Understanding Poetry

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27 October 2011
Chapter 19
1. "Briefly describe the origins of modern poetry."
The origins of poetry are very much like those of literature in general. It began as oral communication handed down through generations to tell a story or entertain. Most was in a simple verse or rhyming format seemingly to be remembered better. It then developed into the epic poem. Finally, it transformed into free verse along with a set pattern of poetry. Romanticism led to modernism, which led to imagism. The poetry of today is a mixture of all of the forms both old and new. 3. "Describe the two different kinds of poetry as explained in the text." Two forms of poetry are lyric poetry and narrative poetry. Narrative poetry tells a story for the reader. It may be in long form like an epic poem or a ballad that repeats a story and may even have a chorus like a song. Lyric poetry is poems like elegies of death, odes that are very scripted forms, or a meditation among other forms. They are more song like with scripted or expected rhyme and meter. Chapter 20.

"Select an assigned poem and explain how the poem related to the painting that inspired them."
"The Girl Powdering Her Neck" by Cathy Song relates to the painting of the geisha in front of the mirror by describing what the geisha is doing. She is preparing her reflection to meet the expectations of the world specifically the man she intends to please. She makes "a mask of beauty" (line 48) for herself to hid her true reflection and make herself into the image others expect her to be. She conforms her image into the idea of beauty by adding "translucent skins" (line 18) to her own. Chapter 21

Question 3. "Show at least one example of irony in each of the assigned poems in the section of this chapter on Recognizing Irony. Assigned poems are visible in the list of folders in this chapter folder Poetry Selections."

Irony is an important element in poetry as writers very often portray two means in the work. In "Porphyria's Lover" by Robert Browning, Browning shows irony in the surprise ending of the poem. As Porphyria shows her love to the speaker of the poem and he realizes the love as he prepares to strangle the very life from her. He even seems to still pretend to himself that he loves her in death. "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelly shows irony by the actual work of Ozymandias and his bold remark of power. His work still stands while he, in his strength, is nowhere to be found. In "The Unknown Citizen" by W.H. Auden irony abounds. The irony is the census reports itself and the vast amount of information presented on a character that is unnamed with really no personality of its own. Although the report has all of the "vital" information, it really knows nothing about the person. The "Ballad of Birmingham" by Dudley Randall describes a very ironic situation where a mother sends her beloved child to a safe place, the church, instead of the dangerous streets, but she is lost to violence despite her mother's best efforts of protection. It is a very sad poem. Chapter 22

2. "For any assigned poem for this chapter other than "City Planners," select two or three words or groups of words which reflect a level of diction and explain the significance to the poem. Remember to state the name."

In Mark Halladay's "The Value of Education" the writer uses the two levels of diction to prove a point. He points out the differences in the narrator of the poem by his levels of diction. In the sentence "I am not, you see, somewhere else being a hapless ass." (Line 13) he is considerably formal because the person is in the library being independently educated. The contrast is actually in the words like "ass," "pissed-off, " and "do sex." These represent the gutter or normal area he is in when not in the library. The library is a formal place, so he speaks a formally as possible when in the library, although he cannot remove his true character. Chapter 23

"What are the...
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