Poetry
Between what I see and what I say,
between what I say and what I keep silent,
between what I keep silent and what I dream,
between what I dream and what I forget:
poetry.
-Octavio Paz
Poetry
Literary expression characterized
by particular attention to rhythm,
sound, and the concentrated,
concrete use of language.
“Language at its most distilled and
powerful.” –Rita Dove
Two ways to classify poems
-Content/Purpose
-Structure
Types of Poems by purpose
Narrative Poem
A narrative poem tells a story in
verse.
-Ballad: songlike poem that tells a
story.
-Epic: See notes
-Metrical Romance: Poem that tells
of romance.
Types of poems by purpose
Dramatic Poem
A dramatic poem makes use of the
conventions of drama
-Dramatic Monologue: A poem or
speech in which an imaginary
character speaks to a listener.
Soliloquy
Types of poems by purpose
-Dramatic Dialogue: A poem in which
two speakers converse with one
another.
Types of poems by Purpose
Lyric Poem
A lyric poem is a melodic poem that
expresses the observations and
the feelings of a single speaker. A
lyric poem focuses on a single
unified effect.
Lyric Poem types
The Elegy: A reflective poem that
laments the loss of someone or
something.
How did it get so late so soon?
It’s night before it’s noon.
December is here before it’s June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon.
-Dr. Seuss
Lyric Poem types
The Ode: A long, formal lyric poem,
usually meditative, that treats a
noble or otherwise elevated
subject in a dignified manner.
Odes often honor people,
commemorate events, respond to
nature, or consider aspects of the
human condition.
Types of Lyric poems
The Sonnet (Both purpose and
structure) : “little song” A lyric
poem that consists of fourteen
lines and that follows one of
several traditional rhyme
schemes. Sonnets may address a
range of themes, but love is the
most common.