Elements of Poetry: Theme and Imagery

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ELEMENTS OF POETRY THEME IMAGERY
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Objectives

• At the end of the lesson, the students are
  expected to
• a. identify the imagery and the theme of the poem
  entitled Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy
  Evening by Robert Frost

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• b. demonstrate a positive increase of
  appreciation towards literature through actively
  participating in the class discussion
• c. create a poster highlighting their own
  interpretation of the poems imagery
• d. and conceptualize a theme out of it

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Elements of Poetry Theme

• Theme
• A poem is not written randomly. Several thoughts
  and expressions are synchronized together, to
  give a proper theme to the poem. In fact, the
  theme can be described as the soul of a poem. It
  is the actually what the poet wants to express
  through his words. It may either be a thought, a
  feeling, an observation, a story or an
  experience.

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Elements of poetry Imagery

• Most figures of speech cast up a picture in your
  mind. These pictures created or suggested by the
  poet are called 'images'. To participate fully in
  the world of poem, we must understand how the
  poet uses image to convey more than what is
  actually said or literally meant.

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• TYPES OF IMAGES (according to the source of
  visual images) 
• 1. SIMPLE DESCRIPTION - a  large   number  of 
  images  which  arise  in a poem come from simple
  description of visible objects or actions. 

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• 2. DRAMATIC SITUATION  2.1 DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE -
  as soon as the reader becomes aware that the poem
  is a dramatic monologue, he visualizes a speaker
  with the result that the particularity of the
  situation is evident. 

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• 2.2 DIALOGUE - has the same effect as Dramatic
  Monologue.
• 3. STORY - like description, narration causes the
  reader or hearer to form images. When the reader
  realizes that he is being told a tale he
  visualizes from habit he does not wish to miss
  the point of the story.

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• 4. METONYMY - when a poet uses metonymy, he names
  one thing when he really   means another thing
  with which the first is closely connected. e.g.
  Seven little foreheads stared up at me from the
  first row. (where "foreheads" is used for "eyes"
  ). 
• 5. SYNECDOCHE - when a poet uses synecdoche, he
  names a part of a thing when he means whole
  thing  (or vice versa) or the genius for the
  species. 

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• 6. ONOMATOPOEIA - although imagery usually refers
  to visual images, there are also aural images.
  The use of words which sound like their meaning
  is called onomatopoeia. e.g. buzz, hiss, clang ,
  splash, murmur, chatter, etc.

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Stopping by Woods on a Snowy EveningBy Robert
Frost

• Whose woods these are I think I know.
• His house is in the village though
• He will not see me stopping here
• To watch his woods fill up with snow.
• My little horse must think it queer
• To stop without a farmhouse near
• Between the woods and frozen lake
• The darkest evening of the year.

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• He gives his harness bells a shake
• To ask if there is some mistake.
• The only other sounds the sweep
• Of easy wind and downy flake.
• The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
• But I have promises to keep,
• And miles to go before I sleep,
• And miles to go before I sleep.

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• IV. Evaluation
• Create a poster highlighting your own
  interpretation of the poem entitled Stopping by
  the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost and
  conceptualize a theme out of it.
• The poster will be graded according to the
  following criteria
• Interpretation - 10pts
• Visual appearance - 10pts
• Over-all Impact - 10pts
• 30 pts