Page 4 Poetry Then and Now 

Style of poetry has changed to reflect interests and lifestyle of society.

In the past the pace was slower and there was more time to read. In our instant society there is little time to read and listen.

Click here to read the poem "Casey at the Bat".   



View  two video interpretations of "Casey at the Bat" to enhance your understanding of the poem.

"Casey At the Bat" Earl Jones Poetry Reading


"Casey At the Bat" Disney Cartoon from 1946




Poetry Then


Because "Casey At the Bat" was written over 100 years ago (1888), you might find you understand the basic events or meaning of the poem, but not all of the expressions the speaker uses.

Sometimes the reader needs to fill in some background information to understand a poem.

For example,

"And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;
  • Any ideas what these words mean?
  • Are these names meant to be insulting or complimentary to Flynn and Jimmy Blake?

It probably helps to know that lulu means remarkable and outstanding, while to be a cake is very bad.

Words lose or change meaning over time.

Remember in Unit 2 we discussed idioms such as, "She's the spitting image of her mother."

Idioms are expressions that can change meaning or become lost over time.

Things to Consider:


  1. Why did the poet use specific words such as spheroid, to discuss ordinary objects or activities such as ball or baseball?
  2. Did people 100 years ago view films, Wii, video games, television, Internet, smart phones as we do now? Did they have any forms of entertainment they could not live without as we do now? 
  3. Would readers be willing to spend a lot of time trying to understand a poem and its message? When, now or in the past?




  Please contact your teacher if you have questions.