Lesson 8 Notes

Understanding Poetry
In order to truly master learning a foreign language, one must be able to understand poetry written in
that language.

This is because many expressions and grammatical organizations cannot be faithfully translated.
When reading, pay attention to:
 Rhythm-syllables, punctuation, line organization
 Imagery (figurative language)
 Mood
The English Haiku is a good example of how to use rhythm effectively. It usually contains three
lines with 5, 7, and 5 syllables in that order. The goal is to tell the reader more information with each
line. Only after reading the third line does the meaning and overall feeling of the poem become
complete.

Examples
Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don’t make sense
Refrigerator

The only reason
We never see eye to eye
Is you are too short

Yellow rose petals
Drop one-by-one in silence:
Roar of waterfall.
Notice how the pacing of the poem allows the image to increase slowly in complexity. This haiku
mimics the effect of a camera zooming out. First, you picture petals. Then, you see them dropping.
Finally, you see them dropping by the waterfall and contrast the silence of the petals falling to the sound
of the water.
Imagery
Why use imagery?
-Imagery allows the poet to convey a feeling or idea without using extra, unnecessary, words. It allows
one to show, rather than tell.

-Imagery can be useful outside of poetry. It can be used in all forms of writing and add emphasis to an
essay.

The Red Wheelbarrow
William Carlos Williams
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens.
In a Station of the Metro
Ezra Pound
The apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough.
Mood
 Mood is not something easily defined. The reader must determine mood through use of images,
sounds, and key words. Mood is most easily determined when words are accompanied with
music.

Common Poetic Devices
Simile
Metaphor
Hyperbole
Personification
Simile
 A simile is a comparison between two things using ‘like’ or ‘as.’
Examples: Your eyes are as bright as the stars. My mood is as dark as the night sky. Her footsteps are like
raindrops on the pavement.

Metaphor
 A metaphor compares two objects without using ‘like’ or ‘as.’
Examples: Your fingers are crooked branches. Life is a dream. He is a hurt puppy.
Hyperbole
 A hyperbole is an exaggeration. A simile can be a hyperbole.
Examples: John is as tall as a mountain. I nearly died laughing. My eyelids are heavier than elephants. I
have been waiting for ages.

Personification
 Personification: describing things and abstractions as having human characteristics.
Examples: The trees smiled at me as I walked by. The sea rocked me to sleep in her arms. Misery loves
company.

Homework Assignment
 Write two Haikus and one other poem. Use at least three of the poetic devices in your poems.