Introduction to Poetry: Forms and Elements Study Guide

Sample Pages

Introduction to Poetry: Forms and Elements Study Guide

The Study Guide

Poetry, in many ways, defies definition. Any restrictions would disqualify some works that are, nevertheless, poetry. The only statement about poetry that we can make with absolute certainty is that good poetry uses what is known as "compressed language." That means that it says a lot but uses few words to do so. Every word is very valuable; the poets make their choices only after much deliberation, and we must understand each word to grasp the meanings of the poems. This word compression is the primary reason that most students claim not to understand poetry. Students who are accustomed to skimming over their lessons once and dashing off correct answers in record time will find that poetry asks much more of us than this. It invites us to calm down, sit still, and think.

Using three short poetry anthologies, this study guide examines more than 40 well-known English-language poems, introducing the student to techniques such as rhyme and meter and various poetic forms such as the sonnet, the villanelle, the ballad, and more.

In 82 pages (plus the answer key), our study guide contains:

Background on the authors and story
Prereading suggested activities
Vocabulary activities related to the story
General content questions
Literary analysis and terminology questions designed to give students a good understanding of writing technique and how to use it
Critical analysis questions designed to help students consider and analyze the intellectual, moral, and spiritual issues in the story and weigh them with reference to scripture