Refers to the artistic expression of ideas, experience or events using language characterized by imagery and rhythmical sounds.
Or.
Poetry is the art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts.
IMPORTANT TERMS USED IN POETRY
(a) A poet. This person composes a poem. It can be in a written or oral form. Some of the poets are Ralf Bitamazire (I love you my Gentle one), Jwani Mwaikusa (Sun Rise) and Isaac Mruma (You are Lost).
(b) A poem. It is a piece of writing in verse form especially expressing deep feelings in an artistic language. Examples of poems include A Freedom song, Lost Beauty and Lullaby.
(c) Persona. This person speaks or narrates in a poem. This is a character of the poem. For example in the poem “A freedom song”, the persona is Atieno’s uncle.
(d) Addressee (Audience). The persona talks to this person. For example in the poem “You are Lost” the addressee is a sister who engages in commercial sex.
(e) A verse. It is a single line in a poem. Several verses form a stanza. The following is an example of a verse in a poem:
“I love you, my gentle one,”
(f) A stanza. It is the arrangement of verses in a poem, several verses comprising a complete idea. The following is an example of a stanza.
Yes,
I want a black beauty queen
With ebony thighs and huge hips
With skin sweating blackness
And a face dark as the night
And bare breasts bouncing
Vigour and energy
CHARACTERISTICS OF POETRY.
(i) Poetry is imaginary.
(ii) Poetry is rhythmical.
(iii) Poetry reflects ideas of people.
(iv) Poetry is rich in figures of speech.
(v) Poetry arouses emotions.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A POET/POETESS.
(i) He/she must have a great knowledge of human nature.
(ii) He/she must know the problems of his/her society.
(iii)He/she should educate his/her society (audience).
(iv)He/she should have enough knowledge concerning poetry.
(v) He/she has to represent strong feelings.
TYPES OF POETRY.
Poetry can be narrative, reflective, descriptive, lyric, sonnet or ballad. But all these types can be classified in to two categories as follows:
(i) The closed form (Traditional poetry).
These are those kinds of poetry which strictly follow the old rules of writing a poem. Such old rules include rhyme pattern, equal number of syllables in each verse and the length of verses in each stanza.
(ii) The open form poem. (Free verse/ modern verse).
This refers to the kind of poetry which does not follow the old rules of writing a poem. There is a great variation in the number of syllables in each verse, the length of verses and the number of verses in each stanza.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
| POETRY. | PROSE (NOVEL&PLAYS). |
| {i} Arrangement. It is arranged in lines and stanzas. |
{i} It is arranged in sentences and paragraphs. |
| {ii} It is very telegraphic.(Economical).
It uses a very few words to express many ideas. |
{ii} It is very elaborative.
It uses a lot of words to express a few ideas. |
| {iii} Figures of speech.
It employs (uses) figures of speech to a great extent. |
{iii} Sometimes, it uses figures of speech but most often uses direct expression. |
| {iv} Rhythm.
It is more rhythmical as it uses various musical devices. Eg. Rhyme, refrain and assonance. |
{iv} Less rhythmical.
It makes use of natural rise and fall of sound pitch and stress when spoken. |
| {v} Imaginative.
Poetry employs imaginative use of language that is the reason why its message needs interpretation to understand. |
{v} It is intellectual dimension of language. Its message can be directly understood.
|
| {vi} Connotation.
It uses connotative (indirect) meaning more than denotative (direct meaning). |
{vi} Denotation. It uses denotative (direct) meaning more than connotative (indirect meaning). |
| {vii} It is very occasional.
Poetry occurs infrequently (not often). |
{vii} It is daily (practical use).
It occurs very frequently or regularly. |
| {Viii} Characterization.
The character of a poem is persona who hardly bears a name, hence somehow difficult to recognize. |
{Viii} characters in novels and plays bear the names, hence very easy to recognize. |
FIGURES OF SPEECH.
Refers to the words or phrases used in a different way from its usual meaning so as to create particular mental image or effect. The following are some of the figures of speech and their examples:
[i] Personification.
This is a figure of speech in which non-human creatures are given human characteristics or behaviour. For example in the poem You are Lost “the tenderness” has been given a human character of asking question.
[ii] Overstatement. (Hyperbole).
This is the figure of speech in which a person says something in a way that it seems more important than it really is. In short it is the saying more than what a person means. For example in the poem I Love you, My Gentle One the persona says “Because you posses my heart” this is overstatement because it is not possible for a person to possess the other person’s heart.
[iii] Understatement. (Litotes). This is the figure of speech in which a person says less than what he/ she actually means.
