The
poet uses language in a very different way from prose writers. To understand
a poet's message, you need to be aware of the elements of poetry.
Character.
Caracter in poetry refers to the speaker. If the poet uses I,
you usually learn about the poet him- or herself. The poem can be very
personal, as in "Finis".
However, sometimes the I is a speaker very different from the
poet.
Often
the poet addresses an unidentified "you", as in "Where
have you gone". This person is an absent character whom we
know only through the speaker.
Imagery.
Poets often use a language to appeal to any or all of your five senses.
They use images to help you see, hear, smell, feel, or taste what they
are writing about.
The
author of "Greyday"
uses images from the Cristian religion of "a crown of thorns"and
"a shirt of hair"to help you feel the heaviness she is describing.
Theme.
The idea or meaning of a poem is its theme. The poems "Reflections"
and
"I dream A world" both have themes about the world. In
the first, the poet expresses the idea that there is only hate, not
love, in the world. The author of the second poem might agree with that
idea, but he also expresses hope that "love will bless the earth".
Tone.
The poet conveys to you an attitude when writing. That attitude
is called tone. Tone is a clue to meaning.
Maybe
the tone is earnest yet light-hearted, as in
"First Person Demonstrative" . The tone also can be
sad as in "Finis".
You
can determine a poem's tone by simply asking yourself, "how does
this poem make me feel? " Do not be afraid to give more that
one answer, for often tone creates many feelings.
Rhyme.
Rhyme is repetition of the same sound. If it comes at the end of a line,
it is called end rhyme. If it comes
within a single line, it is called internal rhyme.
End
rhyme is the more common type. The untitled black American folk poem
uses it. Notice the rhyming of lizard and gizzard,
and above and love.
Figures
of Speech. When you see an expression that says one thing to
eman something else, you are using figure of speech. Common figures
of speech are metephor, simile, personification, and hyperbole.
The
author of "Spring"
talks about a "wishbone", yet she does not mean the she
and her "second man" actually will find a wishbone and make
wishes. "Wishbone" is a metaphor for the
hopes that she and her partner will have.
The
comparison of one thing to another through the use of like
or as is a simile. In "I
dream of A World" , for expample, joy is described
as being like a pearl.
Another
line in
"I dream of a world" is an example of personification,
or the giving of human qualities to nonhuman subjects. In
this line the poets talks of a world "where wretchedness will
hang its head." The poet has given a human quality to an abstract
idea in order to express his idea more forcefully.
Another
way to express ideas forcefully is to exagerate by using hyperbole.
In "Fisrt
Person Demonstrative" the poet says that she would rather
"wrench off an arm than hug you". She uses hyperbole to
exaggerate her feelings.
from: Focus on Poetry. Globe Literature,
Globe Literature book company, INC 1990
