    Program Resources Online Student Edition Glencoe Online Essay Grader Progress Reporter Online Assessment Media Center Unit Resources Interactive Reading Practice Unit Skills Assessment About the Big Ideas (English) About the Big Ideas (Spanish) Big Idea Web Quest Author Search Interactive Literary Elements Handbook Literature Classics Literature Library Study Guides Online Student Resources Interactive Writing Models Writing and Research Handbook Selection Resources Reading-Writing Connection Activities Selection Quizzes (English) |  |  LiteratureAbout the Big Ideas (English)Part 1: Nature Inspires Overview Nature has inspired many great poets. Human emotions are often more effectively expressed when compared to and conveyed through nature's colors and images. The poets in Part 1 demonstrate the ways in which they learn more about the human condition by meditating on the natural world. Poets rely on form and structure to convey meaning in a poem. A poem's form, or the pattern it follows, may be prescribed, as in the case of sonnets, haikus, and limericks. Poems can also be free of any particular established form. Poetry by E.E.Cummings, for example, does not usually follow conventional rules or have an established form. The structure of a poem refers to the way the poet has organized the ideas, images, words, and lines of the piece. Web Resources The Poetry of Henry David Thoreau A Brief Guide to Romanticism An Introduction to Haiku Overview Life lessons are often learned when we least expect them. The poets in Part 2 share truths they have learned about family, love, freedom, and most importantly, about themselves. The following selections remind readers that every experience—no matter how trivial, triumphant, or terrible—is invaluable when it leads us to wisdom. The images in these poems are powerful because they evoke the reader's senses—sound, sight, smell, taste, and touch. Images, or word pictures, help capture an experience or sensation through a few words. These poems also use figurative language,or expressions that are not literally true but express some truth beyond the literal level. For example, William Shakespeare's comparison of his lover to a summer's day conveys layers of meaning that may not be accessible through mere description. Metaphor and similes,literary devices that compare two unlike objects, allow readers to better understand what the author is trying to express. Web Resources The Academy of American Poets Part 3: The Strength of Family Overview Family helps us connect to our cultural roots and heritage. The authors in Part 3 express their gratitude to those family members who bind the family together. The authors in the following selection use different types of sound devices to enhance meaning. For example, the repetition of certain sounds, whether of particular consonants or vowels, can emphasize the idea or emotion the poet wants to communicate. Onomatopoeia is another sound device in which the words themselves imitate the sound they describe, such as “jingle” or “ring.” Sound devices also allow poets to create rhythm and mood. These devices work together with the imagery to help readers gain a better understanding of the poet's message. Web Resources The Poetics of Robert Frost: Examples of Sound Devices Log InThe resource you requested requires you to enter a username and password below: |
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