Poetry and Society Analysis Table
For each period studied, identify the following aspects of poetry. You may use sentence fragments or phrases, but you must cite any outside sources in APA format. Where applicable, provide examples to illustrate your points.
- Poetic forms refer to specific types of poems, such as the sonnet.
- Poetic elements refer to the poetic tools used, such as metaphor, allusion, and rhyme.
- Themesrefer to both topics and attitudes toward topics. For example, death might be a theme, but so would fear of death, or joy for life after death.
- The social role of the poet refers to the poet's place in society. For example, were poets primarily noble in a given period? Were poets primarily members of a religious order?
- Evaluating the social function of the poet requires analysis and interpretation. You may look at biographical information about the poets, but look primarily at the content of the poems themselves. Does the poem express a visionary perspective orarticulate a social critique? Does the poem share common social sentimentsor break with them?