Introduction

to
Poetry

Eko Rujito DA
 What Is Poetry?

“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility”
-William Wordsworth

“Poetry is the human soul entire, squeezed like a lemon or a lime, drop by drop, into atomic words
~Langston Hughes
Poetry is the journal of the sea animal living on land, wanting to fly in the air. Poetry is a search for syllables to
shoot at the barriers of the unknown and the unknowable. Poetry is a phantom script telling how rainbows are
made and why they go away. ~Carl Sandburg

Poetry (from the Greek "ποίησις", poiesis, a "making") is a form of literary art in which language is used for its
aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or instead of, its apparent meaning.
The Form

1. Fixed Form
Categorized by the pattern of its lines, meter, rhythm, or stanzas; a
style of poetry that has set rules. Ex: sonnet.
2. Free Form
Having neither regular rhyme nor regular meter. In free verse the
writer makes his/her own rules. The writer decides how the poem
should look, feel, and sound.
The Types

There are three major types of poetry:

1. Lyric Poetry
It deals with emotions and is written in a song-like way. Two types of lyric poetry
are odes and sonnets.
2. Narrative Poetry
It contains story about heroes, culture, or society. Examples of this type are epic
and ballad.
3. Dramatic Poetry
It is written in verse and is usually meant to be recited. It tells a story or describes
an event in a dramatic and interesting way.
The Structure

The basic unit of poetry is the line. It serves the same function as the sentence
in prose, although most poetry maintains the use of grammar within the
structure of the poem.
Most poems have a structure in which each line contains a set amount of
syllables; this is called meter.
Lines are also often grouped into stanzas. The stanza in poetry is equivalent or
equal to the paragraph in prose. Often the lines in a stanza will have a specific
rhyme scheme.
The Sound

A poem is written to be read aloud. That’s why the effect created by sound when it
is read is important. Among sound devices employed in poetry are:
1. Rhyme
2. Assonance
3. Consonance
4. Repetition, and
5. Alliteration
Rhyme

Rhyme is the similar sound at the endings of words. There are two types of rhyme:
1. End rhyme
Similar sound at the end of a line:
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree (from Dust of Snow by Robert Frost)
2. Internal rhyme
Similar sound within a line:
While I nodded nearly napping, suddenly their came a tapping (from The
Raven by Edgar Allan Poe)
Rhyme Scheme

Dust of Snow
 Rhyme scheme is the pattern
by Robert Frost
of rhyming words at the end
The way a crow A
of each line. Similar endings
Shook down on me B
is presented with similar
The dust of snow A
letter. Example: From a hemlock tree B
Has given my heart C
A change of mood D
And save some part C
Of a day I had rued D

The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD

Assonance

 The repetition of the vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more
stressed syllables in a line.
 Examples:
As high as a kite in a bright sky (the repetition of the sound ‘ai’)
My words like silent rain drops fell (the repetition of the sound ‘ai’)
 Consonance

 Repetition of internal or ending consonant sounds of words close together in a line.

Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray ”
Blow! Bugles! Blow!
windows, doors through, ruthless;
scatter, congregation
- “Beat! Beat! Drums!” by Walt Whitman

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;

Close to the sun in lonely lands;
Ringed with the azure world he stands.
- “The Eagle” by Lord Alfred Tennyson
 Repetition

 Repetition is the Blow, Bugle, Blow O hark, O hear! how thin and
repeating of words clear,
The splendour falls on castle And thinner, clearer, farther going!
or phrase for walls O sweet and far from cliff and scar
emphasis. It conveys And snowy summits old in story: The horns of Elfland faintly
feeling of The long light shakes across the blowing!
anticipation. lanks, Blow, let us hear the purple glens
And the wild cataract leaps in replying:
glory. Blow, bugle; answer, echoes,
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild dying, dying, dying.
echoes flying,
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes,
dying, dying, dying. From “Blow, Bugle, Blow” by Lord
Alfred Tennyson
Alliteration

 Repetition of consonant sounds at Out on the land White Moon shines.

the beginning of at least two words in
Shines and glimmers against gnarled shadows,
a line of poetry.
All silver to slow twisted shadows
She Walks in Beauty Falling across the long road that runs from the
house.
She walks in beauty, like the night —from “Baby
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
Face” by Carl Sandburg
And all that’s best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes:

Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
The Language

 Language used in poetry ranges from ordinary-day-to-day utterance to highly figurative one.
 In most cases, poetry uses language in connotative level to achieve certain degree of both aesthetic
and meaning.
 Common figurative languages used in poetry are including:
1. Metaphor
2. Simile
3. Personification
4. Allusion
5. Anomatopeia
Metaphor

 A metaphor is an implied comparison between two unrelated things.

 In metaphor, comparative words such as “like”, “as”, and “as….as” are not used.
 Examples:
Love is Spider
My love is a red, red rose
All the world’s a stage Love is spider
Secretly spinning
Our life has been a maze of unsolved passages. In dark corner
Silently it sings
We drink the grail of youth and empty it at once.
Melodious murder!

