Overview
This lecture introduces key concepts of comparison in poetry, exploring how poets use metaphor, personification, simile, and symbol to create meaning and connection.
Elements of Poetry and Comparison
- Poetry relies on five core elements: shape, line, music, comparison, and balance.
- Comparison in poetry involves finding similarities between distinct things, often creating new understandings.
- The Venn diagram (overlapping circles) represents how comparison reveals common ground between two things.
- The formula A + B = C illustrates how poetic comparisons blend two concepts to produce a new idea or emotion.
Forms of Comparison
- Common forms of comparison include metaphor, personification, simile, and symbol.
- Metaphors equate two things without using "like" or "as."
- Personification gives human qualities to non-human things.
- Similes compare using "like" or "as."
- Symbols use one thing to stand for another, often abstract, concept.
Examples from Poetry
- In Jack Gilbert's "Horses at Midnight Without a Moon," personification and symbol express hope versus despair.
- "Our heart wanders lost in the dark woods"—the heart is personified as a lost wanderer.
- "Hope...the angel flies up again"—hope is personified as an angel.
- The poem uses seasonal imagery (winter to spring) as a symbol for renewal.
- In Denise Levertov's "Aware," vine leaves are personified with human qualities and gestures.
- Leaves "speaking" and "hush their green breath" — personification and onomatopoeia.
- Simile in "move like cautious sunlight" expresses gentle observation.
- Vine leaves symbolize the natural world and the poet's desire for connection with nature.
Poetic Consciousness & Mindfulness
- Poetic consciousness means being awake, attentive, focused, grateful, fearless, and compassionate in the present moment.
- Reading and writing poetry develop mindfulness, offering guided meditations on awareness.
- Practicing recognition of comparisons in poems builds the habit of finding similarities and rejecting unnecessary divisions in daily life.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Metaphor — Direct comparison between two unrelated things without using "like" or "as."
- Personification — Assigning human traits or actions to non-human things.
- Simile — Comparison using "like" or "as" to highlight similarities.
- Symbol — A word or object that represents a broader concept or idea.
- Poetic consciousness — The practice of mindful, attentive, and compassionate engagement with the present through poetry.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Prepare for a reflection assignment by reviewing your notes and summarizing key concepts in your own words.
- Watch the lecture again if needed to reinforce understanding.
- Email Dr. Musgrove with any questions about the lecture or course material.