1、 By the end of this section, you will be able to: read aloud the poems and enjoy the beauty of poetry. illustrate your feelings when reading the two poems; share your favourite poems and poets 1. What is poetry? What is the biggest difference between poetry and other genres of literature? Poetry is
2、a literary work in which a poet expresses beautiful and elegant quality, and his or her feelings through a distinctive style. Poetry differs from other genres of literature in that it highlights the aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language, such as the sound symbolism represented by rhythms and
3、rhymes, which are the actual sound effects created by the lines of poetry. Poetry is an expression of ones will. What is kept in the heart is the will, but when expressed in words, it is poetry. “Preface to The Book of Songs” 诗者，志之所之也，在心为志，发言为诗。诗者，志之所之也，在心为志，发言为诗。 毛诗序毛诗序 2. What is your understandin
4、g of this quotation? Poetry is an expression of what one feels or thinks in his/her heart or mind. When it is kept to oneself inside, it is called “ones will”, but when it is expressed in words and shared with others, it is called poetry. 3. Are you interested in reading poems? Have you ever read an
5、y English poems? I enjoy reading Chinese poetry, especially poems written in the Tang Dynasty. I have read a few English poems before, for example, “A Grain of Sand” by William Blake and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. Poetry is a significant form of literature. Read the two
6、poems below and discuss the following questions in pairs. A spring Morning By Meng Haoran This spring morning in bed Im lying, Not to awake till birds are crying. After one night of wind and showers, How many are the fallen flowers! 1. What are the themes of the two poems? “A Spring Morning” reveals
7、 the poets love of spring and his regret of its departure. In “Dreams”, Langston Hughes emphasizes the importance of having dreams in ones life. 2. How do you like the two poems? Both poems are very descriptive. I like the first one because it focuses on the topic of spring and clearly describes a s
8、pring morning in a way that is easy to understand. The second one is about dreams and uses some artistic techniques, such as metaphor (暗喻暗喻) and personification (拟人拟人). Even though it is a little bit more difficult to understand, it is interesting to read. 3. What other poems or poets do you know ab
9、out? Du Fu He wrote poems about the beauty of nature and his experiences while travelling. He had a great gift for language. He met Li Bai on his travels and he admired the great poet very much. I know his poem “On Yueyang Tower”, which describes what he saw and how he felt while he visited the grea
10、t tower. Bai Juyi A poet from the Tang Dynasty, he started writing poetry from a very young age and most of his poems were accessible and appealing to the masses. His poem “The Old Charcoal Seller” tells of the peoples tough life and the governments corruption during those times. Percy Bysshe Shelle
11、y He is an English poet. I enjoy reading his poem “Good-Night”. He uses language in a fun and creative way to show the different meanings of the words “good night”. Emily Dickinson A famous American poet, she wrote poems that are creative and encourage careful thought. I like her poem “Hope Is the T
12、hing with Feathers”, which compares the feeling of hopefulness and expectation to a bird. Hope Is the Thing with Feathers Lets enjoy “Hope Is the Thing with Feathers”. What is your favourite poem? My favourite poem is “A Moonlit Night on the Spring River” by Zhang Ruoxu, a poet from the Tang Dynasty. This poem describes five of the most beautiful things in nature: spring, rivers, flowers, the moon and the night, in a romantic way. Recite the two poems and appreciate them from different aspects.
