AP English: Literature and Composition



POETRY EXPLICATION WORKSHEET (Graves)The following poem is concerned with language and the unique connotations associated with certain, seemingly synonymous words. Read the poem carefully and complete the explication prompts that follow. Then respond to the following prompt in your LRJ:Write an essay in which you analyze the author’s use of diction, particularly connotative and denotative diction, as well as other literary devices, to offer social and cultural commentary to the audience. To the Naked and the NudeBy Robert GravesFor me, the naked and the nude(By lexicographers construedAs synonyms that should expressThe same deficiency of dressOr shelter) stand as wide apart5As love from lies, or truth from art.Lovers without reproach will gazeOn bodies naked and ablaze;The Hippocratic eye will seeIn nakedness, anatomy;10And naked shines the Goddess whenShe mounts her lion among men.The nude are bold, the nude are slyTo hold each treasonable eye.While draping by a showman's trick15Their dishabille in rhetoric,They grin a mock-religious grinOf scorn at those of naked skin.The naked, therefore, who competeAgainst the nude may know defeat;20Yet when they both together treadThe briary pastures of the dead,By Gorgons with long whips pursued,How naked go the sometime nude!PROMPTS1. Literal content. Before you try to explain and interpret, you must understand what is literally happening. Ask yourself these questions: Who is the speaker (narrator) or what kind of person is the speaker? type your response hereWhat is the occasion or context of the poem? (For what reason was the poem written?)type your response here2. Summarize. Once you have identified the elements above, provide a brief summary of the poem in your own words, following the sequence given by the poet. type your response here3. Purpose/Theme. Identify the central purpose or theme of the poem, and state it in a single sentence. type your response here4. Tone. (This question goes hand-in-hand with #5) Once you understand the literal meaning of the poem and have identified the central purpose, begin to look at tone. What is the tone? Identify it in one or two words, based on the tone words you identify in #5.type your response hereIs there a change in tone during the poem? When does it occur and why does it occur?type your response here5. Diction (Choice of Words). Point out words that are particularly well-chosen in relation to tone. Answer the question: Remember, you are analyzing and interpreting here. Identify the “tone words” and type them below in your response.type your response hereWhy did the poet choose the words he used and why did he use them in that order?type your response here6. Figurative Language. Examine the passage carefully for allusions, similes, personification, metaphors, paradox, hyperbole, understatement, irony, etc. These are “vessels of meaning.” What figurative language is used? Why are they used? What are their effects? (Identify at least three.)type your response here7. Structure. Describe the form or pattern of the poem. Point out significant examples of sound repetition and explain their function. type your response here8. Thesis. In one sentence, write a well-crafted thesis that directly responds to the prompt. Make sure that it is a strong, clear claim that can be supported by evidence from the text.type your response here ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download