Basic Elements of Poetry
Poetry and art go together as sources of creative expression.
Sometimes, these two mediums even intertwine as a poet reflects
upon a painting as a starting point for a piece of writing. The poet
may interpret what is happening in the scene or what the painter
was feeling when creating the masterpiece. Since the poem is an
interpretation, it may or may not reflect what you see in the
painting. Consider these examples. Robert Fagles and Anne
Sexton both chose to write about Vincent Van Gogh's painting,
“The Starry Night”.
"The Starry Night"
Anne Sexton
The town does not exist
except where one black-haired tree slips
up like a drowned woman into the hot sky.
The town is silent. The night boils with eleven
stars.
Oh starry starry night! This is how
I want to die.
It moves. They are all alive.
Even the moon bulges in its orange irons
to push children, like a god, from its eye.
The old unseen serpent swallows up the starts.
Oh starry starry night! This is how
I want to die:
into that rushing beast of night,
sucked up by that great dragon, to split
from my life with no flag,
no belly,
no cry.
"The Starry Night" by Robert Fagles
Long as I paint
I feel myself
less mad
the brush in my hand
a lightning rod to madness
But never ground that madness
execute it ride the lightning up
from these benighted streets and steeple up
with the cypress look its black is burning green
I am that I am it cries
it lifts me up the nightfall up
the cloudrack coiling like a dragon's flanks
a third of the stars in heaven wheeling in its wake
wheels in wheels around the moon that cradles round the sun
and if I can only trail these whirling eternal stars
with one sweep of the brush like Michael's sword if I can
cut the life out of the beast - safeguard the mother and the son
all heaven will hymn in conflagration blazing down
the night the mountain ranges down
the claustrophobic valleys of the mad
Madness
is what I have instead of heaven
God deliver me - help me now deliver
all this frenzy back into your hands
our brushstrokes burning clearer into dawn.
What aspect of the painting did each poet choose to focus on as a starting point for
writing?
What is the tone of each poem and which reflects more closely what you see as the mood
of the painting?
What details of the painting do you see in the poems?
Who is the speaker of each poem? Why did Fagles use the pronoun "our" in the last line
of his poem?
Poetry
 Is
usually defined simply as a patterned
expression of ideas in imaginative terms,
USUALLY (but not necessarily) containing
rhyme and a specific meter.
Form
 Closed:
allows the poet to establish a
pattern that will help him or her create the
desired meaning or sound.
 Open:
allows the poet to write freely
without worrying about trying to make the
words fit a specific meter or rhyme
scheme.
Who is the speaker?
 the
voice telling the poem; a poem may
have more than one speaker; the speaker
and the poet are not necessarily the same
Diction
Diction refers to the word choices that a poet makes. Because
poems are usually very concise, a poet has to make the most of
every word he or she uses. Using specific, concrete words helps
writers to do that. For example, a general word would be "car".
Now, if you were to say this word in a classroom of twenty-five
students and ask each to draw a picture of a car, you would most
likely have twenty-five very different pictures. However, if you
change that word to a specific word, like "Mustang", the pictures
of the cars would suddenly start to look much more similar to
each other. Specific word choices help create a more definite
picture in the reader's mind.
Similes and Metaphors
A simile compares two unlike objects, using
like or as.
A metaphor compares two unlike objects,
without using like or as.
"She dances like an angel." and "She is an angel."
Notice that the metaphor is actually open to more
interpretation than the simile, because there are more
connections that the reader can make. In saying that
she dances like an angel, the reader is not examining
the girl's personality or physical appearance, only the
way she dances. In the metaphor, however, the reader
can link as many attributes of the girl to an angel as
the imagination permits; she looks angelic, she has a
charitable disposition, she brings light wherever she
goes, she is very graceful.
Allusion
An allusion is a reference to an object,
person, or event from another literary work,
history, society, etc., that the reader is
expected to understand. The allusion will
have connotations for the reader and help
the reader understand more fully the point
the poet is trying to make.
