Poetry Elements

Jamaica is not to be left out: although a small Caribbean island it is holding its own in the literary field of poetry.

Poetry is an aesthetic, evocative emotional language that lends itself to many interpretations. It often uses particular forms to expand the literal words to evoke these emotional and sensual responses to be appreciated mmost times by each individual reader.

The poet has many writing tools from which to choose. There are over fifty types of poetry styles from which to choose. However, most poets work within the eight basic poetry-writing styles, Free verse, Humorous poems, Limerick, Lyrical, Diamante, Haiku concrete and Ballads. Others who are more adventurous or advanced may wish to experiment with others styles. Such as these more modern forms. Dub ,Analysis, Prose Slam, and Spoken Word.

Poetry is usually written in lines and verses otherwise refer to as stanza which captures images vividly in an original refreshing way. At the same time it combines elements like theme, tension, complex emotions and profoundly reflects thought. It incorporate sound and a most important element called rhythm ,which in most cases is achieved by arranging lines into meters. Another of the skills of poetry mastery is the ability of a poet to use figure of speech to give vivid images of the theme

Poetry analysis is the process of investigating a poem's form, content, and history in an informed way, with the aim of heightening one's own and others' understanding and appreciation of the work.Like poetry itself, poetry analysis can take many forms, and be undertaken for many different reasons.

There is this remarkable Jamaican female poet , fairly new to the literary seen who has skillfully used these basic poetry styles in her work to the point of recognition and commendation. She has skillfully woven in her works exercises to enhance poetry analysis.

Reviewers such as the Clarion and the Jamaica Daily Observer has placed her works in the category of inspirational, sighting them as respectable read for individuals who are strived, striven and those who are just looking for something inspiring to read.

Juliet Christie Murray is a Jamaican Teacher. at present she is a vice principal in a Jamaican High School Author of two inspirational books and web master of http://www.specular-jamaica.com and http://blackwomenandtheirhair.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Juliet_Christie_Murray

Poetry Elements

Most readers of poetry agree that there are basic elements often found in a poem: image and discourse, rhythm, effective line breaks, figures of speech, word music, and formal structures. A good poem does not need to have all of these elements; in fact, the poem will probably have only one or two of the elements as major strength

Images speak to our senses, evoking a vivid, sensuous experience. Many images are visual, but they also evoke touch, taste, smell, and hearing. The function of images is to re-create the experience for the readers, so they will be able to put themselves into the experience rather than just “hearing” about it

Discourse

is the opposite of the image: it is a general, abstract statement that rarely evokes any sensory experience. In other words, it is usually an idea phrased in abstract terms. If discourse is to be effective, it must be precise and original phrasing; clichéd discourse will seriously weaken a poem.

Rhyme

: When the final vowel and consonant sounds of words are the same (i.e., mouse/house, low/toe).

Rhythm is a fundamental element of a poem, the rhythm of poetry or its recurring beat is similar to the rhythm of the African drum. The rhythm of a poem should carry the reader as a flow, rapid or slow

The best method of understanding this is to read the poem aloud. Listen for the sounds and the music made when we hear the lines spoken

Metre

This is the basic structural make-up of the poem. Do the syllables match with each other? Every line in the poem must adhere to this structure.metre can be fixed

Fixed meter means a poem has an identifiable recurring pattern of sound, beats can be strong and stressed or weak and unstressed

Figure of Speech

Alliteration:

This is a repetition of sounds. Many words in a sentence may begin with the same alphabetical sound. eg round the road the rugged rascal run

Simile

A simile is a method of comparison using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’

Metaphor:

A metaphor is a method of comparison where the words ‘like’ and ‘as’ are not used.

Theme:

This is what the poem is all about. The theme of the poem is the central idea that the poet wants to convey.

Symbolism

Often poems will convey ideas and thoughts using symbols.

Assonance

A partial rhyme which has the same internal vowel sounds amongst different words.

Repetitions

The repetition of the same word throughout the poem to emphasize significance

Style

The way the poem is written. Free-style, ballad, haiku, etc. Includes length of meters, number of stanzas along with rhyme techniques and rhythm.

Voice

Lyric

A lyrical poem is one that expresses the feelings and emotions of the poet. It often uses first person pronouns (I, me, my, we, our, us, mine, ours, etc.)

A narrative poem tells a story. The poet recounts something that happens, but is not part of the story

Apostrophe

This talks to something that can't answer (a bee, the moon, a tree) and is

good for wondering, asking, or offering advice.

