Poetry

…is a literature that evokes a concentrated

imaginative awareness of experience or a specific
emotional response through language chosen and
arranged for its meaning, sound, and rhythm.
Poetry (ancient Greek: ποιεω (poieo) = I create) is an
art form in which human language is used for its
aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its
notional and semantic content. It consists largely of
oral or literary works in which language is used in a
manner that is felt by its user and audience to differ
from ordinary prose.
 A diverse range of human activities in creating, visual,
auditory or performing art, expressing the author’s
imaginative or technical skill, intended to be appreciated
for their beauty or emotional power.

Poetry(ancient Greek: ποιεω(poieo) = I create) is an art formin which human language is used for its aesthetic
qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. It consists largely of oral or literary works
in which language is used in a manner that is felt by its user and audience to differ from ordinary prose.
Elements of Poetry
• Senses and Images
• Visual Imagery
• Olfactory Imagery
• Gustatory Imagery
• Tactile Imagery
• Auditory Imagery
• Diction
• Rhyme Scheme
THE SEVEN (7) COMMON TYPES OF POETRY
• Haiku Poems
Traditionally, haiku poems are three-line stanzas with a 5/7/5
syllable count. This form of poetry also focuses on the beauty and
simplicity found in nature. As its popularity grew, the 5/7/5 formula
has often been broken. However, the focus remains the same -
simple moments in life.

"Sick on a Journey" by Basho is a great example of a haiku:

Sick on a journey -
Over parched field
Dreams wander on
• Free Verse Poems
Free verse poems are the least defined. In fact, they're deliberately
irregular, taking on an improvisational bent. There's no formula, no
pattern. Rather, the writer and reader must work together to set the
speed, intonation, and emotional pull.
"Little Father" by Li-Young Lee
I buried my father in my heart.
Now he grows in me, my strange son,
My little root who won't drink milk,
Little pale foot sunk in unheard-of night,
Little clock spring newly wet
In the fire, little grape, parent to the future
Wine, a son the fruit of his own son,
Little father I ransom with my life.
• Cinquains
A cinquain is a five-line poem inspired by the Japanese haiku.
There are many different variations of cinquain including American
cinquains, didactic cinquains, reverse cinquains, butterfly cinquains
and crown cinquains.

"To Helen" by Edgar Allan Poe (the first five-line poem):

Helen, thy beauty is to me
Like those Nicean barks of yore,
That gently, o'er a perfumed sea,
The weary, way-worn wanderer bore
To his own native shore.
• Epic Poems
An epic is a long and narrative poem that normally tells a story
about a hero or an adventure. Epics can be presented as oral or written
stories. "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" are probably the most renowned
epic poems. But, let's take a different direction and check out a sampling
from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, as well as Ezra Pound.
The Iliad, Book I, Lines 1-15
Homer
Sing, Goddess, Achilles' rage,
Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks
Incalculable pain, pitched countless souls
Of heroes into Hades' dark,
And left their bodies to rot as feasts
For dogs and birds, as Zeus' will was done.
Begin with the clash between Agamemnon--
The Greek warlord--and godlike Achilles.
• Ballad Poems
Ballad poems also tell a story, like epic poems do. However, ballad
poetry is often based on a legend or a folk tale. These poems may
take the form of songs, or they may contain a moral or a lesson.

"The Mermaid," written by an unknown author, has its roots in

folklore:
Oh the ocean waves may roll,
And the stormy winds may blow,
While we poor sailors go skipping aloft
And the land lubbers lay down below, below, below
And the land lubbers lay down below.
• Acrostic Poems
Acrostic poems, also known as name poems, spell out names or
words with the first letter in each line. While the author is doing
this, they're describing someone or something they deem
important.
Alexis" by Nicholas Gordon focuses on an intriguing woman he may
or may not know:
Alexis seems quite shy and somewhat frail,
Leaning, like a tree averse to light,
Evasively away from her delight.
X-rays, though, reveal a sylvan sprite,
Intense as a bright bird behind her veil,
Singing to the moon throughout the night.
• Sonnets
Although William Shakespeare sensationalized sonnets, the
word, "sonetto" is actually Italian for "a little sound or song." This
form has grabbed poets by the heart for centuries. It began as a 14-
line poem written in iambic pentameter. Although flourishes have
been made over time, the general principle remains the same.
• "Sonnet 116," from the master himself, William Shakespeare.
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand'ring bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me prov'd,
I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd.
An article written by Melissa Donovan | May 10, 2018 | Poetry Writing |
https://www.writingforward.com

