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what is a litany poem

by Audreanne Mosciski Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Initially a prayer or supplication used in formal and religious processions, the litany has been more recently adopted as a poetic form that catalogues a series. This form typically includes repetitious phrases or movements, sometimes mimicking call-and-response.

How to write a litany?

  • Start out with your family names – mother and father’s name saints and/or confirmations saints.
  • Add in your children’s name saints and/or confirmation saints. ...
  • Does your family have a charism? ...
  • Now, think of your or your spouse’s occupation – who is the patron saint of your field? ...

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How do you use Litany in a sentence?

litany Sentence Examples. But in spite of the old man's litany of failures, Dean suspected he was holding back something important. At the evening service a litany is rarely used. At morning worship the service consists of a litany, scripture lessons, sermon, singing, extempore prayer.

What is a literal meaning of a poem?

When reading a poem, readers are advised to concern themselves with both the literal meaning and the figurative one. While literal meaning is the basic and ordinary sense, figurative meaning is the abstract and imaginative one. Meaning of a poem: literal and figurative meaning is the general interpretation of 3 famous poems: The Red Wheelbarrow, The Legend, Stopping by Wood on a Snowy Evening.

What are key features of a poem?

What are the key features of poetry?

  • Figures of Speech. Figures of speech, or figurative language, are ways of describing or explaining things in a non-literal or non-traditional way.
  • Descriptive Imagery. Imagery is something concrete, like a sight, smell or taste.
  • Punctuation and Format.
  • Sound and Tone.
  • Choice of Meter.

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What is the tone of the poem litany?

Overview of the Poem 'Litany' is a kind of love poem, a series of metaphorical comparisons between the speaker, the first person 'I', and another, which could be a lover, wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, loved one, friend, mate, buddy, a deity, even a pet, and so on and so on. The tone is rather ambiguous.

When was litany written?

“Litany” was originally published in the February 2002 issue of Poetry magazine, and included later that year in Collins's book Nine Horses: Poems.

What does litany mean in the Catholic Church?

Litanies are a form of prayer, led by a priest or deacon, containing a series of petitions to which people make fixed responses. They originated in the 4th century, and were later incorporated into the Mass. Today, they're used in the liturgy of the Church, and other forms of public worship.

What is an example of litany?

Litanies consist of a lead statement followed by a repeated response, such as “pray for us” or “we praise you, we bless you, we thank you” or “Lord hear us”; or “Lord Have Mercy”. The word litany comes from the Greek word litaneia which means petition or supplication.

What does a litany usually have?

Definition. A litany is a repetitive prayer form, usually characterized by the announcement of varying invocations (e.g. lists of divine titles, names of saints) or supplications by a leader, each of which is followed by a fixed congregational response.

Can anyone write a litany?

But more importantly, I encourage you to form a litany of your own. There is a power to putting into words exactly those things with which we are struggling and areas in which we need God's grace and help.

What are the 6 litanies?

In the Catholic Church, six litanies are approved for public recitation:The Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus.The Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.The Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus.The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (also known as the Litany of Loreto)The Litany of Saint Joseph.More items...

What is the opposite of litany?

Opposite of a prayer asking for divine blessing. anathema. curse. execration. imprecation.

How did the litany start?

Litany is a series of short petitions and exhortations sung or said by the deacon or priest, and to which the people respond by the Kyrie eleison: Grant this, Lord: to Thee, Lord. The Litany originated in Antioch in the fourth century and from there was taken to Constantinople and through it to the rest of the East.

Who wrote the litany?

This litany is commonly attributed to Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val (1865-1930), Cardinal Secretary of State of the Holy See under Pope Pius X. C.S. Lewis attributed its composition to Merry del Val in a March 1948 letter to Don Giovanni Calabria.

How old is the great litany?

Pope Gregory I, known as “Gregory the Great” (d. 604), assigned the use of the litany to certain special days and retained the “Kyrie eleison” responses. The Litany was the first original-English liturgical rite published in 1544.

Who wrote a litany in Time of Plague?

poet Thomas Nashe“A Litany in Time of Plague” was written by the English playwright, pamphleteer, satirist, and poet Thomas Nashe. The poem first appeared within Nashe's comedic play Summer's Last Will and Testament (1600) but it has since been recognized as its own distinct work independent of its origin.

