Poetry Types (PDF)

**POETRY** Poetry is a piece of writing in which the words are chosen for their sound and the images they suggest, not just for their obvious meanings. The words are arranged in separate lines usually with repeated rhythm. Poetry has a tendency to stipulate emotions. Through it, the poet has access...

**POETRY** Poetry is a piece of writing in which the words are chosen for their sound and the images they suggest, not just for their obvious meanings. The words are arranged in separate lines usually with repeated rhythm. Poetry has a tendency to stipulate emotions. Through it, the poet has access to disclose his view concerning any subject matter. It is written in verse with a regular rhythmic pattern. **TYPES OF POETRY** 1. **EPIC:** It is a long narrative poem associated with deeds of great people, especially those men of valour that have become part of history. Epic poetry usually displays the achievement of great men as it relates to heroism. Examples of epic poems are: Beowulf and Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson, etc. 2. **SATIRE:** This type of poem ridicules the foolish action of a person, society or even an institution. It is didactic in nature in that it is only designed to teach and correct but in a mocking process. 3. **LYRIC:** Lyrical poetry is a poem that is full of emotion and strong feelings. It is usually short and intended to be sung with musical instrument. Example: To an Athlete Dying Young by A.E Houseman. 4. **SONNET:** It is a poem of fourteen lines. It is arranged in iambic pentameter that is five foot lines. A sonnet is known for its special rhyme scheme. In poetry, there are two types of sonnet namely: a. **ITALIAN OR PETRARCHAN SONNET:** The Italian sonnet contains fourteen lines that is divided into two groups of eight and six lines. The first eight lines are called Octave, while the last six lines are known as sestet. The theme or subject matter of the poem is developed in the first eight lines. The conclusion is drawn in the last six lines. The rhyme scheme for octave is abba, whereas sestet has ed ed or edc. Examples of Italian sonnet are: Futility by Wilfred Oweness, On His Blindness by John Milton and Death be not Proud by John Donne. b. **SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET:** This sonnet can be referred to as English sonnet. It has three quatrains and one couplet with a rhyme scheme of ab ab cd cd ef ef gg. Examples include: Let me not to the Marriage of True Minds and \"Shall I Compare thee to a Summers Day\", all by William Shakespeare. 5. **ROMANCE:** This is a kind of poem that is imbued with sense of love, sentiment and excitement. The essence of romance poem is for entertainment 6. **ODE:** Ode as a type of poetry is always in form of an address. In other words it is a poem that addresses a person or thing for a specific purpose. It emanates from a deep sense of feelings and meditation of the poet often \"in celebration of some special events. Examples are: Ode to Nightingale, Ode to Africa etc. Notably, Ode is of Greek origin. 7. **ELEGY:** It is a poem that expresses grief or soirew usually caused by death. Also, it dan be called a poem of lamentation. Examples: Songs of Sorrow by Kofi Awonnor, Lycidas by John Milton and In memoriam by Tennyson. A short version of elegy is called dirge. 8. **IDYLL:** It is a short poem which describes one particular scene or incident. Idyll is of Greek origin meaning \'little picture.\" It portrays more of simple life of people in the countryside. Example is: Audley Court by Alfred Lord Tennyson. 9. **BALLAD:** A ballad is a folk or traditional poem that is meant to be sung. It has to do with events of great occurrence like war, adventure, love, myths and legends etc. Example: Salute to the Elephant. Ballad is a Latin word which means dancing or to dance. 10. **DIDACTIC POEM:** This type of poem teaches both social and moral lessons. It gives insight to how one should conduct one's life to ensure societal acceptance and development. Satire and allegory fall under this category of poem. 11. **PASTORAL POETRY:** It brings to light. the communal life of people living in the village or countryside. In this type of poem, the simple and rural life of the natives is made known. LIMERICK It is a humorous poem which has only but five lines. ROMANTIC POETRY This kind of poem shows the beauty of nature. The poet of such a poem uses natural things like birds, flowers, rivers etc to explore the beauty of nature. On the other hand, the poem usually shows a deep admiration of nature. Examples are: Dover Beach and The World Is Too Much With Us. PARODY It is an imitation of a style of another poem with a view to ridiculing the poet. It tends to mock either the poet\'s style or ideas. ELEMENTS OF POETRY i\. DICTION This refers to the choice of words used by a poet to convey his ideas. It is expected that the writer must choose words that àre clear and correct and appropriate to the subject matter. The rate of comprehension of any work of art lies on its type of diction. This suggests that whatever word (s) used by the artist should be effective to ensure proper understanding. iI. THEME It is not an understatement to say that what salt is to food is what theme is to poetry or any other literary work. Theme is the subject matter of the poem. Apart from this, it can be seen as the underlying message, which the poet wants every body to know. In a nutshell, the theme of a poem is all about the purpose or intention of the work. The moral lessons derivable are often universal and not limited to a particular group of people. iii\. TONE By