For example, one place that most people in our culture
can identify and explain is Eden. If, in a piece of
writing, the poet refers to a place as Eden, the reader
understands through the Biblical allusion the setting the
writer is trying to create without the time and space a
detailed description of a paradise would inevitably take
without such an allusion. Therefore, the one word Eden
helps the reader to understand the type of setting and
also the writer's attitude toward that setting. On the
contrary, referring to a place as Hades, a mythological
allusion, would conjure up quite a different image for
the reader and create a much different tone.
Assignment: For each of the allusions below, briefly explain what the term makes you
think of. Also, identify the type of allusion as biblical, mythological, historical, literary, or
social. If there is an allusion that you don't understand (as there often will be), use your
resources to find out what it is referring to.
1. He's a real Einstein.
2. Her class was the Alcatraz of the "classroom as prison" world.
3. The teacher stood in her doorway, a siren beckoning in the new students.
4. It was no Tara, but it was a nice house.
5. He thinks of himself as a modern-day Romeo.
6. Her hands are as clean as Lady MacBeth's.
7. My mother-in-law would easily blend in at a Gorgon reunion.
8. The new leader is a Hussein on a smaller scale.
9. As I looked around, I knew I had reached the belly of the whale.
10. If the class could, they would vote him "Most likely to become Johnny Knoxville".
Symbolism and Allegory
A symbol is an object or action that means
something beyond itself.
An allegory is a group of symbols used in a
story, such as a fable, which teaches a
lesson.
If you are in class and look over to see a friend rolling her
eyes, that action symbolizes to you that she is bored. All she
did was to move her eyes from one side to another, but you
took it to mean something more: the class wasn't exciting and
your friend wanted to communicate that to you without using
words.
For example, one common symbol is water. In some contexts
water can represent life, as it is necessary for growth.
However, in other contexts it can represent destruction, as in a
flood or tempest. Fire can be used the same way. It can be a
destructive force and represent death, but it can also represent
purgation or purification. Therefore, a reader must always look
at the context in which the symbol is used before interpreting
it.
Syntax
Syntax refers to the word order of words in a
sentence, phrase, or clause. Poets use syntax
as they use any other rhetorical device --to
create meaning.
Imagery
Imagery refers to the details poets include
that appeal to one of your senses; that is,
the details cause you to feel something, hear
something, smell something, taste
something, or see something. This can only
be done through concrete, specific details
that trigger a response from your everyday
life.
We see the sun rise and set, we hear children yelling and
horns honking, we smell bread baking; we feel the bitter sting
of cold wind, and we taste the bitterness of vinegar. Poems
that include these details trigger emotional responses from our
memories and therefore create reactions in the reader.
Sometimes the imagery in a poem can refer to a pattern of
related details. For example, there may be patterns of light and
dark imagery, and they may convey a meaning beyond what is
being literally described. They are then called metaphorical or
symbolic images. Light and dark images might indicate
knowledge or ignorance or death.
How can a poet create sound?
• Rhyme
• Rhythm
• Meter
• Alliteration
• Assonance
• Consonance
When people are asked to define poetry, they
often say, "Lines that rhyme." It is true that
poems can rhyme, but you should be very
careful when trying to make a poem rhyme. One
mistake that beginning poets make is to start
with one line, and then simply brainstorm
rhyming words to shape the next line. Instead,
you should come up with the poem first, and
then revise to include rhyme. That way, you
make sure that the message is what shapes the
poem and it doesn't go off course because you
had to choose a word that rhymed but didn't
make sense.
There are different kinds of rhymes, and poetic
license makes it okay for writers to use any of
these types and maintain a rhyme scheme.
True rhyme: words that rhyme with all ending
sounds: Example: trouble and bubble.
