Keystone National High School Ballade of Worldly Wealth Poem Analysis HW EXPLICATION – A poetry explication is an analysis which describes the possible mea

Keystone National High School Ballade of Worldly Wealth Poem Analysis HW EXPLICATION – A poetry explication is an analysis which describes the possible meanings and relationships of the words, images, and other small units that make up a poem. Step One: Read the poem silently. Consider the meaning of the poem. What is the subject of the poem? What are the mood and tone of the poem? What message is the author sending about his/her subject? Step Two: Read the poem aloud. This is a critical step in the process and should not be skipped. Poetry contains both rhythm and music which are easily overlooked if you do not read it aloud. Step Three: Look at the big questions. Make sure you can answer each one. WHO? – Who is speaking in the poem? Who is being spoke about? Who is addressed in the poemWHERE ? – Where is the poem set?WHAT? – What is the subject of the poem? What message is the author sending about the subject?WHEN? – When was the poem written and is the information significant? When is the poem set?WHY? – Why did the poet write the poem?HOW? – How is the poem executed? With what sound devices, literary devices, and structure? The FIRST PARAGRAPH of your explication will deal with some of these big ideas. In this paragraph you will want to be sure to identify and discuss: The subject of the poemThe tone and/or mood of the poemThe speaker of the poemThe audience of the poemThe setting of the poemThe form of the poemA paraphrase of the poem (tell the story of the poem in your own words) Remember, the poet has used each word for an intentional purpose. Words do not appear on the page accidentally. Each one has an important role in the overall meaning of the poem. There are four details you will need to be looking for: 1. Form Does the poem appear to be a sonnet? a sestina? a haiku? Does it look like it has a form which can be identified? How many stanzas are in the poem and how many lines are in each stanza? These are all questions which need to be answered in order to discover the form of the poem. 2. Rhetoric Rhetoric is a word which most simply means an effective use of language. Good poets use language extremely effectively to create a mood, develop a theme or evoke an emotion. As you read the poem, consider how the poet uses language. Are there any repetitions? Why? Look specifically at the verbs or action words in the poem. Do any of these seem strange? Do they contrast in an odd way with other verbs in the poem? Ask yourself, “Why did the poet choose this particular word here?” 3. Syntax Look at how the poet has built the sentences and phrases in the poem. Is the word order strange? Why? 4. Vocabulary The key to understanding any poem is to understand the vocabulary. When you read old poetry, you’ll sometimes stumble across words we no longer use in our everyday language. It is important to search out the meanings of each word even though they may be archaic. Step Four: Paying attention to the elements of poetry allows for a systematic analysis of the poem. As you continue to work on Ballade of Worldly Wealth, take notes on each of these elements of the poem. You will want to discuss each of them in your explication. In your SECOND, THIRD and FOURTH PARAGRAPHS you will examine closely the structure, sound, and meaning of the poem Some of the patterns you may notice include: Rhetorical patterns: Look for repetition or statements which contain parallel constructions. Look for opposites. Any statements which are formatted in a similar way could be an example of a rhetorical pattern. Rhyme: You are probably familiar with end rhyme where the end words of lines rhyme. There are a variety of different types of rhyming a poet may use. Look for these in places other than just the ends of poetic lines. Patterns of Sound: Alliteration and assonance are just two sound patterns you may become aware of as you read the poem. This is where it becomes important to read the poem aloud. Visual Patterns: Step back a few feet. How does the poem look on the page? One of the frequently used clues that a poem is a sonnet is: “A sonnet is a square.” On the page, a poem written in sonnet form is indeed a square shape. Poets have often written poems so that the shape of the poem reflects the meaning or the theme of the poem. It is important to look at the ‘shape’ of the poem. Rhythm and Meter: Many poems have a distinct rhythm and meter. You may have studied these concepts in your earlier English courses. Take a few minutes to view the “Patterns in Poetry” presentation as well as the “Rhythm and Meter” presentations. Step Five: In your next paragraphs you will write about the details and the patterns in the poem, “Ballade of Worldly Wealth” by Andrew Lang. For this assignment, please go line-by-line and explain the elements as you see them appear in the poem. You will still need to write a strong topic sentence. A poetry explication does not require a concluding paragraph. Many writers simply stop writing when they have completed the analysis. This is absolutely fine in this type of writing. You do not need to re-state the points of your opening paragraph. However, there are a few tips you should observe when writing your explication: Remember, the poet is not necessarily the speaker. In your analysis, you will wish to make a distinction between the person who wrote the poem and the speaker or the ‘voice’ of the words in the poem.Always use the present tense when discussing poetry. Although the poem may have been written centuries ago, it continues to exist.Avoid the verb ‘to be’ in your writing. Use more active verbs instead.