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A poem attracts the attention of a reader by its visual lay out, or style, or lyrical beauty or imagery or the mimetic effects that it creates. For all of these reasons a poem lends itself to analysis but the analysis should not detract from the enjoyment of the poem. The analysis should be an attempt to substantially enhance the enjoyment of the poem. Learners should come away from the introduction to a poem wanting to read the poem again and again and even to recreate the poem to sing their own songs. Every poem is set in a specific period of time and is usually a response to some intensely felt emotion caused by some encounter or experience. In trying to enjoy and understand a poem the learner should try to ascertain right at the beginning whether the poem is about the poet as an individual or about another person. Thereafter the learner should explore the poet’s background and the period in which the poet lived or is living. Some issues do not date while others do. With the benefit of some background knowledge the learner will be able to explore the theme of the poem. The universal themes that poets explore are: love, loss, loveliness, the transient nature of life, death, estrangement and the most enduring one is hope in the face of despair. Every poet assumes an attitude towards a theme and this is reflected in the tone of the poem. It could be ironic, satirical, critical, anxious, condemnatory or laudatory. As one reads the poem the tone will become evident. Reading a poem aloud is the best way to begin understanding a poem. The type or structure of a poem can also help elucidate the meaning of a poem. An ode, for example, will express an exalted emotion. An elegy will be a mournful poem. A sonnet will usually be presented as an octet encompassing the problem and a sestet where the problem is resolved or answered. Some poems are presented as dramatic monologues. Other poems are presented on paper in a manner suggesting a visual image. That which differentiates poetry from prose is rhythm and imagery. Poets use assonance, consonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhymes, internal rhymes and other such devices to create the rhythmic effect that is required. A poem has a musical quality to it and usually lends itself to being recited. There are other
figures of speech which are also frequently used in a poem. These are
metaphors, similes, oxymoron, antithesis, synecdoche and me Poets search language for every single possibility to write lines that are memorable, unique and stirring. Every poem shows what can be done with language because every poem is an example of artistry with words. Like with everything else learners must choose to go beyond what is being taught to that which really appeals to them. Out there in the wide word there is some poem that expresses what one feels in a way that one cannot emulate. What a boon it is to know that one is not alone in experiencing something and that there have been others who underwent the same experiences and left a record of their thoughts on it in language that lives on for ever. In this section learners will be introduced to many poems that have something important to say to young people. Learners and educators are invited to make suggestions of which other poems to add to the list. Here's my selection for now:
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