Poetry is the most artistic and

liberating form of creative writing. You
can write in the abstract or the concrete.
Images can be vague or subtle, brilliant or
dull. Write in form, using patterns, or
write freely, letting your conscience (or
subconscious) be your guide.
 You can do just about anything in a
poem. That’s why poetry writing is so
wild and free; there are no rules. Poets
have complete liberty to build something
out of nothing simply by stringing words
together.
 All of this makes poetry writing
alluring to writers who are burning with
creativity. A poet’s process is magical and
mesmerizing. But all that freedom and
creativity can be a little overwhelming. If
you can travel in any direction, which way
should you go? Where are the guideposts?
 36 Poetry Writing Tips
1. Read lots of poetry. In fact, read a lot of anything if you want to
produce better writing.
2. Write poetry as often as you can.
3. Designate a special notebook (or space in your notebook) for poetry
writing.
4. Try writing in form (sonnets, haiku, etc.).
5. Use imagery.
6. Embrace metaphors, but stay away from clichés.
7. Sign up for a poetry writing workshop.
8. Expand your vocabulary.
9. Read poems over and over (and aloud). Consider and analyze them.
36 Poetry Writing Tips
10. Join a poetry forum or poetry writing group online.
11. Study musicality in writing (rhythm and meter).
12. Use poetry prompts when you’re stuck.
13. Be funny. Make a funny poem.
14. Notice what makes others’ poetry memorable. Capture it, mix it up, and
make it your own.
15. Try poetry writing exercises when you’ve got writer’s block.
16. Study biographies of famous (or not-so-famous) poets.
17. Memorize a poem (or two, or three, or more).
18. Revise and rewrite your poems to make them stronger and more
compelling.
19. Have fun with puns.
36 Poetry Writing Tips
20. Don’t be afraid to write a bad poem. You can write a better one later.
21. Find unusual subject matter — a teapot, a shelf, a wall.
22. Use language that people can understand.
23. Meditate or listen to inspirational music before writing poetry to clear your mind
and gain focus.
24. Keep a notebook with you at all times so you can write whenever (and wherever)
inspiration strikes.
25. Submit your poetry to literary magazines and journals.
26. When you submit work, accept rejection and try again and again. You can do it and
you will.
27. Get a website or blog and publish your own poetry.
28. Connect with other poets to share and discuss the craft that is poetry writing.
36 Poetry Writing Tips
29. Attend a poetry reading or slam poetry event.
30. Subscribe to a poetry podcast and listen to poetry.
31. Support poets and poetry by buying books and magazines that
feature poetry.
32. Write with honesty. Don’t back away from your thoughts or
feelings. Express them!
33. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Mix art and music with your poetry.
Perform it and publish it.
34. Eliminate all unnecessary words, phrases, and lines. Make every
word count.
35. Write a poem every single day.
36. Read a poem every single day.
Spoken Word/Poetry

A broad designation for poetry intended for

performance. Though some spoken word poetry may also
be published on the page, the genre has its roots in oral
traditions and performance. Spoken word can encompass
or contain elements of rap, hip-hop, storytelling, theater,
and jazz, rock, blues, and folk music. Characterized by
rhyme, repetition, improvisation, and word play, spoken
word poems frequently refer to issues of social justice,
politics, race, and community. Related to slam poetry,
spoken word may draw on music, sound, dance, or other
kinds of performance to connect with audiences.