I never saw a purple cow,I never hope to see one;But I can tell you, anyhowI’d rather see than be one

Goal:Find out stanza form

Guesses?

….let’s talk about structure!

Poetry Terms

Couplet – two line stanza

Tercet – three line stanza

Quatrain – four line stanza

Sestet – six line stanza

Octave – eight line stanza

STANZAS-Divis ion of a poem based on thoughts

or form

Guesses?

Couplet are two rhymes of verse (typically rhyming a a)

In winter, when the fields are white, I sing this song for your delight -

In spring, when woods are getting green, I'll try and tell you what I mean.

In summer, when the days are long, Perhaps you'll understand the song:

In autumn, when the leaves are brown, Take pen and ink, and write it down.

COUPLET

While we are here,

What’s this?

Three line stanza ; just like a couplet; this can sometimes rhyme

Alfred Tennyson, Lord TennysonThe Eagle

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;Close to the sun in lonely lands,Ringed with the azure world, he stands.

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;He watches from his mountain walls,And like a thunderbolt he falls.

Tercet

Someone dissect this

A quatrain consists of four rhymed lines. The rhyme takes various rhyme schemes ( a a a a, a b a b, a b a c, etc.)

Quatrain

Six line stanza—used to refer to the last six lines of a sonnet

Sonnet is a fourteen-line stanza form consisting of iambic pentameter lines. ◦ There are two kinds: petrarchan and

Shakespearean

Sestet

The setting covers several nations, the whole world, or even the universe

The episodes, even though they may be fictional, provide an explanation for some of the circumstances or events in the history of a nation or people

The gods, lesser divinities, or outside forces play an active role in the outcome of actions

All of the various adventures form an organic whole, where each event relates in some way to the central theme

Hero typically ends up “bringing back the boon” or saving society in some way

Epic: An extended narrative poem recounting actions, travels,

adventures, and heroic episodes

Characteristics of the classical epic include these:

The main character or protagonist is heroically larger than life, often the source and subject of legend or a national hero

The deeds of the hero are presented without favoritism, revealing his failings as well as his virtues

The action, often in battle, reveals the more-than-human strength of the heroes as they engage in acts of heroism and courage

Dramatic Poetry- Poetry in which one or more characters speak

◦ Excerpts of Shakespeare◦ Any poem with dialogue

I never saw a purple cow,I never hope to see one;But I can tell you, anyhowI’d rather see than be one

Ah, yes, I wrote the "Purple Cow"—I'm Sorry, now, I wrote it;But I can tell you AnyhowI'll Kill you if you Quote it!

A poet’s addendum