tone in poetry, we mean the way the poet expresses his attitude towards the subject and his audience. It is also his manner of expression in relation to the issue at stake. It is a truism that readers get to know the tone of a poet from the manner he manipulates some narrating devices like hyperbole, irony etc. Tone can be high, low or moderate. The mood of a poet determines the tone. iv\. MOOD It is the mind set or state of mind of the poet in the course of writing. The mood is synonymous with the overall emotional effect of the poem. A poet can be in a happy, angry or bad mood depending on the nature of the poer he is writing. v\. RHYME It is one of the essential elements of a poem. Rhyme is the repetition of the same sound syllables at the end lines of à poem. Example of a rhymed poem is shown below: Let me not to the marriage of true minds a Admit impediments. Love is not love b which alters when its alteration finds a or bends with the remover to remove b The above illustrations emphasize the concept of rhyming in poetry. Here, \"\'minds\" rhymes with \"finds\", while \"love\" rhymes with \"remove\" which is ab ab. This type of rhyme scheme is known as alternate rhyme. POETIC DEVICES In poetry, poetic device refers to the artistic techniques used by a poet in writing his work. The quality of any poem is dependent upon the poetic devices employed by the poet. These devices include: Diction, Mood, Tone, Style, Structure or Form, Figures of Speech, Imageries and Symbolism. BOY ON A SWING - OSWALD MTSHALI BACKGROUND OF THE POET Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali was born in 1940 in Vryheid, Natal. He is one of the celebrated black South African poets. He left for Johannesburg in search of admission into the University of Witwaterstand, but the evil of Apartheid policy hindered him. Oswald later gained admission in the United States where he bagged higher degree in Arts (MA). He published volumes of poems captioned \"Sounds of a Cowhide Drum\" in 1971, which helped to single him out as a talented poet. In addition, he engaged in teaching profession at Pace College in Soweto where he lived before publishing another volume of poems, \"Fire Flames\". BOY ON A SWING Slowly he moves To and fro, to and fro, Then faster and faster He swishes up and down. 5- His blue shirt Billows in the breeze Like a tattered kite. The world whirls by: East becomes west, 10- North turns to south; The four cardinal points Meet in his head Mother! Where did I come from? 15- When will I wear long trousers? Why was my father jailed? CONTENT ANALYSIS The \"Boy on a Swing\" is a repository of apartheid policy prevailing over the South African enclave. It is a protest poem that evolves out of individual experiences. The inhuman policy in South African gives rise to racial discrimination and also subjects the black world to untold poverty, suffering and hopelessness. However, \"Boy on a Swing is a reflection of the miserable life of black people who are dehumanized and denied every access to a resourceful living. The poem unfolds a state of progression from uncertainty to awareness of life and its realities. In stanza one, the poet presents metaphorical pictures of life in African with a boy that is playing on a swing. In lines 1- 4, the boy on a swing is seen moving slowly, \"to and fro\" which typifies the gradual movement of life in an orderly manner before its abortion by the white opponents. Notably, a swing is a seat hanging by two ropes or chains from a metal frame, which can move backwards and forwards through the air: Slowly he moves to and fro, to and fro, Historically, the life of native blacks in South African was devoid of cruelties and frustrations until the emergence of mix colors. The white races that form the minority are controlling all the corridors of power, while the majority black is taken as societal fragments. In stanza two, the poet through the use of visual images, is able to show the pitiable condition of the black. In lines 5-7, it is on record that the boy\'s blue shirt \"billows in the breeze / like a tattered kite. This expression portrays an image of poverty crushing the black\'s children whose fathers have been handicapped by racism and inhumanity. In a comparative viewpoint, the children from white families are well disposed to joyful life resulting from their parent\'s affluence. They are not battered with poverty like the black who wallow in lack and hunger. The black are not given equal opportunities with the white. There is no sound job for them other than dirty house chores. Worse still, their lives can be taken at will. In stanza three, the speaker by use of manipulating device, discloses the boy\'s state of hallucination as motion escalates: \"The. world whirls by:\" The expression suggests the developmental stage of life, mostly, at diaper age in which one is surrounded with confusion emanating from bleak future. In lines 9-10, the boy in a literal sense, could not decipher the actual cardinal position and direction of \"east,\" \"west \" north \" and \"south\" which show a total lost in confusion. He is confronted with magnitude of problem which overcoming them will transform him into a full-grown man. that can walk on the ground of reality, not on a swing: East becomes west, North turns to south; The little boy is clouded with frustration owing to what is befalling him. He feels resigned and wonders why his life is more or less an agony, yet the children from white extraction glow with luxury and abundance. Apart from this \"swing\" in a symbolic dimension, is emblematic of obstacles of life, which hinder people from social