What bands or artists can you think of that address political or social issues?

Why do you think they choose to focus on these themes with their lyrics?

Journal Prompt

Poetic Structure & Form

In poetry, structure and form are both terms that refer to how a poem is put together.

Structure: the pieces that make up a poem i.e.: rhyme, rhythm, line length, stanza,

punctuation Form: a particular type of poetry

i.e.: ode, ballad, haiku, sonnet, limerick

Poetic Structure & Form

The poetic structure affects what is emphasized in a poem – what is supposed to stand out?

If poets use a particular form, some structures are predetermined. E.g. a haiku (poetic form) has the structure of 3

lines with 17 syllables, written in a 5/7/5 syllable count. An afternoon breeze

expels cold air, along withthe fallen brown leaves.

Analyzing Structure

When analyzing structure, consider…1. What is the poetic form, if any?2. Where are the line/stanza breaks?3. Where is the punctuation?4. Where are the visual patterns with words?

Rhyme/visual rhyme Alliteration Repetition

“Ex-Basketball Player” (p. 736)

1. On a loose-leaf sheet of paper, list what you notice about the poem’s structural elements and form (see notes on Evaluating Structure).

2. Develop a CDW paragraph analyzing what the structure is emphasizing in the poem.

Claim: The structure of “Ex-Basketball Player” emphasizes X.

Data 1: Points to structural element in the poem. Warrants (2 sentences): Explains how this structural

element creates emphasis on X. Data 2: Points to another structural element in the poem. Warrants (2 sentences): Explains how this additional

structural element also creates emphasis on X.

Sample Analysis Paragraph

The structure of “Ex-Basketball Player” emphasizes the monotonous mood of the poem. Updike uses five structured stanzas with six lines each to describe the town, Flick’s work place, Flick’s past, Flick’s present, and Flick’s future. The pattern allows the reader to understand that Flick’s life will not change and continue in this pattern. He is stuck following the same daily routine. The beat pattern further illustrates Flick’s basic life, following iambic pentameter throughout the poem. This creates the mundane effect Updike intends for the reader to experience. The basic life of a washed up high school star that is now unexceptional is created through his structured beat, it will not change.