Slant rhyme: words that are very similar on the
end but do not truly rhyme. Example: quick and
look; dizzy and easy
Sight rhyme: words that look alike but do not
rhyme. Example: though and bough; good and
food
End rhyme: words that rhyme and occur at the
ends of different lines of poetry
Internal rhyme: two words that rhyme within one
line of poetry
Rhyme
 the
similarity or likeness of sound existing
between two words; the repetition of
sounds that are similar or identical;
expresses strong feelings and enhances
the meaning and impact of poetry
Rhyme Scheme
the pattern of rhyme in a poem. To get the
rhyme scheme, each line in the poem is
assigned a letter. The first line gets an
"A". If the next line rhymes with the first,
give it an "A" also. If not, give it a "B".
Continue throughout the poem, following
the same rules: if the end word rhymes
with anything before, match that letter. If
not, give it the next unused letter of the
alphabet.
Rhythm
 the
regular pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables (beats) we hear in
poetry; stress is simply the greater
amount of emphasis we give to a syllable
in speaking; stressed syllable is accented
(long); unstressed syllable is unaccented
(short)
Meter
 the
pattern of rhythm in a line of poetry;
from the Greek word meaning "measure";
the type of meter depends upon the
placement of stress within each poetical
foot
Standard Metrical Units
Identify the type of metrical foot in each of the words
below. Use a dictionary if necessary.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
happy
misty
broken
angrily
lyrical
Determine the metrical pattern in the
following lines
This above all to thine own self be true
This-a-bove-all-to-thine-own-self-be-true
To find the rhythm of the line, find the
pattern of the stressed and unstressed
syllables, and then see how many times
that pattern repeats itself throughout the
line. For example, if the meter is trochaic,
(Da da), and there are five sets of Da da
in the line (for a total of ten syllables), the
rhythm would be iambic pentameter.
Alliteration
Alliteration: Repetition of initial sounds of
words in a row. Example: Peter Piper
picked a peck of pickled peppers. (Of
course, alliteration is not always so
obvious)
Assonance
Assonance: Repetition of internal vowel
sounds of words close together in poetry.
Example: I made my way to the lake.
Consonance
Consonance: Repetition of internal or
ending consonant sounds of words close
together in poetry. Example: I dropped
the locket in the thick mud.
Read the following excerpt from Miss Spider's
Wedding by David Kirk and identify the various
ways he creates sounds.
"They talked of all their dreams and hopes,
Of art and nature, love and fate.
They peered through toy kaleidoscopes
And murmured thoughts I shan't relate.
Then Holley held Miss Spider's hand...
I'll say no more, you understand.
For private moments between spiders
Should not be witnessed by outsiders."
Read the following excerpt from Miss Spider's
Wedding by David Kirk and identify the various
ways he creates sounds.
"They talked of all their dreams and hopes,
Of art and nature, love and fate.
They peered through toy kaleidoscopes
And murmured thoughts I shan't relate.
Then Holley held Miss Spider's hand...
I'll say no more, you understand.
For private moments between spiders
Should not be witnessed by outsiders."
Read the following excerpt from Miss Spider's
Wedding by David Kirk and identify the various
ways he creates sounds.
"They talked of all their dreams and hopes,
Of art and nature, love and fate.
They peered through toy kaleidoscopes
And murmured thoughts I shan't relate.
Then Holley held Miss Spider's hand...
I'll say no more, you understand.
For private moments between spiders
Should not be witnessed by outsiders."
Read the following excerpt from Miss Spider's
Wedding by David Kirk and identify the various
ways he creates sounds.
"They talked of all their dreams and hopes,
Of art and nature, love and fate.
They peered through toy kaleidoscopes
And murmured thoughts I shan't relate.
Then Holley held Miss Spider's hand...
I'll say no more, you understand.
For private moments between spiders
Should not be witnessed by outsiders."
Using Form
• Verse Forms
• Types of Poems
Verse Forms



Rhymed Verse: contains end rhyme and usually
has a regular meter and rhyme scheme;
rhyming couplets means that every two lines rhyme;
an example of "closed form"
Blank Verse: contains a fixed rhythm and regular
line length.
