Elements of Poetry
Poetry is NOT broken into paragraphs; Instead poems have.....
Stanzas
In this poem who is the speaker?
An older women; possibly a mother.
A teacher
The speaker of the poem is likely---
A human (male).
Who could the speaker possibly be?
A young girl (student).
Poems are VERY different from traditional text because they do not have to include...
Grammar (punctuation, commas, complete sentences, etc.)
Why would the poet repeat "The problem is"---in the first and second stanza?
To emphasize their doubt/feelings about weather the person they are speaking to will practice and spend time with a new instrument.
Could the speaker also be the poet? Why/Why not?
The poet includes imagery such as;
"We were little then, dressed up at Easter time"
"Big smiles---me with two front teeth missing and my head shaved Easter clean."
"Mama's blurry foot lifted up in the air. Look how she's laughing."
Why does the author use this imagery in stanza 1 and 2?
To help create a mental image of the photographs that the speaker is looking at.
OR
To help the reader see what the speaker is looking at in the poem.
What rhyme scheme did the poem follow?
ABCB
The person who writes the poem on paper is called the _________. The point of view the poem is told from is called the _________ of the poem.
Poet; Speaker
What evidence in the poem can prove that the speaker is an older female?
"When I was a girl, I, too wanted to play"
First line of the 3rd stanza.
The poet repeats "No" multiple times throughout the poem. What does "No papers to grade" "No PTA"
"No early morning duty"
Tell us about the speakers current life situation?
They don't have a lot of work to do (they're schedule is free).
What is the significance of the title "Photographs"?
Within the poem the speaker is looking back on old photographs and their mood is impacted by the what they see in the photos.
Why would the speaker provide the following imagery for the reader--
"The clothes he wears are goofy. His pants don't even fit."
To make it sound like she DOES NOT have a crush on the boy that her friends thinks she does.
Poems will often include rhyming words. If the rhyming words follow a pattern this pattern is called the---
Rhyme Scheme
Who do you believe the speaker in the poem is talking to?
Their child, grandchild, student, someone they take care of.
A). Disappointed about not having time to sleep
B). Frustrated because they have a job and work to over the summer.
C). Excited to sleep in and enjoy time away from work.
C
How does the tone of the poem change the beginning to the end?
In the beginning the speaker is happy and reflecting on good times and by the end the speaker is sad because they have realized that those good times are over and things have changed.
How do you infer the speaker's friends would feel if she began to date Jason (the boy)?
Excited; throughout the poem the speaker stated her friends thought he was cool and cute.
What is the difference between alliteration and repetition?
Alliteration focuses on a repeated SOUND where repetition focuses on a repeated WORD or PHRASE.
How does the rhyme scheme impact the tone of the poem?
A). It provides a gentle rhythm to tell us the speaker is coming from a place of love or concern.
B). It provides a fast paced rhythm to tell us the speaker is angry.
C). It provides a broken/choppy rhythm to tell us the speaker is unsure of what they feel.
A
The poem is titled "Summer Job". What is the speakers summer job?
Working to sleep in as long as possible (till noon).
"I see something coming that ain't good"
What can you infer was the event that wasn't good?
The speaker's family was broken apart (divorce or maybe death).
What is the main idea of the poem?
A young girl in school is teased about having a crush on her classmate Jason; she says she doesn't like him but still kisses him anyway.