[iv] Simile. This is the figure of speech which compares two different entities or situations by using comparison entry. For example in the poem Lost Beauty the persona uses simile when he says: “..And a face dark as the night…”
[v] Metaphor. This is the figure of speech which is used to compare two different entities or situations without using comparison entry. For example in the poem You Are Lost the persona compares himself with the tool when he says “to you I am now a tool”.
[vi] Irony. This is a figure of speech in which a person says the opposite of what he/she really means. For example in the poem Hollow Heads the persona calls his enemies Friends instead of enemies.
[vii] Satire. This is an expression in which a person becomes ridiculous because of his/her own fool or vice. It can take the form of irony or sarcasm. The major aim of satire is to change a situation or behaviour, to educate or just to entertain through humour. For example in the poem Lost Beauty the persona uses satire by calling his black sisters “Awful fakes of White females” and “White masks”.
[viii] Sarcasm. This refers to the bitter statement which intends to hurt or humiliating someone in order to make him or her angry or unhappy.
[ix] Euphemism. It is a word, phrase or statement which is used instead of the one that sounds harsh, unpleasant or obscene.
[x] Symbolism. It is a case in which an entity in a work of art refers to another different entity or situation. For example in the poem Your pain “blood” symbolizes the existence of armed struggle and sacrifice.
[xi] Apostrophe. It is an explanation whereby a person is addressing an absent, dead or non-human creatures as if they can hear or reply.
MUSICAL DEVICE
The most common way used by poet to make their poems musical is the use of repetition. There are various kinds of repetition in poetry as follows.
[i] Alliteration. It is the repetition of initial identical consonant of lexical item in a poetic line.
E.g.
–Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers……………………………….
-Your beautiful black blood that irrigates the field……………………………
[ii] Consonance. It is the repetition of final identical consonant of lexical items in a poetic line.
Eg. -Take your pack and pick your pack.
[iii] Assonance. It is the repetition of a vowel sound of a lexical item in a poetic line.
Eg. Mosses Supposes his toes are roses.
[iv] Reiteration. This refers to the repetition of words or phrases in a poetic line for emphasis or rhythmic effect.
Eg. – Land lord, land lord….
– Police, police…………
[v] Parallelism. It is the repetition of line which has similar structures with the same similar phrases. Consider the following example.
If you love one, you can’t have a fun, If you love two, you can’t be true,
you love three, you can’t be free, If you love four, what for?
[vi] Refrain. It is the repetition of a word, phrase, line or group of lines in specific position of different stanzas in a poem. It is also called chorus especially in a song. For example “Atieno yo” is a refrain of the poem A freedom song by Mcgoye while “Front line” is a refrain of the poem Front Line by George Shea.
[vii] Rhyme. This is the repetition of sound in different words such that the words sound more or less a like (similar).
E.g. “Ooh Ananda my dear wife
The dead never come back home
But at least once in life
They visit us in dream”
NB: -The word wife rhymes with life.
-The word home rhymes with dream.
DETAILED CHECKLIST
[i] Setting.
Sometimes the poems indicate what is expressed in them. Setting can be the time, place or situation in which the poem happens.
[ii] General message.
This is what the speaker is telling the audience. Hence, it is required to explain the whole event, state or thought as told by the poet.
[iii] Theme.
This is the central idea that the poet intends to express.
[iv] Imagery.
This is the creation of some mental picture in the minds of the readers. Some of the types of imageries are tactile (touch) imagery, Gustatory (taste) imagery, auditory (hearing) imagery, Olfactory (smell) imagery, Visual (seeing) imagery, Kinetic (movement) imagery.
[v] Diction.
This refers to the choice of words to achieve a certain effect. The poet may choose the words to show whether the persona is educated or not or a member of upper class or lower class. Consider the following last verse in the poem “Ballad of the Landlord”
Judge gives Negro 90 days in county jail.
This shows that the persona (Landlord) is a Whiteman.
[vi] Tone.
This refers to the use of language that reveals the attitude of the speaker. The tone of the speaker can be easily identified (understood) by the use of his/her diction. The tone can be of love, hatred, seriousness, contempt, sad, pity, mockery, sarcasm, irony, satirical, exciting etc.
[vii] Mood.
This is the feelings that a reader gets through the prevailing tone. In the end of a poem, the reader becomes happy, angry, sad, sympathetic, depressed, embarrassed, disappointed or excited.
PROCEDURES/METHODS USED TO ANALYZE THE POEM
When analyzing poem consider the following
Understand well the title of the poem: Understanding the title of the poem makes a reader to predict the content of the poem. For example, the title”Your pain” can be predicted that there is suffering as a focus in the poem.
