Poetry Unit Test English III Honors Study Guide Poetry terms "Richard Cory" Edwin Arlington Robinson

"Black Mother Woman" Gwendolyn Brooks *"To My Dear and Loving Husband" Anne Bradstreet: Puritan Plain Style "Love Is Not All" Edna St. Vincent Millay "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" Emily Dickinson "I Heard a Fly Buzz..." Emily Dickinson "Thanatopsis" William Cullen Bryant "Acquainted With The Night" Robert Frost "We Wear the Mask" Paul Laurence Dunbar Puritan Plain Style

Poetry terms: *alliteration- the repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together [same sound, daring dance] *assonance- the repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds, especially in words close together (T-Ex: She flies high in the sky, I sound) [hot song all summer long] ballad- a song or poem that tells a story consonance- The repetition of the same or similar final consonant sounds on accented syllables or in important words *figure of speech- a word or phrase that describes one thing in terms of something else that is not meant to be taken literally [I could eat a whole horse!] free verse- poetry that does not conform to regular meter or rhyme scheme. *imagery- the use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person, a thing, a place, or an experience lyric poem- a poem that does not tell a story but expresses the personal feelings or thoughts of a speaker *metaphor- a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without the use of such specific words of comparison as like, as, than, or resembles meter- a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry ode- a lyric poem, usually long, on a serious subject and written in dignified language *onomatopoeia- the use of a word whose sound imitates or suggests its meaning [honk] *oxymoron-a figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase *personification- a figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes *rhyme- the repetition of vowel sounds in accented syllables and all succeeding syllables *rhythm- the alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables in language sonnet- a fourteen-line poem, usually written in iambic pentameter, that has one or two basic structures speaker- the voice that addresses the reader in a poem stanza- a group of consecutive lines that forms a structural unit in a poem "Black Mother Woman" Gwendolyn Brooks The daughter has learned how to define herself through her mother's denials. "Heavy love"--Perhaps the love of the mother was not tender and verbal, but rather shown through actions Your once delicate flesh--mother probably once tender-hearted and open at one time in her life, but since she has gotten older, her heart has hardened. She is not as open as before

Mothers spirit take a bow--Speaker probably has man of her mothers positive characteristics or traits, so when she is complimented, the speaker feels like the compliment is really for her mother. Center of furies--mother spent later years angry, hid those positive qualities people admire about her True spirit rises--The daughter has become her mother. The mother she once knew for being kind, loving, gentle, is now embodied inside of daughter. The loving and gentle side is the mothers true spirit. Define myself through your denials. The daughter stands for everything the mother denied herself-love, gentleness, etc. She doesnt want to lose her mothers true spirit. "Richard Cory" Edwin Arlington Robinson [Material things do not always bring happiness] What happens in the poem? And Richard Cory, one calm summer night, went home and put a bullet through his head. Why do they admire Richard Cory? Narrators: The people of the town; they are working class citizens who have little of material value and sometimes cant afford meat to put on their tables. They admire him because of his possessions and elegant demeanor[gentleman, clean-favored, imperially slim, quietly arrayed, human(not condescending), glittered, rich, schooled, everything]. But they also envy him because he seems to have everything. They wish that they could take his place--until the fateful evening when he takes his own life. *"To My Dear and Loving Husband" Anne Bradstreet -Puritan Plain Style--Be able to identify how this poem meets and does not meet the characteristics of Puritan Plain Style -paradox--a contradiction (That when we live no more, we may live ever, when you live no more, you cant live ever. People who are no longer alive on earth can be alive forever in heaven.) Starts off- she loves her husband so much. She doesnt think any other persons love can possibly compare Puritan times: God was the premise of Puritan life--her topic is a little off for Puritan times She tries to find things that everyone wants to repay her husband for loving her so much, but she cant find any human way, so she hopes God will repay him instead. When they do die, she hopes they will live forever, together--even in death, they will continue to love each other. Heaven, as Christian belief. "Love Is Not All" Edna St. Vincent Millay Premise: Love cannot fulfill your material needs The author gives all these scenarios that you dont really need love...but then--a lot of men and women are committing suicide for a lack of love (they feel no one loves them enough). So love must be pretty important if so many are dying. A life without love is a without happiness. It could be, in your worst hour, pinned by pain--if someone said, if you dont allow yourself to love, I could take away all that pain...Even though love cannot make things better, although it does not fulfill material needs, he still would not give it up. (He is talking to a person near the end this night with you) "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" Emily Dickinson Speaker: Someone who dies unexpectedly, someone so caught up in life (first two lines) PersonificationBecause I could not stop for Death--He kindly stopped for me. The carriage held but just ourselves and Immortality The Dews drew quivering and chill Death--not as terrible as perceived, speaker feels it wasnt bad *Perception of death is not portrayed as evil and negative as we normally see; instead, it is a gentleman figure and in a positive light *Carriage ride symbolizes lifes journey, like life flashing before your eyes