Who wrote the litany?

Litany begins with what could be a religious epigraph written by another poet, one Jacques Crickillon from Belgium, two lines that echo christian ritual. Yet, as the poem progresses the reader soon learns that this is no church litany, it is a tribute to a loved one.

How many lines are there in Litany?

Litany is a free verse poem of 7 stanzas, a total of 30 lines, so there is no set rhyme scheme or regular metric pattern. However, the poem does have frequent anapaests (anapests), a foot consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed, which brings a certain rising rhythm to a line. For example:

What is Billy Collins' litany?

Billy Collins And A Summary of Litany. Litany is a poem inspired by the first two lines of another poem written by Belgian poet Jacques Crickillon. Billy Collins expands on the epigraph, the theme being praise for a lover (or loved one) using comparative metaphors. A litany is a repetitive series of statements often associated with christian ...

What is a shooting star?

The reader is taken up into the evening sky. A shooting star is an asteroid that is burning up as it enters the earth's atmosphere, giving off the familiar flash of silvery yellow. Is the speaker implying that he is burning up? Or is he burning with desire?

What is the first romantic metaphor?

The first romantic metaphor - birds in flight, suddenly - introduces an element of uncertainty.

When was Litany first published?

Readers remark on the flow of language, the ease with which his lines satisfy and nourish. Litany is one such poem, first published in the book Nine Horses in 2002.

Is Show/Know a pure accident?

Somehow connected with the last stanza through a full rhyme: show/know, which could be pure accident because this poem is in free verse and doesn't entertain rhyme or consciously patterned meter (metre in British English).

What is Litany by Carol Ann Duffy about?

Litany by Carol Ann Duffy. Within ‘Litany’ Duffy exports themes of childhood, societal standards, and women’s lives. Though the subject matter is always serious and important, the mood varies between feeling solemn, serious, and humorous. The speaker ’s awareness of the absurdity of certain aspects of her youth comes through, ...

What is a caesura in a text?

Caesura occurs when a line is split in half, sometimes with punctuation, sometimes not. The use of punctuation in these moments creates a very intentional pause in the text. A reader should consider how the pause influences the rhythm of one’s reading and how it might come before an important turn or transition in the text. For example, line six of the fourth stanza that reads: “My mother’s mute shame. The taste of soap”.

What is litany in the first stanza?

In the first stanza of ‘Litany’, the speaker begins by saying that a specific soundtrack, outlined in the next lines, was a “litany” in her life . The word litany refers to a series of prayers used in church services. They are usually of a call and response type. They are prescriptive, just as the soundtrack to this speaker’s life was. The next lines inform the reader of what made up that soundtrack. There was a “three piece suite display cabinet” and “stiff-haired wives” and their “red smiles”. These lines suggest an upper-class world that values money, social standing, and possessions.

How many lines are in Litany?

Structure of Litany. ‘Litany’ by Carol Ann Duffy is a four stanza poem that’s separated into uneven sets of lines. The first and fourth stanzas contain six lines, the second: seven, and the third: five. These lines are written in free verse, meaning they are unrhymed and do not conform to a specific metrical pattern.

What does the turn in Litany mean?

A turn occurs in the next lines of ‘Litany’ as the speaker recalls how “this” world she’s been describing is the one that she learned “at [her] mother’s knee”. The transition into first-person comes less as a surprise and more as a purposeful transition into the more personal, emotional part of the narrative.

What is the meaning of the poem Litany?

Summary of Litany. ‘ Litany ’ by Carol Ann Duffy is a moving, complex depiction of a childhood marked by society’s troubling standards for women. The poem takes the reader through a variety of images associated with a speaker’s youth. Some of these are very obviously referential to a time and place and others are more vague and personal.

What are some poetic techniques in litany?

Poetic Techniques in Litany. Duffy makes use of several poetic techniques in ‘Litany’. These include alliteration, enjambment, and caesura. The first, alliteration occurs when words are used in succession, or at least appear close together, and begin with the same letter. For example, “air” and “accident” in line seven of ...