Consider the form and type of the poem. Judge whether the poem is Lyric, narrative, ballad etc. You have to state whether the poem is Open (free verse), or closed.
Consider the Tone of the poet. The attitude or mood of the poet has great contribution to interpretation of a poem. The poet determines whether the poet is angry, happy, sad, or serious.
Consider the musical or sound features of a poem. Consider Rhyme, Rhythm, alliteration or refrain. These features are very important in poetry.
Think about possible themes. Consider the poets’ central idea of discussion. In the poem, there is one or more themes.
Consider the message of a poem. The message refers to what the poet wants the readers to know or do after reading the poem e.g. avoid child labor, misuse of power etc.
Consider the relevance of the poem. Look at the issues/themes raised in the poem. Relate what you read in the poem with what happens in your community.
Consider Language use. Study how the language has been used in molding the poem. Consider diction (choice of words), symbols and symbolism and the uses of figures of speech e.g. Metaphor, Simile, personification etc.
Comment on success or failure of the poet. Check the use of language, presentation of message and themes etc.
Thanks on your marvelous posting! I actually enjoyed reading
it, you’re a great author.I will be sure to bookmark your blog and will often come back
later in life. I want to encourage you to definitely continue your great work, have a nice day!
Have you ever considered publishing an ebook or guest authoring on other websites?
I have a blog based on the same information you discuss and would love to have you
share some stories/information. I know my audience would value your work.
If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e mail.
Can you tell us more about this? I’d like to find out some
additional information.
Just wish tⲟ say your articⅼe is as surprisіng. The clearness in your post is just great and i can assume you arｅ an expert on this subject.
Fine with your permission let me to grab үour feed to kеep
up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million ɑnd pleasｅ keep up tһe gratifying
work.
I have interested with poetry analysis,.How can I got those soft copy materials
I like the valuable info you provide for your articles.
I’ll bookmark your blog and test once more here regularly.
I’m quite certain I will be informed many new stuff right here!
Best of luck for the following! asmr 0mniartist
What’s up i am kavin, its my first occasion to commenting anyplace, when i read
this piece of writing i thought i could also create
comment due to this brilliant paragraph. asmr 0mniartist
always i used to read smaller posts which also clear their motive, and
that is also happening with this paragraph which I am reading here.
asmr 0mniartist
I was able to find good advice from your blog posts. asmr 0mniartist
It’s awesome to pay a quick visit this site and reading the views
of all mates regarding this post, while I am also eager of
getting knowledge. 0mniartist asmr
For most up-to-date information you have to visit world wide web and on the web I found this
website as a most excellent web site for newest updates.
asmr 0mniartist
Hi there! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could find
a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using
the same blog platform as yours and I’m having problems finding one?
Thanks a lot! asmr 0mniartist
An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who
was conducting a little homework on this. And he actually bought
me breakfast simply because I discovered it for him…
lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!!
But yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss this subject here on your internet site.
asmr 0mniartist
It’s actually a cool and helpful piece of information. I’m satisfied
that you shared this useful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this.
Thanks for sharing. 0mniartist asmr
Great post. I used to be checking continuously this blog and I’m
impressed! Extremely useful info particularly the closing phase :
) I take care of such info a lot. I used to be looking for this certain information for a long time.
Thanks and good luck. asmr 0mniartist
There are some attention-grabbing deadlines in this article however I don’t know if I see all of them middle to heart. There is some validity however I’ll take maintain opinion till I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we wish more! Added to FeedBurner as nicely
Do you have a spam problem on this website; I also am a blogger, and I was curious about your situation; many of us have developed some nice procedures and we are looking to trade solutions with other folks, please shoot me an e-mail if interested.
Hello there, I believe your web site might be having internet browser compatibility problems. Whenever I take a look at your website in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Aside from that, wonderful website!
I visited various web pages but the audio quality for audio songs present at this website is really marvelous.
Thanks for any other great article. Where else may just anybody get that type of info in such an ideal manner of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am at the look for such information.
As I website possessor I believe the content material here is rattling magnificent , appreciate it for your hard work. You should keep it up forever! Best of luck.
I got this site from my pal who told me about this web site and now this time I am browsing this web page and reading very informative content here.
Great article. It is rather unfortunate that over the last years, the travel industry has had to take on terrorism, SARS, tsunamis, influenza, swine flu, as well as first ever entire global downturn. Through everthing the industry has really proven to be robust, resilient along with dynamic, locating new solutions to deal with difficulty. There are always fresh problems and opportunities to which the industry must once again adapt and reply.
