Poetry

Hello Students!!!

Today we will explore and learn what poetry is.

Sometimes poetry tends to be considered as a difficult literary genre because it is difficult to understand or because we think it is not present in our daily life.

However, it is much closer of what we really think.

We usually use “poetic language” in every day situations.

Look at these examples:

• falling in love (metaphor)
• racking our brains (metaphor)
• hitting a sales target (metaphor)
• climbing the ladder of success (metaphor)
• light as a feather (simile)
• I'm starving! (hyperbole)

Any doubts??

Ok, now let’s go to the definition of “Poetry”

Poetry (ancient Greek: ποιεω (poieo) = I create) is an art form in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. It consists largely of oral or literary works in which language is used in a manner that is felt by its user and audience to differ from ordinary prose.

Other main characteristics of poetry:

• It was originally sang (so, rhyme and rhythm are fundamental)
• It has to do with the expression of feelings and emotions. Also with the way the lyric speaker is thinking about something (in other words, his/her personal opinion about something)
• It is compressed (just a few words that say a lot)
• It plays with language ambiguity (it is not literal)
• It uses literary figures or rhetorical devices (metaphors, alliteration, assonances, comparisons, hyperboles, oxymorons, etc.), so it is decorated.

Activiy 1

Let’s star for the basics!

Listen to the following famous song and find some of the previously mentioned elements of poetry in it. Remember that original poetry was sang and meant to be read aloud so you can listen to it at the link below. Consider rhythm, rhyme and figures of speech. 

Hotel California

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair 
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air 
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light 
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim 
I had to stop for the night 

There she stood in the doorway; 
I heard the mission bell 
And I was thinking to myself, 
"This could be Heaven or this could be Hell" 
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way 
There were voices down the corridor, 
I thought I heard them say... 

Welcome to the Hotel California 
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place) 
Such a lovely face 
Plenty of room at the Hotel California 
Any time of year (Any time of year) 
You can find it here 

Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends 
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she calls friends 
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat. 
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget 

So I called up the Captain, 
"Please bring me my wine" 
He said, "We haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine" 
And still those voices are calling from far away, 
Wake you up in the middle of the night 
Just to hear them say... 

Welcome to the Hotel California 
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place) 
Such a lovely face 
They livin' it up at the Hotel California 
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise) 
Bring your alibis 

Mirrors on the ceiling, 
The pink champagne on ice 
And she said "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device" 
And in the master's chambers, 
They gathered for the feast 
They stab it with their steely knives, 
But they just can't kill the beast 

Last thing I remember, I was 
Running for the door 
I had to find the passage back 
To the place I was before 
"Relax, " said the night man, 
"We are programmed to receive. 
You can check-out any time you like, 
But you can never leave! "

Activity 2

With the handouts, determine which rhetorical device correspond to each one of this everyday expressions:

• At the drop of a hat.
• Axe to grind.
• Back to square one.
• Bells and whistles.
• Bed of roses.
• Burn the midnight oil.
• Clean sweep.
• Chew the fat.
• Cold feet.
• Coast is clear.
• Down in the dumps.
• Ears are burning.
• Forty winks.
• Full of beans. Give me a break.
• Give my right arm.
• In a nutshell/pickle.
• In the bag.
• It's Greek to me.
• Final straw.
• Let the cat out of the bag.
• Long shot.
• Mum's the word.
• On the ball.
• Out on a limb.
• Pass the buck.
• Pay through the nose.
• Read between the lines.
• Saved by the bell.
• Spill the beans.
• Take a rain check.
• Through the grapevine.
• True colors.
• Under the weather.
• Up my sleeve.
• Upset the apple cart.
• Walking on eggshells.