Use an Example of Paraphrasing a Poem as a Guide to Paraphrase
Paraphrasing a poem is usually done as a way to better understand the poem. Often a poem may use syntax and words that are a bit confusing, and a good method to gain a better understanding is by paraphrasing a poem. Example paraphrased poems are written in modern prose to help gain a better understanding of the literal meaning of the words. The exact intention of what the poet means can’t be completely conveyed through prose in many cases. Looking at an example of paraphrasing a poem is useful before paraphrasing a poem yourself.
Some Guidelines for Paraphrasing a Poem
Paraphrasing a poem is a new experience for many students. The following are a few paraphrasing tips that may be useful:
- Write in modern prose and change as many of the original words as possible without altering meaning.
- Write in the same person and tense as the original poem is written in.
- Paraphrased poems are usually longer than the original due to the need to clearly explain what each line means.
To learn how to paraphrase a poem, example paraphrased poems can be compared to the original. An example of paraphrasing a poem is shown here:
Original poem “All Things Can Tempt Me” by W. B. Yeats
All things can tempt me from this craft of verse:
One time it was a woman’s face, or worse—
The seeming needs of my fool-driven land;
Now nothing but comes readier to the hand
Than this accustomed toil…
A paraphrased version of “All Things Can Tempt Me” by W. B. Yeats
Anything can distract me from writing poetry
Once I was distracted by a woman’s face, but I was even more distracted
By the requirements of my country which is governed by idiots.
At this point in my life, I find any task easier
Then the work, I’m used to doing
Original poem “The Secret Heart”
“Across the years he could recall
His father one way best of all.”
“In the stillest hour of night
The boy awakened to a light.”
“Half in dreams, he saw his sire
With his great hands full of fire.”
“The man had struck a match to see
If his son slept peacefully.”
Paraphrased poem “The Secret Heart”
As the boy got older,
he kept one image of his beloved father.
One night, the boy was suddenly woken up
by a source of light he got up.
He was party awake and he saw an image
which looked like his father holding fire ablaze.
However, it was just because he did lit a match in order to look at him.
The way he held the match shows that the resulting light represents love against the dim.
While the curve of his hands look like heart.
So the boy felt that his dad showed his part
And the love was simply powerful to start.
On the face of his dad, there was intense love,
and it was best seen when he was half awake while looking above
It did last for a moment only,
But the son knew that forever it will it be in his memory.
General Mistakes in Rephrasing of Poetry
The rewriting of a poem is a kind of nerve-wracking activity. Here are some mistakes that you should avoid in a rephrasing of the poem.
- It’s frequently pointless to rehash the data the title contains in the body of the poem. The thesaurus is an extraordinary asset yet it’s a terrible plan to substitute words you could never utilize.
- The fundamental issues I find with understudy verse are fragmented sentences, poor punctuation, and endeavoring to be self-absorbed with their composition.
- Read and read the poem again before begin to rewrite it. The proper understanding can make you able to rephrase the poem in an ideal manner.
- Not following the example of paraphrasing a poem.
From reading to understanding, the poem can be rewritten with a lot of time and mind consumption. Every stanza in the poem seems different to the other. The use of vocabulary is not similar to any essay or simple article. In short, it is quite difficult to rephrase the poem. However, paraphrasing a poem example can guide you well to do this task with no hassle at all. Choose a silent place to execute this work for the better ending results.