Free Verse: poetry free of traditional metrical and
stanzaic patterns; no fixed rhythm or rhyme
scheme; uses everyday (colloquial) language,
natural speech rhythms, and differing line
lengths; key feature is its departure from traditional
meters; an example of "open form“.
Types of poems
 Ballad
 Tercets
 Couplets
 Sonnet
 Sestina
 Villanelle
 Acrostic
 Haiku
Ballad
A
group of 4 lines is a STANZA.
 The ballad has a rhyme at the end of line
number 2 and line number 4.
 A-B-C-B
 Poem meant to be sung
Tercet
 Tercets
have 3 lines.
Couplets
 Couplets
have 2 lines that rhyme.
Sonnet
 Sonnets
are composed of 14 lines.
 Always ends with a couplet.
 Rhyme scheme:
 ABAB
CDCD EFEF GG
Sonnet Example
One of the hardest things is poetry,
Reading, thinking, finding what words do mean,
I bet you're wondering how this could be,
Never easy to find the hidden theme.
Please spare me all the meter, rhyme, spondee,
I can't believe I had to take this class,
I do despise it - means nothing to me,
Sometimes I do feel like such a striped bass.
As much as I can try so hard to see,
I have to say that poetry is tough,
To comprehend it takes eternity,
To understand the rules is not enough.
To learn about this thing called poetry,
I wish that someone could do it for me.
Sestina
Another example of a closed form is the
sestina. It consists of
• six stanzas of six lines each followed by a
three-line conclusion.
• a set pattern of repetition of the six key
words that end the lines of the first
stanza.
"Sestina"
Elizabeth Bishop
September rain falls on the house.
In the failing light, the old grandmother
sits in the kitchen with the child
beside the Little Marvel Stove,
reading the jokes from the almanac,
laughing and talking to hide her tears.
She thinks that her equinoctial tears
and the rain that beats on the roof of the house
were both foretold by the almanac,
but only known to a grandmother.
The iron kettle sings on the stove.
She cuts some bread and says to the child,
It's time for tea now; but the child
is watching the teakettle's small hard tears
dance like mad on the hot black stove,
the way the rain must dance on the house.
Tidying up, the old grandmother
hangs up the clever almanac
on its string. Birdlike, the almanac
hovers half open above the child,
hovers above the old grandmother
and her teacup full of dark brown tears.
She shivers and says she thinks the house
feels chilly, and puts more wood in the stove.
It was to be, says the Marvel Stove.
I know what I know, says the almanac.
With crayons the child draws a rigid house
and a winding pathway. The child
puts in a man with buttons like tears
and shows it proudly to the grandmother.
But secretly, while the grandmother
busies herself about the stove,
the little moons fall down like tears
from between the pages of the almanac
into the flower bed the child
has carefully places in front of the house.
Time to plant tears, says the almanac.
The grandmother sings to the marvelous stove
and the child draws another inscrutable house.
Villanelle
This form consists of:
• five tercets (three line stanzas) and an
ending quatrain (four line stanza).
• There is also a pattern of repetition
between the first and third lines in the
poem.
"Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night"
Dylan Thomas
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Acrostic Poem







F
R
I
E
N
D
S

When you use each letter in a word or name to
describe it.
Haiku
A
Japanese poem composed of three lines.
 Each line has a different amount of
syllables. 5-7-5
 They are usually about nature.
Who used iambic pentameter?
 Chaucer,
Milton and Shakespeare were all
famous for the use of iambic pentameter
in their writing.
What is iambic pentameter?
 Penta=
5
 Meter= measure
 Iamb=2 syllables
 Iambic refers to an unstressed syllable
followed by a stressed syllable.
 Three quatrains and a couplet.
 14 lines
 Each line has 10 syllables
Example
Shall –
I–
com-PARE
–
thee –
TO –
a–
SUM-mer’s DAY?
Are you ready to become a poet?