The document provides information about analyzing the structure, imagery, and literary devices used in poetry. It discusses how poetry is typically arranged in lines and stanzas. It also explains different poetic structures like rhyme schemes and free verse. Additionally, it covers how poets use graphical elements, imagery, figurative language, and sound effects to convey meaning and enhance the reading experience. Some of the specific techniques discussed include capitalization, line length, word position, similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, alliteration, assonance, and consonance.

1. UNDERSTANDING A POEM:
PARAPHRASING A POEM
MEANING AND ORGANIZATION
OF POEM

2. Poetry is usually arranged in lines.
A group of lines is called a stanza.
STRUCTURE OF POETRY
I heard them tell the story
of the man who couldn’t see—
Blind from birth he lived each day
striving to be free.
​
Free from the chains of prejudice—
from the hateful words of sight—
He judged each man on character,
on doing what was right.
​
In life he found the beauty
of a love one cannot see.
His life was full of riches—
He’s seen more than you or me.
​

3. Poetry is usually arranged in lines.
A group of lines is called a stanza.
STRUCTURE OF POETRY
I heard them tell the story
of the man who couldn’t see—
Blind from birth he lived each day
striving to be free.
​
Free from the chains of prejudice—
from the hateful words of sight—
He judged each man on character,
on doing what was right.
​
In life he found the beauty
of a love one cannot see.
His life was full of riches—
He’s seen more than you or me.
​
]
]
]
1
2
3

4. Poems may have a regular rhyme,
which is the repetition of similar
sounds.
A rhyme scheme is the pattern
formed by end rhymes.
STRUCTURE OF POETRY

5. I heard them tell the story
of the man who couldn’t see—
Blind from birth he lived each day
striving to be free.
Free from the chains of prejudice—
from the hateful words of sight—
He judged each man on character,
on doing what was right.
In life he found the beauty
of a love one cannot see.
His life was full of riches—
He’s seen more than you or me.
STRUCTURE OF POETRY

6. I heard them tell the story
of the man who couldn’t see—
Blind from birth he lived each day
striving to be free.
Free from the chains of prejudice—
from the hateful words of sight—
He judged each man on character,
on doing what was right.
In life he found the beauty
of a love one cannot see.
His life was full of riches—
He’s seen more than you or me.
STRUCTURE OF POETRY
Story is labeled “A.” Since see doesn’t
rhyme with story, it is labeled “B.” Day
doesn’t rhyme with story or see, so it is
labeled “C.” Free rhymes with see, so we
give it the same label: “B.”
The rhyme scheme for this poem is ABCB.
This means that the 2nd and 4th lines of
every stanza will rhyme.
=A
=B
=C
=B
---
-

7. STRUCTURE OF POETRY
Not all poems rhyme! In fact, MANY of them do not rhyme.
This is called “free verse” poetry.
FREE VERSE
Poetry that has no fixed pattern of meter, rhyme, line
length, or stanza arrangement
Traditional rules are ignored
Techniques such as repetition and alliteration are
sometimes used to create musical patterns

8. FREE VERSE
A gentle rain bathes the windshield—
Back and forth the wiper blades mark the minutes
with their steady, hypnotic rhythm.
Whispers and giggles and squeals of delight
fill every empty space in the backseat
as the white and yellow lines zoom by.
A screech of tires grabbing the roadway.
A world upside down.
Metal ripping.
Silence.
A gentle rain bathes the broken windshield—
Back and forth the wiper blades mark the minutes with their
steady, hypnotic rhythm.

9. GRAPHICAL ELEMENTS IN
POETRY
Poets have the power to create meaning with words and
form. We know that figurative language such as similes,
metaphors, and hyperbole help relay meaning. Did you
know that poets also create meaning with capitalization,
line length, and word position?

10. Poetry does not always follow the normal capitalization
rules. In most poems, you will see that first letter of each
line is capitalized whether or not it starts a new sentence.
However, some poems do not do this, and in general, this is
not what we are talking about when we look at the effect of
capitalization on poetry.
CAPITALIZATION

11. Mama dropped me off at school everyday.
The swings, the slides, the sandbox—
Stuffed animals pouring out of every bin.
But that was last year.
Now the yellow bus takes me to School everyday.
The books, the desks, the chairs—
Red ink spilling out over my papers.
I miss being little.
CAPITALIZATION
EXAMPLE:

12. In free verse poems, line length can be used as a graphical
element to affect the meaning, reinforce the meaning, or
enhance the meaning.
LINE LENGTH
When you read poetry, consider how the length of the lines
might be important. Look for lines that are longer or shorter
than most other lines.

