Poems

READING 1B
TOPIC: POETRY
There are as many definitions of poetry as there are poets. Wordsworth defined poetry as "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings;" Emily Dickinson said, "If I read a book and it makes my body so cold no fire ever can warm me, I know that is poetry;" and Dylan Thomas defined poetry this way: "Poetry is what makes me laugh or cry or yawn, what makes my toenailstwinkle, what makes me want to do this or that or nothing."

WHAT IS A POEM?

A poem is a piece of writing which expresses thoughts or feelings. Poems usually include the use of irony and symbolism. Poems usually consist of verses and may or may not rhyme. Poems which are written for younger are more likely to contain rhyme, shorter verses and may be read at a faster pace.

A poem is anarrangement of words containing meaning and musicality. Most poems take the form of a series of lines separated into groups called stanzas. A poem can be rhyming or nonrhyming, with a regular meter or a free flow

Features:
• A poem can contain any number of features. Usually a poem is broken down into lines and stanzas.
• They can contain full sentences or just fragments, or a combination.• The rules of grammar can be stretched, but this skill is a bit mysterious.

Muse - a channel of inspiration for a poet.

Muses, in Greek mythology, were the nine daughters of the god Zeus and Mnemosyne,
the goddess of memory. The Muses were believed to inspire not only poets, but
all artist.

Preparing to write the explanation

1. Read the poems silently, then read them aloud(if not in a testing situation). Repeat as necessary.
2. Chose ONE of the poem as a dramatic situation in which a speaker addresses an audience or another character. In this way, begin your analysis by identifying and describing:
• What do you understand of the poem?
• What do you think are the feelings of the writer?
• How do you consider the vocabulary? Simple ordifficult?
• Can you mention some features of these poems?




What I Love About You

I love the way you look at me,
Your eyes so bright and blue.
I love the way you kiss me,
Your lips so soft and smooth.

I love the way you make me so happy,
And the ways you show you care.
I love the way you say, "I Love You,"
And the way you're always there.

I love the way you touch me,
Alwayssending chills down my spine.
I love that you are with me,
And glad that you are mine.

I just wanted you to know: I love you.

I just wanted you to know: I love you.
Months have passed since we became close friends.
Every day I find I'm thinking of you,
Though no word from you that message sends.
And yet we share all other thoughts and feelings:
I cannot wait to tell you of my day,And you give me the gist of all your dealings,
Which makes me hope we walk in the same way.
Telling you this is opening a door
That never can be closed again, and yet
I must, because I ache for something more,
Something that I must risk all to get.
Some night, perhaps, we'll go hang out somewhere;
I will reach for you, and you'll be there.

The Miracle Of Friendship

There is a miraclecalled Friendship
that dwells within the heart
and you don't know how it happens
or when it even starts.

But the happiness it brings you
always gives a special lift
and you realize that Friendship
is God's most precious gift.





READING 1B
TOPIC: ANECDOTE.
What is an anecdote?
An anecdote is a short and interesting story taken from your past experience - or that of someone youknow or have heard about. For your exam, of course, the anecdote must be made it up (but it must still be entirely believable and wholly relevant).

Why are anecdotes useful?
It is a simple fact of life that we enjoy hearing interesting stories. No one knows why, but we do. Certainly, we enjoy relating to and learning from stories - and we often can identify with the characters in them.

If...