How to

Read a

Poem

Some General Rules:

• Read the poem at least twice

• Read it aloud in order to hear the rhythm and cadence

The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls

The tide rises, the tide falls,The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;Along the sea-sands damp and brownThe traveler hastens toward the town,And the tide rises, the tide falls.Darkness settles on roofs and walls,But the sea, the sea in darkness calls;The little waves, with their soft, white handsEfface the footprints in the sands,And the tide rises, the tide falls.The morning breaks; the steeds in their stallsStamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;The day returns, but nevermoreReturns the traveler to the shore.And the tide rises, the tide falls.

Begin at the Beginning: the Title

“The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls”• What does it suggest about the poem that

follows?• What questions does it raise?• Consider the diction specifically:

– Why “The”?– Why the tide, why not waves? What’s the difference?– What words weren’t chosen? Why “rises” and “falls”

instead of “comes in” and “goes out”?

Settling in…

Look up unknown

vocabulary words– “Curlew”– “Efface”– “Hostler”

Diction, Denotation & Connotation

Diction = Word choice

Denotation = Dictionary definition

i.e., Christmas = December 25

Connotation = Associations

i.e., Christmas = (for a Christian?)

= (for a shop owner?)

= (for a Secularist?)

A Few Choice Words:

The tide rises, the tide falls,The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;Along the sea-sands damp and brownThe traveler hastens toward the town,And the tide rises, the tide falls.Darkness settles on roofs and walls,But the sea, the sea in darkness calls;The little waves, with their soft, white handsEfface the footprints in the sands,And the tide rises, the tide falls.The morning breaks; the steeds in their stallsStamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;The day returns, but nevermoreReturns the traveler to the shore.And the tide rises, the tide falls.

Take a Breath and Look Back

• What sets of words do you see?– Darkness, light– Night, day– Shore, ocean– Traveling, stillness/confinement– Rising, falling

• What can you make of these pairings? What do they signify?

Look at the Details:

• Any poetic devices?– “the sea in darkness calls”– “The little waves, with their soft, white hands”– Personification, but why? What purpose does

it serve in this poem?

• Look at the structure and punctuation…

The tide rises, the tide falls,The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;Along the sea-sands damp and brownThe traveler hastens toward the town,And the tide rises, the tide falls.Darkness settles on roofs and walls,But the sea, the sea in darkness calls;The little waves, with their soft, white handsEfface the footprints in the sands,And the tide rises, the tide falls.The morning breaks; the steeds in their stallsStamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;The day returns, but nevermoreReturns the traveler to the shore,And the tide rises, the tide falls.

In Summary:

•Describe

•Analyze

•Interpret

•Evaluate

Credits

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