新世纪高等院校英语专业本科生系列教材(修订版)(第二版)U6B3(免费阅读).ppt

Unit 6How to Write a Rotten Poem With almost no Effort Richard Howey 1. History of Poetry Some of the earliest poetry is believed to have been orally recited or sung, closely related to musical traditions, and much of it can be attributed to religious movements: rhythm, rhyme, compression, intensity of feeling, the use of refrains. Following the development of writing, poetry has since developed into increasingly structured forms. Written composition meant poets began to compose for an absent reader. Much poetry since the late 20th century has moved away from traditional forms towards the more vaguely defined free verse and prose poem formats. 2. Classification Three major genres: Epic poetry: a long story about brave actions and exciting events; Lyric poetry: more personal, shorter poems intended to be sung; Dramatic poetry: comedy and tragedy as subgenres. Modern life is more about material and tangible goods than about spirit pursuit. We set clear targets for our future, neglecting that we are gradually losing one joy that human kind usually have: the fun of spontaneity. The writer of this essay reminds us that poetry, especially creating poems, can provide us such pleasure. Though the writer of this essay writes in a half-mocking tone, and the method he introduces will not ensure us to create a wonderful, or even presentable poem, his real purpose is to make the creation of a poem less difficult than we may imagine and to induce amateurs to set their first steps on their journey to a more aesthetic life. Pre-reading questions 1. Do you like reading poems? 2. Have you ever tried to write a poem? 3. If YES, do you think it is difficult to write a poem? Where does the difficulty lie? 4. What kind of poem can be called a good poem? How can we write a good poem? rotten adj. 1 (of food, wood, etc. 食物、树木等) that has decayed and cannot be eaten or used 腐烂的；腐败的；腐朽的 ： rotten vegetables 腐烂蔬菜的气味 The fruit is starting