Why is Neera Tanden's confirmation in jeopardy?

Office of Management and Budget nominee Neera Tanden's confirmation is in jeopardy due to uniform opposition from Republicans, who cite her litany of tweets slamming members of Congress as conduct unbecoming of an OMB director.

What is litany in prayer?

Litany refers literally to a type of prayer in which a series of lines are spoken alternately by a leader and a congregation. This use dates to the 13th century. Between that century and the 20th, three figurative senses developed. The chant-like quality of a literal litany led first to a "repetitive chant" sense.

What is the etymology of "litany"?

History and Etymology for litany. Middle English letanie, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin litania, from Late Greek litaneia, from Greek, entreaty, from litanos supplicant. Keep scrolling for more.

LITANY

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LITANY

You are the bread and the knife, The crystal goblet and the wine... -Jacques Crickillon

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'Litany' by Billy Collins Meaning

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'Litany' is a poem inspired by the first two lines of another poem written by Belgian poet Jacques Crickillon. Billy Collins expands on the epigraph, the theme being praise for a lover (or loved one) using comparative metaphors. 1. A litany is a repetitive series of statements often associated with christian ritual, where call an…
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Overview of The Poem

  • 'Litany' is a kind of love poem, a series of metaphorical comparisons between the speaker, the first person 'I', and another, which could be a lover, wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, loved one, friend, mate, buddy, a deity, even a pet, and so on and so on. The toneis rather ambiguous. Is the speaker meant to be serious or tongue in cheek? Is there a hint of sardonic mischief? Or is it pur…
See more on owlcation.com

Stanza by Stanza Analysis

  • 'Litany' begins with what could be a religious epigraph written by another poet, one Jacques Crickillon from Belgium, two lines that echo Christian ritual. Yet, as the poem progresses the reader soon learns that this is no church litany, it is a tribute to a loved one.
See more on owlcation.com

Literary Devices Used

  • 'Litany' is a free verse poem of 7 stanzas, a total of 30 lines, so there is no set rhyme scheme or regular metric pattern. 1. However, the poem does have frequent anapaests (anapests), a foot consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed, which brings a certain rising rhythm to a line. For example: You are / the bread / and the knife, (trochee + iamb + anapest) and the bu…
See more on owlcation.com

Sources

  • www.poetryfoundation.org www.poets.org 100 Essential Modern Poems, Ivan Dee, Joseph Parisi, 2005 © 2018 Andrew Spacey
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1.Litany Definition and Meaning - Poem Analysis

Url:https://poemanalysis.com/poetic-form/litany/

27 hours ago Litany. A litany is a poetic form. It is a prayer that contains a series of invocations much of the time including repetition. Traditionally, a litany was a prayer used in a formal religious …

2.Litany | Poetry Foundation

Url:https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/litany

11 hours ago Litany Initially a prayer or supplication used in formal and religious processions, the litany has been more recently adopted as a poetic form that catalogues a series. This form typically …

3.Litany by Carol Ann Duffy - Poem Analysis

Url:https://poemanalysis.com/carol-ann-duffy/litany/

12 hours ago Litany is a poem based on the first two lines of Belgian poet Jacques Crickillon’s poem. In the poem, this becomes a series of repetitive lines that praise and flatter a loved one, amuse and …

4.Litany Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Url:https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/litany

2 hours ago Summary of Litany. ‘ Litany ’ by Carol Ann Duffy is a moving, complex depiction of a childhood marked by society’s troubling standards for women. The poem takes the reader through a …

5.LITANY (Billy Collins) - lyrikline

Url:https://www.lyrikline.org/en/poems/litany-7640

26 hours ago 1. : a prayer consisting of a series of invocations and supplications by the leader with alternate responses by the congregation. the Litany of the Saints. 2. a. : a resonant or repetitive chant. a …

6.Litany by Billy Collins | Poetry Magazine

Url:https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/41391/litany

3 hours ago Litany is a poem based on the first two lines of Belgian poet Jacques Crickillon’s poem. In the poem, this becomes a series of repetitive lines that praise and flatter a loved one, amuse and …

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