Paraphrasing + Connotation & Denotation

Since we are in the midst of a two-day snow break, I think it is most efficient to simply pass on to you some of most salient points of the lecture notes I would have imparted to you through in-class song and dance.

Paraphrasing Poetry
When summarizing a poem, you are answering the question: What does the poem say? In order to summarize you must paraphrase -- put the poem into your own words. Here are a few rules-of-thumb:

1. Restate the poem in simple, prose language
2. Include all main ideas covered by the poet
3. Translate all figurative language into literal language

Refer to the sample explication for "Nothing Gold Can Stay," and the notes on Emily Dickinson's "There is no frigate like a book" on page 38 in Sound and Sense.

Identifying the Narrator
Always assume the narrator is not the poet and you will be correct 99.9% of the time. Remember that poetry is almost always a form of fiction. Just as in novels and short stories, the narrator is very, very rarely the author himself.

Identifying the Central Purpose of a Poem
Ask yourself what is it the poet is try to accomplish (in general terms) through the writing of the poem. For example, is the poem's purpose:

- to tell a story?
- to reveal human character?
- to impart a vivid impression (e.g., a lovely spring morning)?
- to express an emotion (e.g., fear of death)?
- to convey an attitude or idea (e.g., war is an ugly affair)?

Aspects of Words
All words have three basic components, as follows:

1. Sound -- obviously, how the word sounds when it is pronounced
2. Denotation -- the dictionary definitions of a word
3. Connotation -- what the word suggests beyond definition

Denotation
Poets rely on the multiplicity of meanings of words

1. To give added meaning, using a word to mean more than one thing at a time
2. To achieve purposeful ambiguity

Connotation
Connotation is very important to the poet, and consequently he chooses his words carefully. In doing so, he can:

1. Concentrate or enrich the meaning of a sentence or idea
2. Say more in fewer words

Example
Consider the two words "childlike" and "childish." They both literally mean "characteristic of a child" but they have very different, even opposite connotations. "Childlike" makes us think of the positive attributes of a child like meekness, innocence, wide-eyed; while "childish" makes us think of the negative attributes of a child, like pettiness, ill-temper, selfishness, and immaturity.

Consider the difference in connations between "simple" and "simplistic."

Reminder: 5-minute quick quiz on Chapters 1-3 in Sound and Sense on Thursday.