Writing Lessons & Advice: Poetry
Poetry is a blend of art and written or spoken word. It’s often evocative; centered on strong images, memories, or feelings. In the Netflix series Bridgerton, Benedict Bridgerton eloquently describes it as:
"The art of revealing precious truth with words..."
More still, poetry is a form that has stood the test of time. Connected to oral tradition, history, stories, and information were preserved with poetry before literacy was refined. Some of the earliest poems known in history are the Psalms from Hebrew religious texts, the Greek adventure chronicles of The Iliad and The Odyssey, and the Mesopotamian stories of Gilgamesh. In a modern context, poetry and music are closely related, having in common an emphasis on rhythm, melody, and sound. Elements of poetry are referenced and woven into many aspects of our lives, from childhood nursery rhymes to our own conversations and even pop culture.
Thanks to poetry’s expansive nature across time and place, it has myriads of forms and figures for accomplishing its purposes. My writing lessons would not be about much else if I attempted a deeper dive, so the following list essentially key ingredients, so to speak, relative to poetry’s characteristics. Links and examples are included where relevant and you are welcome to check out the source material if you want to explore further.
Poetic sounds - the technical components of poetry; the rhythm of poetry is based on the arrangement of stressed syllables, unstressed syllables, and word sounds.
Stanza- a group of lines within a poem, like a paragraph.
Rhyme- words that repeat sounds or syllables. Discussions of poetry sometimes talk about the rhyme scheme, or the arrangement of rhymes within the poem as a whole, often simplified by a pattern of letters like ABBA, and so forth.
Common types of rhyming:
Alliteration- repetition of beginning consonant sounds
Assonance- repetition of vowel sounds
Internal rhyming- rhyming words within the same line
Slant rhyming or imperfect rhyming- rhymed words that only share either a vowel sound (like heart and star) or consonant sound (like walk and milk).
Rich rhymes- homonym words or two different words that sound the same, like raise and raze
Eye Rhymes- words that look the same, but have different pronunciations like rough and bough.
Identical rhymes- exact words used multiple times
Examples: Rhyming is very common in the children’s stories by Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. Also, the names of Santa Claus’ reindeer--Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen-- invoke a few different rhyming styles when they’re said altogether.
Meter or metre- another topic often discussed in poetry analysis; it is a base of measurement for the rhythm in one line of poetry. A unit of rhythm is called a foot.
Common types of poetry “metrics”
Iamb- one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one
Trochees- one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one
Spondees- two stressed syllables
Anapest- two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one
Dactyls- two stressed syllables followed by an unstressed one
Pentameter- a line consisting of five metrical feet, the stressed and unstressed syllables alternate, creating five of each.
Poetic content- otherwise known as figures of speech or literary devices
Simile- a comparison using like or as. Examples: The song titles, “Fly Like an Eagle” by the Steve Miller Band and “Cold as Ice” by Foreigner.
Metaphor- a device explaining an abstract concept that may mean something different than the literal definition. Sometimes a metaphor might be illustrated across multiple lines or stanzas, making it an extended metaphor.
Examples: The chorus of Taylor Swift’s song “Karma” describes the idea of what goes around comes around in several unique metaphors. Karma is not literally her boyfriend or her cat, but instead, the lyrics intend to express how the belief has worked in her favor.
Also, the “Twenty-Third Psalm” of the Christian Bible is a well-known extended metaphor that equates God to a shepherd and God’s children to sheep that follow Him.That selection of scripture illustrates God as a protector, provider, and leader. The language is symbolic--people are not literally sheep-- but the principle is realistic.
Onomatopoeia- words that denote sound. Example(s): Action sequences in cartoons will use terms like pow, crack, or boom to emphasize the sounds of fighting or explosions.
Personification- a figure of speech that gives human qualities to nonhuman entities. Examples: Many Pixar films have given human qualities to toys, automobiles, robots, rodents, fish, and even human emotions.
Allusion- an indirect or passing reference to something else. Examples: The Netflix show, Wednesday, makes allusions to Edgar Allan Poe. Also, inside jokes between friends or family are typically allusions to common knowledge or experiences exclusive to the group/people involved.
Hyperbole- a literary technique that exaggerates for emphasis or effect. Like with metaphors, hyperboles aren’t always intended as literal interpretations. Example: Feelings or emotions are commonly a focus of hyperbole, like “I’m so hungry I could eat a whole elephant!” or someone is “so happy they could die!” The expressions are just another way of conveying an abundant or extreme sense of hunger or happiness.
Imagery- another term for vivid descriptions in a text. Effective imagery helps a reader or listener see what the writer envisions of a scene or idea, making it a very useful device to incorporate where appropriate.Sometimes, imagery is analyzed as deeper expressions of abstract ideas. Examples: A few artists that incorporate strong imagery in their work include Edgar Allan Poe, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Johnny Cash, J.R.R Tolkein, and Neil Gaiman.
Poetic structures- types of poems and their characteristics; most poetry is either narrative, dramatic, or lyrical.
Limerick- a five-lined poem that follows AABBA rhyme scheme, and follows a rhythm in which two unstressed syllables follow a third stressed syllable. Limericks are often humorous, rude, or crass in nature. Examples: A couple times in the Netflix show, The Crown, the royals are either entertained by or entertain others with limericks.
Haiku- a form of Japanese poetry consisting of three lines and a collective seventeen syllables, usually in a 5-7-5 pattern.
Free verse- poetry without defined meter, consistent rhyme scheme, or specified length; it may sound a lot like natural speech.
Blank verse- unrhymed poetry that follows a regular meter, usually iambic pentameter
Sonnet- a poem of fourteen lines and often ten syllables per line. Example: William Shakespeare is well-known for his sonnets as well as his plays.
Acrostic- a poem in which the first letter or specific letter of a line spell out a word when read vertically. Example: The “F.U.N. Song” from the Spongebob Squarepants cartoon has an acrostic style:
“F is for friends who do stuff together
U is for you and me
N is for anytime and anywhere at all, down here in the deep blue sea...”
Concrete poem or shape poem- a graphic poem in which the text is arranged to create a visual image.
Epic- a lengthy narrative poem about adventure, extraordinary characters and/or deeds. Examples: The aforementioned “Iliad” and “Odyssey” are well-known epics.
Poetry is a finer art of written communication. It may be a toss-up of simplicity and complexity, but ultimately, it's the heart of communication. So, however you feel about poetry, you may find its difficult to avoid! Poetry and poetic elements make connections; vague or abstract ideas become more accessible. Messages are enhanced and even better-retained. Feelings are defined and relationships built. It's a part of life in some way, form, or fashion.
Hopefully this helps you better understand how to read, write, and use poetry!
If there's a topic you want me to cover in the future, you're welcome to reach out to me on the web chat feature or socials!
Sources:
limerick-writing tips from Masterclass.com: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-limerick
Rhyme-scheme discussion from Masterclass.com: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-a-rhyme-scheme-learn-about-10-different-poetry-rhyme-schemes#5zKAExeNF6ogsKfcFsyY1y
Iambic pentameter discussion: https://literaryenglish.com/what-is-an-iambic-pentameter/
More rhyme scheme details: https://www.dailywritingtips.com/types-of-rhyme/
Poetry terms from a Scholastic blog: https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/raise-a-reader-blog/poetry-terms-to-know-quick-refresher.html
