The purpose of this blog section is for those that not only enjoy reading but also enjoy writing poetry. From time to time I will make a post in this section containing some information that I think would be helpful toward that goal. There is one important fact to get out of the way, right at the onset, and that is that there are no rules in poetry, but there is a long and vibrant tradition. A tradition I personally think gives grounding to a person interested in writing poetry, where without it they might other wisely feel adrift.
The topics covered in the part of the blog will range from the basic elements of poetry, to simile, metaphor, personification, apostrophe, metonymy, and more. We will touch on Symbol and Allegory as part of a more advanced look at figurative language. In the area of figurative language, we will also have to look at paradox, overstatement, understatement, and irony. Lastly, we will go over some thoughts on reading a poem and have a look at tone. There might be no rhyme or reason for how I tackle these subjects, and that is just because of time constraints. I will do my best to provide a usable link system, however. In fact, I will stick this post to the top and turn the words in this post into links as we go. Now, the above things are not all things to cover, there are also musical devices like rhythm and meter, sound and meaning, pattern, etc.
- The Thinker
- Hunters In The Dark Wood
- Children Spinning
- My Sweet English
- To be
- The Plunge
- We Wish to be Kings not Free
- Beeping Machines
- Tracing that Long Path
- The Stillest Things
- A Pharaohs Rise
- Should I Compare You To a Winters Morn – Sonnet 18 Shakespeare Mirror
- I didn’t say
- The Gallows
- Doomed
- Chicago Poet
- Blue Birds of Love
- Visions of Dust and Dirt
- On Loss
- Yellowish pad
- To Future Lands
- The Crib
- The Compass
- The Sword That Cuts Down Scepter and State
- I’m Going Back
- Borrowing Sugar
- The Hazel Tree
- The Hazel Tree – version 2
- Appropriate Appointments
- All the World is a Common Thing
- Appropriate Arrangements
- You Can Do This — A Prayer
- The Fool
- You Can Do This – Part 2
- It Was An Honor To Know Him
- The Mad King of Araucani
- Mad Fowl
- I Was Sad to See You Go
- Pablo Neruda Was No Mad King
- Auto
- I Looked for You
- About Poetry – Part 1
- Another side of Poetry
- About Poetry – Part 2.a
- About Poetry – Part 2.b
- Alliteration, Assonance, and Consonance
- A Morning Hike
- The Game of Craps
- Mother Teresa & The Search for God
- The Reaper
My Blog Post – On Writing Better Poems and poetry
About Poetry – Part 1
I want to give some background to the power a poetry, in this case a sonnet, can contain with in it. First, we will have to break down what a sonnet is. A sonnet comes in one of four primary versions. Each of these contain a different rhyming structure, which I will later post a blog about, but all sonnets traditional will have 14 lines of what is called iambic pentameter.
Another side of Poetry
Before beginning the second post on great poetry, I want to take the time to talk a little about myself. About ten years ago, slightly more, I made a conscious derision to stop writing, thinking, or doing anything to do with poetry. This was not because I did not want to write it,
About Poetry – Part 2.a
The first thing about sound within a line of poetry, that either is or is not being carried over to the next line of poetry via end-stopping (punctuation or some other method) or enjambment (the way the line is broken and carried over to the next line), is that its most basic building block is that of the syllable.
About Poetry – Part 2.b
Sounds are the basis of poetry, not the pursuit of some glorious combination of them, but sounds as just a reality. The fact that it is an inexplicable reality should make us want to learn about sounds, because not wanting to is like being a blindfolded painter. A blind painter would be more respected, than someone who has no desire to lift an ear to poetry fully conscious of its fleeting sounds.
Alliteration, Assonance, and Consonance
Alliteration, assonance, and consonance The Raven – Edgar Allen Poe “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tappingContinue reading “Alliteration, Assonance, and Consonance”
The Long and Short of Poetry
The long and short of sounds within poetry, is that they can be used to slow or speed up the time within poetry. Long vowel sounds slow down a line of poetry, which can be used to make it sound more somber.
Sound and Meaning Within Poetry
If you look for an answer as to “what is poetry” you are liable to find too many answers to be easily able to answer this question. For me though, there are a few things that define the difference between poetry and prose. One of those is a heightened attention to sound and rhythm. As in my last post we are going to explore further into how sound can contribute to meaning within poetry.
Rhyme Within Contemporary Poetry
While poems relying heavily on patterned end rhymes have fallen out of favor in contemporary poetry I think it is still useful to understand rhymes, as they are still very often used internally where they are not on the end of the line. Remember there are no rules to poetry and everything talked about inContinue reading “Rhyme Within Contemporary Poetry”
Homophones and a Multiplicity of Meaning
I am a big fan of how homophones can provide a multiplicity of meaning to a word in a poem. It is a poetic device that I use myself and one I think worth exploring.
Personification as a Poetic Device
In it’s most simple form personification is a poetic device where animals, plants or even inanimate objects, are given human qualities. I said simple because, in it’s basic form, if we imagine a rabbit hunting with a 4-10 shotgun that is personification, and that is a fairly simple idea.
Figurative Language and Speech
Broadly figurative language is the use of figures of speech to be more effective, persuasive, and to have your words/speech be more impact on the reader/listen.
Metrical Verse – An Overview
I have heard the question a lot over the years when reading online about poetry on forums, “what is the easiest way to explain Iambic Pentameter?”
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