Poetry Forms and Elements PDF

Poetry is one of the oldest forms of literature, expressing ideas, describing scenes, or telling stories using rhythmic and concise language. Its structure can either be organized with rhyme and meter or be free-formed. There are two main types of poetry: narrative poetry and lyrical poetry. Narrat...

Poetry is one of the oldest forms of literature, expressing ideas, describing scenes, or telling stories using rhythmic and concise language. Its structure can either be organized with rhyme and meter or be free-formed. There are two main types of poetry: narrative poetry and lyrical poetry. Narrative poetry tells a story through its verses, including a plot, characters, and a setting. It is generally longer than other types of poetry and contains descriptions, dialogues, and actions. Narrative poetry has its roots in oral traditions, where repetition and rhyme were used to make poems easier to remember and pass down through generations orally. Notable examples of narrative poetry include Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey,” and Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales.” Traditional forms of narrative poetry include epics, ballads, and Arthurian romances. Lyrical poetry is musical poetry that expresses intense feelings and emotions, typically in short poems. In the past, lyrical poems were sung with music. Unlike narrative poetry, lyrical poetry doesn’t tell a story but instead conveys the personal feelings of the speaker. This type of poetry includes forms like odes, elegies, and sonnets. Differences Between Narrative and Lyrical Poetry: Definition: Narrative poetry tells a story through its lines, while lyrical poetry is musical and expresses intense emotions and feelings. Focus: Narrative poetry focuses on telling a story, while lyrical poetry focuses on expressing the speaker’s emotions. Length: Narrative poetry is generally longer, while lyrical poetry is shorter. Types: Traditional forms of narrative poetry include epics, ballads, and Arthurian romances, while lyrical poetry includes odes, elegies, and sonnets. Structural Elements in Poetry: Rhyme: Rhyme is one of the most common elements in poetry, with many poetic works such as limericks, epic poems, and song lyrics incorporating rhyme. Meter: Another important element in poetry, which includes the determination of line length and stress patterns in the lines of the poem. Rhetorical Devices in Poetry: Alliteration: This is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words. It is used in poetry, advertisements, and headlines to grab attention, create rhythm, and emphasize certain ideas. Apostrophe: This rhetorical device involves addressing an absent or non-living thing as though it can hear or respond. An example in Walt Whitman’s poem “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” is: “O Western star!” as if the star could hear him. Personification: This rhetorical device involves giving human qualities or actions to non- living things or abstract concepts. For instance, “whispering winds” gives the wind a human action (whispering). Imagery: In poetry, imagery uses figurative language to create sensory experiences for the reader, such as sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, and internal and external feelings. It allows the reader to feel as though they are in the moment or place being described. Difference Between Rhymed and Free Verse Poetry: Free Verse became popular in the 19th century and is a type of poetry that doesn’t rely on rhyme or a regular meter, while Formal Verse, which emerged in the 16th century, follows a strict rhythmic pattern and was used by poets like William Shakespeare, John Milton, and William Wordsworth. Phonetic Repetition in poetry refers to words that sound like the thing they describe, such as “meow,” which mimics the sound of a cat, and “murmur,” which imitates the sound of streams. In poetry, these words help the reader experience the sound without the need for extensive explanation. Sound Harmony in poetry refers to the repetition of consonant sounds in words, adding charm and beauty to the poem without needing exact rhymes. Vowel Sound Harmony involves the repetition of vowel sounds in words. From William Wordsworth to Kendrick Lamar, poets use this harmony as a flexible alternative to precise rhymes. Types of Poetic Forms: Formal Verse: Poetry that is written with a definite rhythmic pattern—usually in iambic pentameter, and often follows a rhyme scheme. Free Verse: Poetry that does not have a specific rhyme scheme or meter. Narrative Poetry: Like an epic, it tells a story. Examples include Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Paul Revere’s Ride” and Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” Haiku: A three-line poem that traditionally has 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, and 5 in the third. It originates from Japan. Pastoral Poetry: Poetry that focuses on the natural world, rural life, and landscapes. This type of poetry has been in existence from ancient Greece (in the poetry of Hesiod) to ancient Rome (Virgil), and even into modern times (Gary Snyder). Sonnet: A 14-line poem, often about love, that contains a set rhyme scheme and is usually written in iambic pentameter. The Sonnet: A sonnet is a 14-line poem, often about love but can also explore other themes. It originated in Italy in the 13th century with the poet Petrarch and was later developed by English poets like Shakespeare. Characteristics: 14 lines. Rhyme Scheme: Varies depending on the type of sonnet. Meter: Often written in iambic pentameter (10 syllables per line). Structure: The Petrarchan Sonnet: 8 lines (octave) with the rhyme scheme ABBAABBA, followed by 6 lines (sestet) with a changing rhyme scheme. The Shakespearean Sonnet: 3 quatrains and 1 couplet with the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Common Themes: Love, Beauty,Time and Death,Nature. Famous Poets: Shakespeare: Wrote 154 sonnets. Petrarch: Invented the Italian sonnet. Example from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date. The Sonnet in England – Early Sonnetteers Sir Thomas Wyatt was the first to write sonnets in England. He followed the Petrarchan form of the sonnet. His use of this style was often strict and rigid, failing to capture the warm, sensuous colors and delicate music of the Italian poet. His great contemporary, Earl of Surrey, also wrote sonnets in which he expressed his entirely imaginary love for Geraldine or Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald. Elegy: An elegy is a poem of mourning for the death of someone important or reflects on death and loss. It typically explores themes of grief, loss, and regret, but it can also explore themes of redemption and consolation. Ode: An ode is a poem that praises or honors a person, thing, or event, whether living or dead, such as John Keats’ “Ode to a Grecian Urn.” It is typically short, noble in emotion, and formal in style, often accompanied by musical elements. Limerick: A limerick is a five-line poem with a rhyme scheme of AABBA, telling a short story or giving a concise description. Ballad: A ballad is a narrative poem that follows a four-line rhyme pattern and is often set to music. Poets who have written ballads include John Keats, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Bob Dylan. Stream of Consciousness: This is a literary technique where a character’s thoughts are presented in a continuous flow, often without punctuation or structured sentences. It is commonly seen in works by Shakespeare. Rhymed Poetry is the arrangement of rhymes using similar sounds, such as internal rhymes or near rhymes. The most common way to write rhymed poetry is by using matching vowel or consonant sounds in words. A stanza is a part of a poem made up of several lines connected by one idea. It can be regular in rhyme and meter or free with no fixed pattern. The number of lines and the rhyme type vary depending on the kind of poem and the poet’s style. Stanzas help organize the rhythm of the poem and move between different ideas within the same work. Definition: A stanza is a unit within a larger poem. Poems can be written in open or closed form. In closed form, the lines are arranged in fixed patterns of stress and rhyme. Stanzas can come in different forms based on their structure and rhyme type. Types of Stanzas: In English poetry, there are several types of stanzas that poets might use. Some have rhyme, and others do not: Monostich: A stanza with one line. Couplet: A set of two lines. Tercet: A set of three lines. Quatrain: A set of four lines. Quintain: A set of five lines. Sestet: A set of six lines. Septet: A set of seven lines. Octave: A set of eight lines. These different types of stanzas help determine the rhythm of the poem and organize its ideas, making it easier for the poet to express their thoughts. Subjective vs. Objective Poetry Subjective Poetry: Expresses the poet’s personal thoughts and emotions, derived from within. Objective Poetry: Draws themes from external events and objects, with the poet acting as an impartial observer.