Unseen Poetry

"Poetry is language at its most distilled and powerful."

Ok: let's talk poetry.

First and foremost; you probably don't like it. A lot of the time, poetry seems random and irrelevant, confusing and unnecessary. And you know what? Sometimes, it is. It can be hard to find links between the transience of childhood and a frickin' bee, and even nerds and literary snobs find it hard to decode extreme metaphors and buried meaning. This can be because it isn't there- Bob Dylan gave that awesome rant, if you saw it, about how all the people who analyse him are idiots because most of the time he's just throwing in whatever rhymes with "nnnnmmmmyyyyhhh".

For the sake of the Leaving Cert, however, we have to find meaning and depth in whatever poem is shoved in front of us that day, even if it just looks to us like some hippie chick got high while looking at her pen. Readers, I have two pieces of advice; do not fear and do not fake it. There is always method to their madness, reason behind their randomness, and intent behind the incoherency. And actually, whatever the poem leads you to think- even if it's "THIS IS GOING TO MAKE ME PHYSICALLY VOMIT"- is its meaning. Whatever you feel is inherently viable. Just  think about it a few seconds longer and phrase it nicely, and dang, man, you got yourself an undeniably viable point.

So there's my first piece of advice; make a note of whatever you think about the poem while you're reading it, come back to it afterwards, and see if it seems reasonable and significant enough afterwards to make a decent point out of. (An encouraging note- I made a reasonable and decent point out of the note "it's like stuff's all wobbly" in my mocks. Seriously.)

Secondly, look out for techniques and musical devices. Poems are like music for people who can only play their language. Just as a long, low note signifies solemnity in songs, so word sounds and patterns indicate meaning in poems. One tip I always use is to read the poem (under my breath, obviously), and find out how it sounds. Of course, devices can mean different things in different poems (ie siblance [repetition of 's' sound] can be sinister in one poem, but soothing in another.) However, content should give you a clue here; if it's a poem about someone falling in love, assonance (repetition of a vowel) could signify awe, whereas the same technique used in a mourning poem might signify howls of pain. We can usually pick this up ourselves, though, and noticing language as well as content is always very impressive. If you're totally stuck, paying attention to these devices can help you get a sense of the mood of a poem, at least.(List of devices at bottom). The physical layout of a poem speaks volumes as well- usually tight, rigid poems that follow a distinct pattern (ie ones that look nice and neat on the page) are called "formal" poems, and can be used to show respect, restraint, and/or a need for structure and a desire for order. Poems that are structurally messy can indicate a similar state of mind; the poet might feel disorganised, fragmented, or uncontrollably emotional. Or they might not have been arsed making a freakin sestina out of a fly they saw on their curtains. But let's pretend.

Poetry is all about the senses, so look (heh) out for these. A lot of the time, poets use solid, real objects and sensations to explore abstract ideas. This is what makes poetry so confusing- the buzzing of a bee might signify happiness to me ,because I think it's a summery, sweet sound-but you might find it a symbol of danger and evil, because you just got stung by four of those futhermuckers before entering the exam hall. My advice? If you notice it, go with it. This is how the poet is expressing their idea, and if you want good marks, getting the idea of a poem is essential. Even if what you notice seems to be against the rest of the poem, go with it regardless. As I've said before, poetry is all interpretation, and poets- and novelists, playwrights, lyricists and journalists- contradict themselves all the time. It's called complexity, and it's literary catnip. If you notice three things, and they seem totally unrelated- go with it. After all, there's so many sides to any situation that you'd actually be giving the poet a compliment by suggesting they've looked at more than one of them.

In terms of content; look out for word play (ie lines with two meanings) and subject matter. I've said that poets explore abstract notions through real objects- it couldn't be more important, by that logic, to look at what they focus on. Mirrors, birds, and children are so common in poetry that they've become almost cheesy, but they're very handy if they come up in the LC because they have such universal meanings. If something more obscure comes up, try to think what the object might mean to the poet, as well as what it feels, smells, tastes, looks, or sounds like- a stinky pile of dog poo is an extreme example of something that signifies distaste, for example. It's awesome if you can work this with your language or imagery point, too- ie "The subject matter in this poem seems distasteful to the poet. The already repulsive connotations the reader instinctively has with dog poo is reinforced by the poet's use of sharp, displeased constanants- 'the vile pile of decomposing poop'- and reference to related senses- 'Made my assailed nostrils/ Shrink a size or two.'" This leads to meaning and interpretation; examiner catnip. Now for yeh.

Lastly; don't lose the ceann over this question. It hurts to say it, because I actually think it's one of the most practical, vital, and realistic questions on the paper- but it's only twenty marks. That's the lowest on the whole course. Pick one image /sense, one technique, and one idea that stands out to you, say it nicely, and you should do fine, even if you leave the exam hall still befuddled as to what bees have to do with anything.

To Recap;

> Write down EVERYTHING you think of or notice during the poem. Any personal response is intrinsically viable and important. Go over these after reading the poem a few more times, and decide which ones are LC friendly.

> Recognise techniques and think about them. Poets have an irrepressible boner for musicality, and it says so much about their mood.

> Do not be afraid to embrace opposing notions. Poets who wrote from one point of view aren't usually worth their second-grade gin.

> Read the poem out loud. That's how they're meant to be read, and it usually gives it a whole new dimension.

>Look at the layout. This can be hard to decipher, because it can mean so many things, but you probably have a fair enough idea, and it looks really impressive if you mention it.

>Feel it, man (literally). Senses are the unit of poetic expression.

>Look at subject matter. The literal side of the poem- which you need to pay attention to as well- is all bout this, and this is where the theme stems from.

> Make it true to you. Nothing looks worse than making up meanings that you don't see; the examiner will recognise the stink of bullshit straight away. Trust your real reaction. Poetry is as poetry does.

Techniques

Siblance- Repetition of the letter 's'.
Assonance- Repetition of a vowel.
Repetition- Saying the same thing many times for emphasis.
End rhyme- words that make similar sounds at the end of different lines. Can be for emphasis, structure, or to signify rushed-ness.
Internal rhyme- rhyme within a line. Can emphasise line.
Comparison- putting two dissimilar things next to each other to highlight the traits of each.
Simile- comparing two things using the link words 'like' or 'as'.
Metaphor- Comparing things such as an abstract idea and a physical thing as though there is not difference between them, ie without using "like" or "as".

There are more, but these are the biggies. I'll post my unseen answer soon.

Thanks for reading, and I hope it helps- call me up on something you feel I missed/ got wrong/ phrased badly. Muchos graçias :)