student teacher, seriously funny
Challenge: Think of as many oxymorons as possible
Humanities 8 Poetry
Ms. Lee
Name:_____________________________ Date:____________________
Literary Devices
Device
Definition
Alliteration
the creation of sounds patterns by repeating initial consonant sounds
deliberatively for stylistic effect
Example:
Onomatopoeia
a figure of speech, which the word or words used suggest the sound
described; imitative harmony
List as many examples as possible:
Rhyme scheme
the pattern of rhyme within a stanza poem. Applying to each similar rhyme
the same letter of alphabet usually shows the rhyme scheme
Example:
Fire and Ice by Robert Frost
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
Humanities 8 Poetry
Imagery
a type of expression in which abstract concepts are put into a form, which
can be perceived with the senses; a mental image which gives form to an
abstract concept.
Examples:
sight: The tiny red any climbed up the broken twig.
smell: The sweet smell of freshly baked apple filled the air.
taste: One bite of the sour lemon caused my lips to pucker.
touch: The sharp edge of the paper cut my finger and made it sting.
sound: The car squeaked every time I hit a bump in the road.
Symbol
Ms. Lee
a concrete object used to represent an abstract idea.
The dove is a symbol of peace.
The lily is a symbol of purity.
Example:
Identify the rhyme scheme in this poem
Conundrums
by D. H. Lawrence English (1885­1930)
Tell me a word
that you’ve often heard,
yet it makes you squint
if you see it in print!
Tell me a thing
that you’ve often seen,
yet if put in a book
it makes you turn green!
Tell me a thing
that you often do,
which described in a story
shocks you through and through!
Tell me what’s wrong
with words or with you
that you don’t mind the thing
yet the name is taboo.
Humanities 8 Poetry
Ms. Lee
HAIKU
å
Haiku (
high­koo) are short poems that use sensory language to capture a feeling or
image. It was originally developed by Japanese poets, and the form was adapted to English
and other languages by poets in other countries.
❖ often inspired by an element of nature, a moment of beauty or a poignant experience.
❖ Traditional haiku consist of 17 syllables, in three phrases of 5, 7 and 5 syllables
respectively
❖ 2 simple subjects are often placed in juxtaposition (two things being seen or placed
close together with contrasting effect)
Read the following Haikus and answering the following questions for
each poem.
1. What is the main feeling or emotion of this poem?
2. How does the image (or images) communicate or show that feeling?
3. What is one question you have about this poem?
Life Lesson
The fierce wind rages
And I see how trees survive­
They have learned to bend
by Don Raye
My life, ­
How much more of it remains?
The night is brief.
by Shiki
On New Year’s Day
each thought a loneliness
as winter dusk descends
by Matsuo Basho
Humanities 8 Poetry
Ms. Lee
Variations on Yosa Buson’s (1716 ­ 1784 / Osaka / Japan)
'The short night­­' Translated by Robert Hass
Below are eleven Buson haiku beginning with the phrase 'The short night­­'.
The short night­­
on the hairy caterpillar
beads of dew.
The short night­­
patrolmen
washing in the river.
The short night­­
bubbles of crab froth
among the river reeds.
The short night­­
a broom thrown away
on the beach.
The short night­­
the Oi River
has sunk two feet.
The short night­­
on the outskirts of the village
a small shop opening.
The short night­­
broken, in the shallows,
a crescent moon.
The short night­­
the peony
has opened.
The short night­­
waves beating in,
an abandoned fire.
The short night­­
near the pillow
a screen turning silver.
The short night­­
shallow footprints
on the beach at Yui.
Humanities 8 Poetry
Ms. Lee
Cinquain
Plan a Cinquain
What is your topic? _________________________
What does your topic look like? Smell like? Taste like? Sound like? Feel like?
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What can this (your topic) do (what action)?
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How do you feel about your topic?
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What are some other words that have the same meaning as your topic
(synonyms)?
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