Stuff mentioned along the way--is like watching life pass, ends in grave Last passenger--Immortality--connection to religious beliefs--eternal life after death Childhood--school, children, playground; Adulthood--harvest, once its ready and has acheived everything it will, all of your stuff together in your career, perfect moment--absolutely ready; Old Age-setting sun, life is coming to a close; Grave--rest of trip, cemetery a week later, freshly buried, like a mound(swelling of ground). Cornice--tombstone--molding at the top of a building Time has passed, hundreds of years--Speaker is reflecting back on day she died Heads toward eternity/towards heaven/looking up since eternity is heaven, not hell; Speaker ended up in heaven Theme: Death comes to all, ready or not Positive experience--Even if not ready, death wont be bad. "I Heard a Fly Buzz..." Emily Dickinson Speaker: Someone awaiting death, and everyone knows theyre gonna die, in the last/final moments before death. Death is welcomed peacefully, accepted, speaker is at peace with situation. Death is also not feared in this poem. Figurative Language (had wrung them dry; the Windows failed) 1. Family has already said goodbye 2. Keepsakes have been willed away 3. Last thing focus is on one thing in room that is not quiet, very common thing. As the person is losing consciousness, zeroes in on fly. (In and out, seems like fly has gaps, but not really). The fly blocks the light between the window and speaker. When the speaker can no longer see, they have passed on. Maybe our last thoughts arent major ones, just something mindless and trivial. Window=window to living world; no longer see=has passed Theme: All should welcome death peacefully; death is not a bad thing to be feared

"Thanatopsis" William Cullen Bryant means vision of death; one way of viewing death--as necessary but nothing to be feared in any way (others might be negative) kinda criticizes Puritans--purest form of Christianity, to live this life of purity on Earth to get ultimate reward of eternal salvation *different view--didnt express/come out and actually say God, heaven or hell. Connection to psalm from Bible, mysterious realm, resting place, but... communicates that all people will face the same end and everyone will be reunited in death Puritans (only Christians) vs Bryant (everyone will face the same fate and be reunited) *Poem can be sold to both parties; those that believe and those that dont Be good to earth because everyone will return to nature, circle of life *Death should bring about reassurance 1. You should not live in fear (otherwise youre not living; if you never live, you die over and over again Cowards die a thousand times; the valiant only die once--Julius Caesar) 2. We should all go to our death peacefully 3. Those who survive after us will still join us afterwards (Take comfort in knowing that they have the same fate) Line 34. Difference in resting places, but both still have the same fate. Status and material things mean nothing when all is said and done. Those who are lonely when they die--All that breathe will share thy destiny. Dont even worry; theyre coming too. People who fear death-->See it as natural and will come to everyone.

