| Puritan Sonnet Down to the Puritan marrow of my bones There's something in this richness that I hate. I love the look, austere, immaculate, Of landscapes drawn in pearly monotones. There's something in my very blood that owns Bare hills, cold silver on a sky of slate, A thread of water, churned to milky spate Streaming through slanted pastures fenced with stones. I love those skies, thin blue or snowy gray, Those fields sparse-planted, rendering meager sheaves; That spring, briefer than apple-blossom's breath, Summer, so much too beautiful to stay, Swift autumn, like a bonfire of leaves, And sleepy winter, like the sleep of death. 1. Identify the rhyme scheme of the poem ABBAABBA CDECDE 2. Complete a scansion on 3 lines of the poem. (Identify line length and meter--like the example from "Shall I Compare thee to a Summer's Day). Down (unstressed) to (stressed) / the Pur / itan / marrow / of my / bones There's / something / in this / richness / that I / hate. I love / the look / , auster / e, imma / culate, Of land / scapes drawn / in pear / ly mon / o tones. There's / something / in my / very / blood that / owns 3. Identify at least 5 images in the poem (Try to find images that appeal to different senses) "Down to the Puritan Marrow of my bones" - Visual "Bare hills, cold silver on a sky of slate," - Visual "A thread of water, churned to milky spate" - Visual/Audio "Swift autumn, like a bonfire of leaves," - Visual/Audio "And sleepy winter, like the sleep of death." - Visual 4. Identify the problem (situation) and solution in the sonnet The speaker does not like the change and alteration that is occurring in his life. 5. Define the words austere, immaculate, and sheaves Severe or stern in disposition or appearance; somber and grave 6. Identify four sound devices in the poem (assonance, alliteration, consonance) "cold silver on a sky of slate" - alliteration "Streaming through slanted pastures fenced with stones" - alliteration 7. What is the speaker's attitude toward the New England winter landscape? The speaker hates the deadness of winter. He hates how there is nothing, and although it is pretty, it is the nothingness that he hates. 8. What view of life does the poem present? This poem shows that although people make be beautiful on the outside, they need to be exciting on the inside. They need to have difference and change on the inside, as a person. |