The Poetry of Literature

About this curriculum

This is the poetics book in Level 4 of the MCT language arts curriculum. The Poetry of Literature is unique among the poetics books in the MCT curriculum. Unlike those, which naturally focus on the poetics of poetry, this book shows how the great novelists of English and American classics used poetic devices in their prose writing. Michael provides abundant examples of their use, many pulled from the novels in the trilogies of this curriculum. Among the devices he explores are how the novelists used silence, rhythm and meter, alliteration, assonance and consonance, and stopped consonants—all of which students should be familiar with from his other poetics books. These concepts will come as no surprise to any student who has completed other levels of the curriculum with the accompanying literary trilogies. But for anyone else, this book will be an eye-opening experience. The illustrations are full pages from the novels with the poetic devices highlighted. Seen in this context, it is readily apparent how easy it is for even careful readers to miss the poetics that are hidden in plain sight.…