In addition to sounding good, poems usually tell a story or create an image or idea, so poets need to be quite skillful with words. They say as much as they can with the fewest words possible. Choosing the right words and using the right rhythm is truly an art. Some poets became so good at it that even though their poems are hundreds of years old, we still read and enjoy them today. Read part of the section on œWhat Is Poetry in your Literature textbook (pages 647“655). This section includes Tennyson’s poem œThe Eagle. For now, notice as you look at the poem how it’s arranged on the page. Note that on the right-hand side of the page, you’ll see the number 5. All of the poems in the book are presented in this way. The textbook editors have counted out the lines for you in groups of five. On the right margin you’ll find the numbers 5, 10, 15, and so on. These counters are helpful when you need to find a particular line referred to in a poem’s discussion. Read part of the section on œReading the Poem in your Literature textbook (pages 668“676). Note especially the suggestions on page 668“669. Be sure to read slowly, read each poem more than once, and read with a dictionary beside you so that you can look up unfamiliar words and references. Practice reading poems aloud, so that you can hear the natural rhythm. Pay special attention to the discussion on page 673 about differentiating between the speaker of the poem and the poet. They aren’t necessarily the same person. Read part of the section on œImagery in your Literature textbook (pages 700“703). Through the use of imagery”language that appeals to the senses”a poet can create particulalry vivid experiences for a reader or listener. As discussed on page 700 of your textbook, even though we use the word imagery to describe this use of language, the term isn’t limited to language that appeals only to the visual sense. Robert Browning’s poem, œMeeting at Night, which is included in this section, contains images that appeal not only to the sense of sight, but also to the senses of smell, touch, and hearing. Lesson 2 Read part of the section on œFigurative Language 1 in your Literature textbook (pages 714“724). Pay particular attention to the distinction between simile and metaphor on page 715 and to the discussion of the four different kinds of metaphors on pages 716“718. After reading the selected pages from œFigurative Language 1, return to this study guide to begin your study of British poetry. ASSIGNMENT 11 British Poetry Read part of the section on œRhythm and Meter in your Literature textbook (pages 838“852). After reading the selected pages from œRhythm and Meter, come back to this study guide to read the following commentary. Rhythm, as defined on page 838, is the variation of stressed and unstressed sounds of speech that make the voice rise and fall. Words of more than one syllable have a particular rhythm. For example, the words reading, writing, flying, and falling are two-syllable words with the stress (or accent) on the first syllable. The words Italian, condition, forbidding, and prescription are three-syllable words with an accent, or stress, on the second syllable. Stringing words together into sentences or phrases creates another sort of rhythm based on the meaning of the sentence or phrase. For example, if you read a simple sentence such as œShe went to the movies, you’ll notice that the stresses fall on the word She and the first syllable of the word movies. To create specific effects, poets often use specific rhythmical patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables, known as meter. As mentioned on page 841, the word meter comes from the word measure. When we speak of meter, then, we’re speaking of a strict measurement of stressed and unstressed sounds.