advancement as regards the journey of life. This assertion comes in conformity with the fact that an ordinary \"swing \"like a pendulum, can go back and forth", yet it remains inconsistent in movement. In lines 11-12, it is noted that \"the four cardinal points / meet in his head\". This idea pictures the boy\'s state of emotional confusion and derangement. In stanza four, the boy in a rhetorical tone ponders over certain mysteries, which have veiled his live and existence. This shows that he has come of age to allow his boyish imaginations to penetrate surface reality so as to bring out the essential truth about their life in South Africa. He has not fully known what the black life is all about, instead he lives in a kind of imagination and fantasy, not knowing that life is not a bed of roses, which notwithstanding, intermingles with thorns. It is a truism that the adverse situation of life, which has frustrated the black, makes the boy pester his mother with many questions: Mother! Where did I come from? This cryptic question is evocative of blacks\' suffering masterminded by the Whites ruthlessness. The boy in outer state of despondency tries to know where he comes from, which is connected with his childhood ordeal and setback. He needs some extent of clarification about his origin, and to know whether he is a real born. Similarly, it is an unquenching desire in him to know why his life is miserable as against what is obtainable among the white folk. Regrettably, he is denied every opportunity for survival in that there is no headway. To him, the awareness of where he comes from, and who he is, is a bit relief as this can help usher him into a life of certainty. In line 15, the boy also poses another question to his mother: \"when will I wear long trousers?\" The morality of the poem is appreciated in this line, as the boy desires to be a full-fledged man. This particular question in another way, demonstrates a kind of willingness and readiness to accept responsibility rather than chasing frivolous things. \"long trousers\" as used in this poem is a metaphor of exalted positions in life which the boy has been restricted to attain consequent upon his helpless condition: When will I wear long trousers? Notwithstanding, we can infer from the above statement that the boy is preoccupied with the thought of whites and their glorious life, thereby, thinking when he will be like them. The question of \"why was my father jailed?\" arises out of the fact that any attempt by a black man to resist oppression from their opponents is followed by jail. It is still a misconception to the boy about the imprisonment of his father, which he wants the mother to explain. However, he is about to know that his father was jailed out of injustice and unfair treatment of the white against the black. POETIC DEVICES SIMILE There is only one simile in the whole poem, which is in line seven. The life of penury of the \"Boy\" is figuratively compared to a tattered kite. For example: \"tike a tattered kite\" - (line 7\]. ONOMATOPOEIA As a figure of speech, this \'device shows the use of word with sound associated with its meaning. This can be exemplified in the poem: \"billows\" - \[line 6\]. «tattered.- \[ line 7\]. \"whirls\"- \[line 8\]. ALLITERATION Alliterative devices abound in the poem such as: \"Faster... faster\". /f/ - \[line 3\]. \"billows.breêze\". /b/ - \[line 6\]. \"world\... whirls\". /w/ - \[line 8\]. \"his\... head. /h/. \[line 12\]. \"turns\... to\". /t/. \[line 10\]. \"when\... will\". . /w/. \[line 15\]. \"why\... was. /w/. \[line 16\]. RHETORICAL QUESTIONS Most of Mtshali\'s poems are best known for apt use of rhetorical questions loaded with powerful meanings like \"Nightfall in Soweto\" The same pattern is applicäble in \"Boy on a swing\" such as: \"Where did I come from?\" \"When will I wear long trousers?\" \"Why was my father jailed?\" STRUCTURE / FORM The \"Boy on a Swing\" is a four-stanza poem.written in sixteen lines. The first and second stanzas are quatrain and tercet, while stanzas three and four are quintet and quatrain ,All the stanzas are void of rhyme scheme. ASSONANCE This is prominent in some lines of the poem: \"faster\...faster\" /a:/ - \[line 3\]. \"like..,kite\". /ail - \[line7\]. \"world\... whirls\"- /3/ - \[line 8\]. \"why\...my. /ai/ - \[line16\]. DICTION The poet achieves credit by the use of simple words to discharge his message. This in no small measure promotes maximum comprehension of his subject matter. REPETITION Many phrases and words are repeated. For example: \"to and fro\" - \[line 2\]. \"faster\". \[line 3\]. \"his\". - \[lines 5 and 12\]. «T\'. - \[lines 14 and15\]. \"he\". \[lines 1 and 4\]. SYMBOLISM / IMAGERY This poem is fashioned with symbols and images as the \"boy\" in quote suddenly develops consciousness to ask questions about life is symbolically used to represent all the black, especially their children that are badly affected by apartheid syndrome. Also, \"long trousers\" typifies a life of pleasure and desire to be a man free from racial oppression. The boy\'s outfit, which is described as being \"tattered\", is an image depicting life of penury, while \"breeze\" is an image of hopelessness. TONE / MOOD The overall mood of the poem is that of depression and regret due to the unkind treatment of black by the so-called white. The tone, how ever, is that of confusion, frustration and despondency. THEMES / MORAL LESSONS The exploitative tendencies of apartheid system. Frustration and confusion of life. Dehumanization of black race. Life of misery and poverty. Imprisonment of justice and enthronement of injustice.