Zoned out on Poetry #1
We have shared poems on our blog. So what is a poem? One definition goes like this - "A poem is a collection of spoken or written words that expresses ideas or emotions in a powerfully vivid and imaginative style.” Poems do have some key characteristics. These are stylistic choices that can vary from piece to piece, but must nonetheless be made by every poet. In the next couple of blogs we’ll share five basic characteristics of poems.
Form
The obvious feature of poetry is its form. Unlike prose, poetry is not written in paragraphs but in verses or stanzas. Most poems have a specific form or structure. Some structures are visibly apparent in the way it is written on a page. Some poems don't seem to have any structure. These are called open form. Others, called free verse, have a loose structure. The physical shape of a poem can be used by the poet to reinforce its meanings and themes. Word placement, line placement, line breaks all can affect the visual image and even the meaning of the poem.
Here is an example of a visual structure by a 16th century poet, George Herbert. The poem recounts the sinful fall of man from God's favour, and asks that he be allowed to fly like a bird and sing of God's victories. The first half of both stanzas of the poem narrows with each line, and lengthens again in the second half so that the overall shape of the verses resembles a pair of wings.
Easter Wings
Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store,
Though foolishly he lost the same,
Decaying more and more,
Till he became
Most poore:
With thee
O let me rise
As larks, harmoniously,
And sing this day thy victories:
Then shall the fall further the flight in me.
My tender age in sorrow did beginne
And still with sicknesses and shame.
Thou didst so punish sinne,
That I became
Most thinne.
With thee
Let me combine,
And feel thy victorie:
For, if I imp my wing on thine,
Affliction shall advance the flight in me.