Jump to "Ball Turrett"

A rhythmic expression of feelings

Words in a certain type of order that tell a story but not like a novel

An expression of feelings; not always rhymed or rhythmic

Innermost thoughts and feelings and actions that symbolize how people feel.

Breif thought or idea that author builds upon, intensity will determine rhythm etc.

A kind of literary expression where form can be the same as, add to the meaning of the content.

Poetry can be taken in many different ways

Somebody trying to paint a picture wth words—more in images than in statements.

How to analyze Poetry

• Literal level (making basic sense)
1. Basic surface meaning: trail, experimental provisional paraphrase
2. Syntax – untangle the sentence structure
• Figurative and Imagistic level
1. Do words create an images (or images) in your head
2. Multiple possible meanings of words
3. Conotations -- aura, associations, other words, ideas connected to that word
• Poetic Form
1. Rhyme
2. Rhythm
3. Meter
4. Forms like villanelle, sonnet etc.

• Cultual Context

1. Author’s Life
2. What was happening at the time
3. Allusions – reference to something the poet thinks you know (myth, legend, Bible, Shakespeare, other books, historical events) 
4. Symbols

From my mother's sleep [l1]I fell into the State,[l2]

Literalà The mother was sleeping and the baby was too/

While my mother wasn’t looking I joined the army

I was in a comfortable, unconscious place and then I was drafted

I enlisted/ was drafted so young it was like I had just been born.
And I hunched[l3] in its belly till my wet fur[l4]froze.[l5]

Literalà He was in the belly of the plane; the fur on the inside and collar of his bomber jacket was freezing.He was so scared he was sweating and the sweat froze on the collar.

Figurativeà continues the birth imagery but birth into a life that is dangerous and uncomfortable
Six [l6]

miles from earth[l7], loosed [l8]from the dream [l9]of life,

àHe is in the plane, high up in the sky (30,000 ft) , higher than he dreamed he could be.He feels/ is separated from life
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.

àThe anit-aircraft are shooting at him and the fighters are coming

àWaking to flak is again like being born and not eing happy about this.And nightmares are something kids have and go to their parents to cure.Has to regain his consciousness
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.