“Purepoetry isthought, foolish youwhodonotknowit,you
knowyoursciences.
Butineverywordlight ispoetry.
Thatvaultthat bracesitself aroundyouandwidensyearning,
givestheheartlife,isvisionandthought, wonfrombloodfire. Creative
flamesfromastruggle,likechieftain’s duel.
Purepoetryisduty’s lifeandthought’s temperanceandthosewild
perspective.”
–GunnarBjorling
Understand every word in a poem.
My heart is fraught with woe.My heart is fraught with woe.
fraught – filled or full
woe – great sadness or sorrow
drink - swallowing liquid through the mouthdrink - swallowing liquid through the mouth
Look into my eyes with love.
Her beauty demanded the world.
Her beauty the world demanded.
(for she was vain)
(for she was popular)
Elisionsaretheomissionof lettersandwords.
In this case, the sentence construction of this prose has elision.
He had the patience of Job.
An allusion is often called a reference to
other circumstance from an external
context.
A metaphor is a thing regarded as
representative or symbolic of something else,
especially something abstract.
A statue I was when he smiled at me.
Whither, midst falling dew,
While glow the heavens with the
last steps of day,
Far, through their rosy depths,
dost thou pursue
Thy solitary way?
-William C. Bryant
Paraphrase: Where, while the dew is fallingand the sky is red with the sunset,
are you going allby yourself?
Summary:Where doesyourlonelywayleadyouatnightfall?
HOWEVER...
Remember that a
paraphrase or
summary is NO
substitute for the
poem itself.
EXERCISE!
Paraphrase then summarize the following
passages.
“Stone wallsdo not aprison make,
Nor iron bars a cage;
Minds innocentand quiet take
That for a hermitage.”
-RichardLovelace
A thingof beauty is a joyforever:
Its lovelinessincreases;
It willnever pass into nothingness.
-JohnKeats
Well done!
Preparedby:
ClariceAnne D.Talaboc

Understanding Poetry

  • 2.
    “Purepoetry isthought, foolishyouwhodonotknowit,you knowyoursciences. Butineverywordlight ispoetry. Thatvaultthat bracesitself aroundyouandwidensyearning, givestheheartlife,isvisionandthought, wonfrombloodfire. Creative flamesfromastruggle,likechieftain’s duel. Purepoetryisduty’s lifeandthought’s temperanceandthosewild perspective.” –GunnarBjorling
  • 4.
    Understand every wordin a poem. My heart is fraught with woe.My heart is fraught with woe. fraught – filled or full woe – great sadness or sorrow
  • 5.
    drink - swallowingliquid through the mouthdrink - swallowing liquid through the mouth Look into my eyes with love.
  • 6.
    Her beauty demandedthe world. Her beauty the world demanded. (for she was vain) (for she was popular)
  • 7.
    Elisionsaretheomissionof lettersandwords. In thiscase, the sentence construction of this prose has elision.
  • 8.
    He had thepatience of Job. An allusion is often called a reference to other circumstance from an external context. A metaphor is a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else, especially something abstract. A statue I was when he smiled at me.
  • 9.
    Whither, midst fallingdew, While glow the heavens with the last steps of day, Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue Thy solitary way? -William C. Bryant Paraphrase: Where, while the dew is fallingand the sky is red with the sunset, are you going allby yourself? Summary:Where doesyourlonelywayleadyouatnightfall?
  • 10.
    HOWEVER... Remember that a paraphraseor summary is NO substitute for the poem itself.
  • 11.
    EXERCISE! Paraphrase then summarizethe following passages.
  • 15.
    “Stone wallsdo notaprison make, Nor iron bars a cage; Minds innocentand quiet take That for a hermitage.” -RichardLovelace
  • 16.
    A thingof beautyis a joyforever: Its lovelinessincreases; It willnever pass into nothingness. -JohnKeats
  • 17.
  • 19.