Mask puts on the identity of someone or something else, and speaks for it

Conversation is a dialogue between two voices and often asks us to guess who the voices are

Poetic Forms

There are a number of common poetic forms. People who are familiar with poetry can usually tell what the form of a poem is when they first look at it. The form tells the reader what to expect from the poem, and the person who writes the poem can "play" with the form in interesting ways

Ballad -

A story told in verse. It tells about a dramatic event, without much detail or setting. Action is very important in a ballad

Haiku -

a short poem with seventeen syllables, usually written in three lines with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third. It must refer to something in nature or use a "season word.The present tense is used, the subject is one thing happening now, and words are not repeated. It does not rhyme

Cinquain

A five-line poem with two syllables in the first line, four in the second, six in the third, eight in the fourth, and two in the fifth. It expresses one image or thought, in one or possibly two sentences

Villanelle

A 19-line poem with five tercets and one quatrain at the end. Two of the lines are repeated alternately at the ends of the tercets, and finish off the poem: the first line and the third line of the first tercet. Although it sounds very complicated, it's like a song or a dance and easy to see once you've looked at a villanelle. Right now this is my favorite poetic form. One of the best-known villanelles is Dylan Thomas' poem for his dying father, Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Limerick

A five-line poem, usually meant to be funny. The rhythm is anapests. Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme with one another, and lines 3 and 4 rhyme with one another. Lines 1, 2, and 5 have three feet, lines 3 and 4 have two feet.

Sonnet -

There are different types of sonnet. The most familiar to us is made of three quatrains and ends with a couplet. They tend to be complicated and elegant. William Shakespeare wrote the most well-known sonnets.

Free verse

(or open form) - Much modern poetry does not obviously rhyme and doesn't have a set meter. However, sound and rhythm are often still important, and it is still often written in short lines for a good reason. A line can be like a musical phrase or a single breath

Concrete

poetry (pattern or shape poetry) is a picture poem, in which the visual shape

of the poem contributes to its meaning. Concrete Poetry

Understanding and appreciating poetry

When you read a poem you look for the following

1.The theme of the poem. This express or conveys the main idea of the poem

2.The intention of the poet-This conveys the reason or what message the poet wishes to show the reader.

3.The mood and feeling of the poem. This is the feeling the poem conveys It addresses how one feels when reading, sadness, disgust, excitement joy, longing or anger.

4.Imagery are words the writer uses to create a mental pictures in the mind. Imagery help us to see vividly or clearly. imagery of sight , sound ,smell and touch, may be created

5.Figurative language. Many poets use images figuratively they compare the things they describe with something else. In doing so the descriptions becomes vivid and meaningful to the reader

Poets use figurative speech like the simile, or metaphor to make the description more vivid.

6.The simile this is a form of writing in which one thing is compared with another. Example To the dwarf the giant seemed as tall as a mountain. Here giant and mountain are compared because of the height of the giant.

7.The metaphor is a figure of speech which takes the comparison further by saying one thing is another by giving qualities of one thing to another thing which is totally different.

Example the night rushed on at horse’s speed , or the spread of leaves was a brown carpet under foot.

NB. You can come back for more at some other time

Onomatopoeia

When the sound of words reflect their meanings, the device is called onomatopoeia.

Examples:

a. The leaves rustled on the when they were blown on the floor.

b. The door banged when the storm raged widely

c. the crashing waves beat upon the shore

d. the fat boy fell with a thud.

Identify the onomatopoeia in these lines

1.The boom of the thunder

2. The crack of a riffle

3. The Throb of the machinery

4. the whoop of the boy

5. The howl of the boy

6. Make me like noise

Personification

When the poet chooses to give human qualities of feelings to something inanimate and non human he is making use of the technique referred to as personification.

Examples :

a.The wind stood up and gave a shout

He whispered on his fingered and kicked the withered leaves

Here the wind behaves like a living thing, with feeling and movement.

b After the flowers is withered and goes to sleep

c The night quietly weep dew with sorrow at the sight

d The flowers and night are give human qualities, flowers here sleep

and the nights is weeps because of it sorrow for the withered flower

Alliteration:

When sensory consonant sound are used in succession or at short interval this is used as alliteration. The similar sound s are usually at the beginning of words, They are use to show Emphasis .When used in poetry they creates musical sounds and enact meanings,

Examples:

a. The noise gathered as children shout To rival the waging wind with out

b. Down the road the rugged rascal run

c. The miles meandering with a mazy motion through the dale and hills.