The Language of Poetry - LanguageArts-NHS

poetic form: lyric poetry
A lyric poem is a short poem in which a single speaker
expresses personal thoughts and feelings on a subject. In
ancient Greece, lyric poets expressed their feelings in song,
accompanied by a lyre. While modern lyric poems are no
longer sung, they still retain common characteristics such as:
• a sense of rhythm and melody
• imaginative language
• exploration of a single feeling or thought
Reading the lyric poems on the following pages aloud will help
you appreciate these characteristics.
literary analysis: figurative language
Figurative language is an expression of ideas beyond what the
words literally mean. Three basic types of figurative language,
or figures of speech, follow:
• A simile compares two unlike things that have something
in common, using like or as. (bats, sailing like kites)
• A metaphor compares two unlike things by saying that one
thing actually is the other. (bats, snub seven-pointed kites)
• Personification lends human qualities to an object, animal,
or idea. (bats, performing a graceful ballet)
Poets use figurative language both to convey abstract thoughts
and to offer a fresh outlook on everyday things. As you read
the following poems, use a chart like this one to record and
analyze examples of simile, metaphor, and personification.
Example Type Two Things
Compared
“I dwell in
Possibility—/ A
fairer House than
Prose–”
metaphor poetry/possibility
and a house
reading skill: compare and contrast
Ideas
Suggested
Comparing and contrasting the poems—identifying the
similarities and the differences between them—will help you
understand each poem’s central theme. As you read, compare
the feelings expressed and the figurative language used.
Emily Dickinson:
Passionate Poet
As an adult, Emily
Dickinson rarely left
her father’s home or
welcomed visitors.
Yet she managed to
write poems that
are remarkable for
their originality and
awareness of human
passion. Using unusual
imagery and syntax,
she explored such powerful emotions as
love, despair, and ecstasy.
Denise Levertov:
A Poetic Vocation
Denise Levertov’s
view that writing
poetry should be like
a religious calling was
influenced by the early
20th-century poet
Rainer Maria Rilke,
whom she claimed as
a role model. Levertov
often used her art in
service of political
ideals, tackling such issues as the Vietnam
War and the nuclear arms race.
Lucille Clifton:
Honoring Heritage
Lucille Clifton’s
poetry honors African
heritage and expresses
optimism about life.
Clifton is a professor
of humanities at
St. Mary’s College,
which boasts a
premier varsity sailing
program. Sailboat
races there may have
inspired “blessing the boats.”
Emily Dickinson
1830–1886
Denise Levertov
1923–1997
Lucille Clifton
born 1936
more about the author
For more on these poets, visit the
Literature Center at ClassZone.com.
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