Poem Annotations

Mauricio.H
Period 3
Storrs

Poetic Terms

1. Alliteration- A phrase that has the same sounding words or letters.

2. Assonance-Repeated words that have similar sound vowels.
3. Consonance-Repeated words that have similar consonant sounds.
4. End rhyme-A poem that ends in a rhyme.
5. Free Verse-A poem that has no rules, the author can do anything as he/she wants with the

poem.
6. Hyperbole-A words that puts an emphasis on a characteristic or situation.
7. Imagery-The author paints a picture with describing words.
8. Internal rhyme-A poem that contains rhymes in the middle and the end of a verse.
9. Irony-A way which words that are used in a different way other than using it in an actual

way.
10. Lyric-Words of a poem or writing a poem in the form of a song.
11. Metaphor-a way to compare two things without using like or as.
12. Onomatopoeia-Words that describe noises.
13. Personification- Giving non-human objects human characteristics.
14. Simile- Comparing two objects using like or as.
15. Symbolism- Putting emphasis on a certain object or person.

Explanatory Notes Critical Commentary

Title: Ones-Self I Sing Ones-self I Sing
Author-Walt Whitman (May 31st, (connection)-in the film Dead poets society,

1819- March 26, 1892). Mr. Keating who teaches English and poetry
Lived: West Hills, Huntington, Long
uses Walt Whitman as an idol for free
Island, NY, U.S. Camden, New Jersey,
thinking, free writing, and putting full effort
U.S.
towards your passions. It makes sense he
Was an American poet, essayist,
would be used as an idol for freethinking as
journalist, humanist and
Walt was known for free verse, this this
transcendentalist.
Known as the father of free verse. poem could be something that Mr. Keating
 Poem Annotations
Served as a nurse in the American
civil war.
Opposed slavery.
Definitions:
En-Masse-In a group; all together.
Physiology-A branch of biology dealing
with the functions and activities of living
organisms and their parts, including all
physical and chemical process.
Muse-To think in silence.
Narrator- Walt
Paraphrase stanza #1- I write poetry
to/about myself as a simple lone person.
But I still say the word Democracy; or
being in a group.
Stanza#2- I write poetry using my whole
body (possibly meaning passionate), my
physical appearance or intelligence will
surpass the Gods of art (Poetry?), the
perfect style of poetry is much more
worthy, and I write poetry about genders
being equal.
Stanza #3- With life that is hugely filled
Mauricio.H
Period 3
Storrs
could have used as a main example for free
thinkers.
Poetic term- free verse, symbolism-passion.
Alliteration-Passion, pulse, power.
(Connection)- Music can also be a passion
just like poetry where the notes are like the
words and the composer has unlimited
freedom to pour his/ her soul into making the
composers art.
When I Heard the Learnd Astronomer
Poetic term-free verse, metaphor
(Inf) I think that this poem may be a big
metaphor between the complex study of the
stars and poetry because Walt being a free
verse writer is probably illustrating that
poetry should not have to be strict and
complex on its structure as the astronomer is
showing all these mathematics to study the
stars which causes the listener to lose interest
in the subject. Walt is more importantly
possibly showing that there should not have
such restrictions to any passion as they are
meant to be cherished and enjoyed as he
shows the student or him to be able to enjoy
star gazing at the wonders of space without
 Poem Annotations
Mauricio.H
Period 3
Storrs

with passion, pulse and power, I am happy having to lose interest with the complex

to be able to write whatever I want, As I studies.

(Con) with my explanation on why I think its
write about myself, the Modern man.
a metaphor, I can relate this poem with dead
Summary- Walt is talking about how he is
poets society in the scene where Mr. Keating
very passionate about poetry and how he
orders his students to rip apart the rules to
pours every part of his body and mind
writing poetry while criticizing it for limiting
onto his works. He writes about males and
an individuals imagination to be able to
females equally and continues to talk
enjoy poetry with such passion.
about how it brings him joy to write

anything he wants.

Title: When I Heard the Learnd

Astronomer

Author-Walt Whitman

Unaccountable-unexplainable

Paraphrase lines 1 and 2- when I heard the

astronomer teacher, when the proofs, the

math, were shown to me,

Paraphrase lines 3-4-when I was shown

the charts and diagrams, and the

calculations, when I was sitting I was

listening the astronomer how he was

teaching with a positive mood in the

 Poem Annotations
Mauricio.H
Period 3
Storrs

classroom.

Paraphrase lines 5-6- Very quickly I had

inexplicably became tired and bored of

the lecture, soon I had zoned out,

Paraphrase lines 7-8- In the night,

sometimes Id look up into the starry

skies.

Summary: Walt illustrates a student

possibly being him in the past, attending

in school listening to the lecture of his

astronomy professor, the professor

introduces the equations and mathematics

that soon loses the interest of the student.

Soon the student occasionally then looks

up at the stars in the sky.

Poem Annotations
Mauricio.H
Period 3
Storrs