13. LINE LENGTH
A gentle rain bathes the windshield—
Back and forth the wiper blades mark the minutes
with their steady, hypnotic rhythm.
Whispers and giggles and squeals of delight
fill every empty space in the backseat
as the white and yellow lines zoom by.
A screech of tires grabbing the roadway.
A world upside down.
Metal ripping.
Silence.
A gentle rain bathes the broken windshield—
Back and forth the wiper blades mark the minutes with
their steady, hypnotic rhythm.
]

14. WORD POSITION
Word position can be used to show the
relationships between the words and ideas.
Look for words that stand out because they…
Change positions
Are placed by themselves
Create images because they form shapes
Another way that poets use word position in a poem
is to separate key words for emphasis or to make a
point.

15. WORD POSITION
A gentle rain bathes the windshield—
Back and forth the wiper blades mark the minutes
with their steady, hypnotic rhythm.
Whispers and giggles and squeals of delight
fill every empty space in the backseat
as the white and yellow lines zoom by.
A screech of tires grabbing the roadway.
A world upside down.
Metal ripping.
Silence.
A gentle rain bathes the broken windshield—
Back and forth the wiper blades mark the minutes with
their steady, hypnotic rhythm.
]

16. WORD POSITION
A gentle rain bathes the windshield—
Back and forth the wiper blades mark the minutes
with their steady, hypnotic rhythm.
Whispers and giggles and squeals of delight
fill every empty space in the backseat
as the white and yellow lines zoom by.
A screech of tires grabbing the roadway.
A world upside down.
Metal ripping.
Silence.
A gentle rain bathes the broken windshield—
Back and forth the wiper blades mark the minutes with
their steady, hypnotic rhythm.
]

17. IMAGERY, FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE,
AND SOUND EFFECTS
IMAGERY
Poets use imagery, or language that appeals to the
senses, to help readers visualize what they read. It
creates the picture in the reader’s mind.
Sight imagery:
Hundreds of tiny yellow blossoms dotted the plush
green meadow.
Sound imagery:
Horns honked and sirens screamed across the
night.
Smell imagery:
The scent of cinnamon apples wafted through the
air.
Taste imagery:
Tart cherries puckered my mouth as the sweet
crust melted against my tongue.
Touch imagery:
Splintered boards scraped my legs, pricking the
soft skin.

18. IMAGERY, FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE,
AND SOUND EFFECTS
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Figurative language communicates ideas beyond
the literal meanings of words.
A simile uses like or as to compare seemingly unlike things.
A metaphor implies the comparison instead of directly stating it.
Hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration.
Poets use personification to write about an idea, an object, or an
animal as if it were human.
An idiom is an expression whose meanings cannot be understood by
simply joining the meanings of the words.

19. SIMILE AND METAPHOR
My brain is like a cluttered garage. (simile)
My brain is a cluttered garage. (metaphor)
How does this comparison of my brain to a cluttered garage help you to
understand what the writer is saying?​

20. PERSONIFICATION
is a powerful literary device that involves attributing human qualities or
characteristics to non-human entities, inanimate objects, or abstract concepts.
This technique is frequently employed to evoke vivid imagery, enhance
emotional impact, and create a more engaging and relatable reading
experience.
The weary moon hung low, her silver beams embracing the silent meadow,
As night, with its ebony cloak, tiptoed across the slumbering world.
Stars, like tiny lanterns, whispered secrets to the attentive sky,
While the wind, a gentle troubadour, serenaded the trees with its melodic sigh.
example:

21. HYPERBOLE
Hyperbole is a literary device characterized by exaggerated statements or
claims not meant to be taken literally. Poets often use hyperbole to create
emphasis, evoke strong emotions, or add a sense of drama to their work.
The mountains bowed before her radiant beauty,
Their peaks scraping the heavens in humble admiration.
Her laughter echoed through the valleys,
A symphony that could make flowers bloom with sheer joy.
example:

22. ALLITERATION
Alliteration is a literary device where consecutive words in a phrase or line begin
with the same consonant sound. This technique is often used in poetry to create
rhythm, emphasize specific words or themes, and enhance the overall
musicality of the language.
The soft, silver stream silently slid through the serene meadow,
Whispering whimsical secrets to the willow trees.
Delicate daisies danced, dipping and swaying,
As the sun set, casting a golden glow on the gentle grass.
example:

23. ASSONANCE
Assonance is a literary device characterized by the repetition of vowel sounds
within nearby words in a line of poetry. This technique is often employed to
create a melodic and rhythmic effect, enhancing the auditory experience for the
reader.
Amid the faded meadow, the breeze weaves a dream,
Where the sleepy trees seem to lean in serene stream.
The golden glow of the dawn gently strokes the lake,
As nature awakes, a tranquil symphony begins to take.
example:

24. CONSONANCE
Consonance is a literary device characterized by the repetition of consonant
sounds, especially at the end of words, within nearby words in a line of poetry.
This technique is often used to create a sense of harmony, reinforce particular
sounds, and contribute to the overall musicality of the language.
The silent waves whispered secrets to the shore,
As the pale moon embraced the night once more.
In the stillness, a distant echo gently swayed,
A lullaby of consonant whispers softly played.
example:

25. THANK YOU
SO MUCH