I am so happy that I discovered your blog site today. You have actually given some fantastic information on a topic that particularly matters to me. Your insight has actually altered the way I took a look at it as well as I am happy to have my mind increased. I will certainly be having a look at even more of your posts.
Nice respond in return of this issue with genuine arguments and describing everything concerning that.
That is really fascinating, You are an excessively professional blogger. I have joined your rss feed and look forward to seeking more of your wonderful post. Also, I have shared your web site in my social networks!
One other issue is when you are in a circumstances where you would not have a co-signer then you may genuinely wish to try to make use of all of your federal funding options. You will find many awards and other scholarships and grants that will supply you with money to help with school expenses. Thanks alot : ) for the post.
Usually I do not learn post on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very compelled me to check out and do so! Your writing taste has been surprised me. Thanks, quite great post.
Hello, I do believe your site could possibly be having internet browser compatibility problems. When I take a look at your website in Safari, it looks fine however, if opening in I.E., it has some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Other than that, excellent site!
Hello, yeah this paragraph is really nice and I have learned lot of things from it on the topic of blogging. thanks.
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you penning this article and the rest of the site is very good.
I value the blog post. Much obliged.
whoah this blog is magnificent i really like reading your articles. Stay up the good work! You understand, lots of people are searching around for this information, you could help them greatly.
I love reading through a post that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing for me to comment!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I really appreciate your efforts and I will be waiting for your further write ups thanks once again.
I love looking through a post that can make men and women think. Also, many thanks for allowing for me to comment.
You should take part in a contest for one of the greatest websites online. I most certainly will recommend this blog!
Wow, great blog post.Much thanks again. Really Great.
Amazing blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog shine. Please let me know where you got your design. Cheers
Thanks-a-mundo for the blog article. Want more.
Do you mind if I quote a few of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your website? My website is in the very same area of interest as yours and my visitors would genuinely benefit from some of the information you present here. Please let me know if this ok with you. Thank you!
Im thankful for the blog article.Thanks Again. Want more.
Simply want to say your article is as astonishing. The clarity to your publish is just cool and i can think you are an expert on this subject. Well together with your permission let me to snatch your feed to keep up to date with coming near near post. Thank you a million and please carry on the enjoyable work.
My family members all the time say that I am killing my time here at net, except I know I am getting know-how daily by reading thes nice content.
Thanks for sharing, this is a fantastic post.
As a Newbie, I am permanently exploring online for articles that can be of assistance to me. Thank you
Good day! I simply want to offer you a big thumbs up for your excellent info you have got here on this post. I am returning to your web site for more soon.
I happen to be writing to make you be aware of of the impressive encounter our child went through checking the blog. She came to find a lot of things, not to mention how it is like to possess an amazing teaching mindset to make many people really easily comprehend several tricky subject areas. You truly surpassed our own expected results. Thanks for providing those warm and helpful, healthy, revealing and as well as cool tips about your topic to Ethel.
If some one wishes to be updated with hottest technologies therefore he must be pay a quick visit this website and be up to date everyday.
Hello there! This post could not be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my good old room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this article to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Thanks for sharing!
I am actually thankful to the owner of this web page who has shared this fantastic post at at this place.
Fantastic beat ! I wish to apprentice while you amend your site, how can i subscribe for a blog website? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered bright clear concept
I pay a visit each day some web pages and sites to read articles, except this blog presents quality based writing.
Very informative post.Much thanks again. Will read on…
Very good post.Thanks Again. Really Cool.
wow, awesome article.Much thanks again. Fantastic.
There is noticeably a bundle to know about this. I assume you made certain good factors in features also.
Great, thanks for sharing this blog.Really thank you! Will read on…
Thank you ever so for you blog article.Much thanks again. Awesome.
Wow, great article post.Really looking forward to read more. Really Great.
Great, thanks for sharing this blog post. Fantastic.
I am so grateful for your post.Much thanks again. Really Cool.
This is one awesome blog post.Much thanks again. Really Great.
I really liked your blog article.
I cannot thank you enough for the blog article. Great.
A round of applause for your article post.Really thank you! Much obliged.
Thanks a lot for the blog.Really thank you! Fantastic.
Great blog article. Really Great.
Great, thanks for sharing this blog post.Much thanks again. Much obliged.
I am so grateful for your blog article.Thanks Again. Much obliged.
wow, awesome blog post.Really looking forward to read more. Awesome.
Thanks for sharing, this is a fantastic blog article.Much thanks again.
I am a older women looking to talk. I love sucking dick btw hmu
You are a great writer thanks. I love sucking dick btw hmu
I really like and appreciate your blog post.Thanks Again.