Elements of Poetry

Definition of Poetry

• Poetry is a form of literature that uses language's aesthetic and rhythmic qualities to evoke meanings beyond the literal interpretation.

Elements of Poetry

• Prosody: studies meter, rhythm, and intonation to define poetry's distinctive qualities.
• Rhythm: the actual sound that results from a line of poetry.
• Foot/Feet: meter is measured in feet or units of stressed and unstressed syllables.
• Metrical Rhythm: arranges stresses or syllables into repeated patterns called feet.
• Meter: the definitive pattern established for a verse, with common metrical feet in English including iamb, trochee, dactyl, anapest, spondee, and pyrrhic.
• Meter in Classical Languages: defined by vowel length rather than stress patterns.
• Role of Meter in Modern English Verse: organizes rhythm through stressed and unstressed syllables.
• Rhyme: a poetic device used to create musical or incantatory effects.
• Alliteration: the repetition of letters or letter-sounds at the beginning of two or more words, creating repetitive patterns of sound.

Forms and Conventions

• Uses assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and rhythm to evoke emotions, musical or incantatory effects.

Cultural and Genre-Specific Types

• Poetry types are specific to cultures and genres, responding to language characteristics.

Critique and Innovation

• Modern poetry critiques traditional forms, experimenting with euphony and sometimes abandoning rhyme or set rhythm.
• Free Verse: relies on cadence rather than strict meter, prevalent in contemporary English poetry.
• Old English Poetry: featured varied syllable counts but a fixed number of strong stresses per line.
• Contemporary English Poetry: moves away from strict metered patterns towards free verse, structured based on cadence rather than meter.