Nature--referenced as a woman. Mother Nature, maternal and nurturing. Instead of God, she waits, watches, and nurtures us, and takes care of us after death (solace=comfort) Cycle--Bible, Religious see as link, but also nonreligious. Can be viewed as either religious or nonreligious. It appeals to both. It makes spiritual references..."host of heaven" and the Psalms scripture, but at the same time Bryant remains neutral by focusing on Mother Nature and the "life as a cycle" concept. Transcendentalism at its best. Transcendentalist--connects nature to good. Instead of fearing death, see it as a nap on the couch. Peaceful slumber, nothing to fear. View things differently. Positive poem. Alliteration-- host of heaven, matron and maid, sustained and soothed Assonance-- matron and maid (the a sound); thy side (the i vowel sound); old ocean (the o vowel sound) "Acquainted With The Night" Robert Frost Imagery--walked out in the rain... passed by the watchman on his beat; one luminary clock against the sky sonnet-14 lines, ends with rhyming couplet Night hours=gloom, fear, loneliness. As you go through life, it represents the dark times in life, the dark moments, the darker side of life. First five lines start with I--isolation. Rain=(positive) happiness and prosperity. He has experienced happiness, then gloom, then back to happiness. Furthest city light=hope, positive. Walk=journey. They have felt like there was no hope, no positivity. He has looked down(vs gone down)--recognized the negative, but luckily the Speaker has not experienced it, although he has seen it happen Watchman--God watches over us, ultimate watchman. He has things he is not proud of in his life (sins). He hears the cry in pain, but its not for him, its far away, not next to him. Represents emotional distance. At some point in his life, Speaker feels emotion distance from perhaps a loved one. That person, there was rejection at some point; that person wants nothing to do with speaker now moon=clock in the sky=positive things for the future At night, look up at the moon, the day is over--I made it through the day. Its positivity, despite all the bad and sad things, theres hope for the future. He is not longer through this; her is past it; Dark moments are not permanent, its a passing phase, but theres hope for the future, we all have dark moments, but that doesnt have to define us, we have to keep going, the future can still be bright. *A lot of Frosts poetry showed his belief in God.

"We Wear the Mask" Paul Laurence Dunbar Speaker: African Americans Audience: White America during time when it was coming out of slavery, trying to get civil right Why speaker talks about wearing the mask Seemed happy, but that was a figurative mask (the children being sold, never seeing them again) *mask=false appearance or front that African Americans presented to a hostile world. Figurative mask 1) hides their suffering(ignore they bully) but 2)helps them maintain a sense of pride Addresses racism. It hides 1) eternal pain 2) suffering Theme: We all wear a mask at some point in time to hide feelings that we dont want others to see. -Puritan Plain Style--Be able to identify how this poem meets and does not meet the characteristics of Puritan Plain Style The writing style of the Puritans reflected the plain style of their lives--spare, simple, and straightforward. Puritan Plain Style is characterized by short words, direct statements, and references to ordinary,

everyday objects. Puritans believed that poetry should serve God by clearly expressing only useful or religious ideas. Poetry appealing to the senses or emotions was dangerous. (words will probably not be more than two syllables, direct statements=you know exactly what theyre talking about) (Most poems only about God. Writing about a favorite person or place was like putting it on Gods level or adoring it, or taking admiration away from God. Dangerous) In To My Dear and Loving Husband, Anne Bradstreet expresses her deep love for her husband as well has her own spiritual convictions in the simple and direct Puritan Plain Style. 3 Aspects of Puritan Plain Style Poem contains simple language (Most words are one syllable: two were one Religious conviction (the heavens reward thee manifold I pray) Direct style that goes immediately to the heart of the subject (if ever two were on, then surely we/If ever man were loved by wife, then surely thee) Aspects not typical of Puritan Plain Style The personal, emotional subject of love for her husband The vivid, exotic images, such as whole mines of gold or all the riches that the East doth hold are not associated with the style. Basically, you should always be prepared to summarize the literary work, define the literary term, and present a clear thesis