From “Love Is spider” by Erda

Simile

 A comparison between two usually unrelated

things using the word “like” or “as”. Ars Poetica
By Archibald MacLeish
 Examples:
Her eyes, bright as they are, were A poem should be palpable and
glowing like eastern stars. mute as a globed fruit,
Silent as the sleeve-worn stone
As a statue, he sat motionless Of casement ledges where the moss
We are like blades, only sharp when has grown—
grinded A poem should be wordless
As the flight of birds.
Personification

A Dirge
 Personification means giving human thoughts and
qualities to nonhuman objects. Rough wind, that moanest loud
 More generally, it assigns organic qualities to Grief too sad for song;
inanimate objects and ideas. Wild wind, when sullen cloud
Knells all the night long;
 Examples: Sad storm whose tears are vain,
The tree stood tall and proud by the curving path Bare woods, whose branches
strain,
As the cold air climbed up the hill, the chill Deep caves and dreary main, -
whispered a sad story in my ears. Wail, for the world’s wrong!
Yellow-brown leaves dance in hot summer wind as
they fell to the ground. Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 -
1822)
 The Image

 An image is a word or phrase that appeals to one of our senses. Images can help us create a
mental picture, hear a sound, feel texture or temperature, taste a sweet, sour, or salty flavor.
 In the art of poetry, these images are called imagery, that is, language that appeals to the
senses.
 There are six types of imagery based on the senses to appeal:
Visual (sight) Tactile (touch)
Auditory (sound) Kinesthetic (movement)
Olfactory (smell)
Gustatory (taste)
Visual Imagery
Messy Room
-Shel Silverstein

Whosever room this is should be ashamed!

 A visual image occurs when a poet or His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
author represents something through His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
sight And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
 Examples: His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
The lamp post was the lonely figure, His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
with its dreary light, against pale sky. And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
The sea, blue as it is, embraces the
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
rolling waves. Furious as they are. And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
What do you see in those waving Donald or Robert or Willie or--
flags, with blood-red and pure white? Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear,
I knew it looked familiar!
 Auditory Imagery

 An auditory image occurs when

something is represented through sound
or image of sound. If trees could talk as we,
Oh, how they would echo
 Examples: Earth’s praises;
Scream, scream the stream are recalling If trees could sing as we,
the dreams! Gee, how they and we would
Harmonize a sweet song of
As I whispered, the valley echoed my Spring breezes;
pain in thunderous rage.
From “If Tree Could Do As We” by
Storms rumbled in distance, fading away Frederick Douglas Harper
and left me in silence.
Olfactory Imagery

 An olfactory image occurs when

a poet or author represents a Miss Thompson Gees Shopping
smell or image of smell by Martin Armstrong
 Example:
Odor of her hair was forever the old strange fragrance filled the air
a fragrance like the garden pink,
haunting. It was morning rose!
but tinged with vague medicinal stink
of a camphor, soap, new sponger, blent,
United we were by decay, the with chloroform and violent scent
aroma of death, the perfume of
blood.
 Gustatory Imagery

 A gustatory image is Mama told me not to eat candies This Is Just To Say
the representation of a Sweet they are like plums of Paradise by William Carlos Williams
taste “Beware!” she said seriously indeed
“What pleases your tongue ruins your i have eaten
 Examples: teeth.” the plums
that were in
What is this too sweet Mama told me to take the pills the ice box
for the mouth? Just to look at them froze me to my heels and which
Ah. It’s a promise! “Take them!” she scared me to death
“What bitter to your tongue guards your
you. were probably
Sour, sour old age is to health” saving
devour. for breakfast.
From “Candies” by Erda forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
Tactile Imagery

 A tactile image is the representation of

The hand that held my wrist
touch or the sensation of touch
Was battered on one knuckle;
 Examples: At every step you missed
The ground was so soft, and warm that I My right ear scraped a buckle.
wanted to bury my hands forever.
You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
On this coarse wall, painted with memories
Then waltzed me off to bed
of ours, I leant my torn back. Still clinging to your shirt.

The moon was so smooth it slipped from From “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore
her tiny hand Roethke
Kinesthetic Imagery

MONGOOSE
 A kinesthetic image is a representation of
physical movement Their steps are quick and low,
 Examples: Fastly scooting they often go,
Minding their own business of the day;
March and march we to the grave, some A friend of man and woman they are,
like breeze some like wave. Kindly and cute animals by far;
Mongooses, how beautifully they stroll
But too much speed on their hands. For Along;
these eyes to attend. Tying ropes and sails Mongooses, how beautifully they stroll
to mend Alone;
Their brown coat glistening in the sun,
Creatures of charm on the run.

-Frederick Douglas Harper

 O What Is That Sound?
By W.H. Auden

O what is that sound which so thrills the ear O why have they left the road down there,
Down in the valley drumming, drumming? Why are they suddenly wheeling, wheeling?
Only the scarlet soldiers, dear, Perhaps a change in their orders, dear,
The soldiers coming. Why are you kneeling?

O haven't they stopped for the doctor's care,

O what is that light I see flashing so clear Haven't they reined their horses, horses?
Over the distance brightly, brightly? Why, they are none of them wounded, dear,
Only the sun on their weapons, dear, None of these forces.
As they step lightly.
O is it the parson they want, with white hair,
O what are they doing with all that gear, Is it the parson, is it, is it?
What are they doing this morning, morning? No, they are passing his gateway, dear,
Only their usual maneuvers, dear, Without a visit.
Or perhaps a warning.
O it must be the farmer that lives so near.
It must be the farmer so cunning, so cunning?
They have passed the farmyard already, dear,
And now they are running.

O where are you going? Stay with me here!

Were the vows you swore deceiving, deceiving?
No, I promised to love you, dear,
But I must be leaving.

O it's broken the lock and splintered the door,

O it's the gate where they're turning, turning;
Their boots are heavy on the floor
And their eyes are burning.