Info about Poetry
Poetry is Art
Poetry can be considered art in word form, used to satisfy the authors need for individual expression. It can be more beautiful than any sculpture or painting, just as the artist molds a piece of clay or puts his brush to canvas so does the poet put his words to stanza. A perfect example of this is Picasso and his timeless masterpiece Mona Lisa vs. William Shakespeare and his classic Sonnet 18. The artist of any poem has a more difficult task of painting a picture in the mind of its reader to make it appealing and comprehensible.
Not guided by the use of colors or clay, the poetís job whether by rhyme, sound or phrasing can intensify the mental picture visualized in the poem. A sign of true poetry is one in which the poet has the ability to have his reader step into his poem, to be able to grasp the meaning or specific feeling. "If I read a book and it makes my body so cold no fire ever can warm me, I know that is poetry." (Emily Dickinson)
In Poetry stanzas are usually two or more lines focused on the main idea usually by the use of certain patterns or rhymes. ìI shall spread my wings and fly away, wind beneath me I shall not stay.î Rhythm sets the mood in poetry, if the right words are chosen it will provide the effect the author is gearing towards.
Thanks to Shakespeare’s creativity, Iambic Pentameter is mostly used in English poetry to describe the rhythm that is setup in that line (Sonnet 18 by Shakespeare Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?). Rhyming lines (couplet) is another way to appeal to the mind of the reader by calling attention to the stanza. It is usually made of two lines having the same meter and is commonly found in Shakespearean sonnets. I found a starfish in the bay, when I was fishing yesterday. Starfish, starfish in the ocean, moving along in slow motion. Many arms and color bright, Sea stars are special sight.
Imagery in poetry is not used in a poem to dress up the topic, it is used to allow the reader to see what the poet sees, to feel what the poet feels, smell what the poet smells, taste what the poet taste and even hear what the poet hears. Repetition also used in poetry to get the readerís attention to a certain subject, by focusing on a change in the subject; Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
To write true poetry takes inspiration, it is a calling to be able to capture an audience and take them along your journey. Many esteemed poets like William Shakespeare, Emily Dickson, Maya Angelou, Edgar Allan Poe, and Robert Frost answered the call and have left their mark in the minds of their readers. The Raven, I rise and Fire and Ice have all left their mark in Literature.