SUGAR, SPICE, AND EVERYTHING NICE OF POETRY

Stanzas and lines,

not to forget rhymes;

without rhythm where would we be?;

Or speaking in metaphor, through allegory?

(1)

INTRODUCTION

Everything in life has its secret ingredients. Poetry is no different. By all the verses and stanzas, different forms, meter, rhythm, rhyme and so many other elements, poetry is uniquely distinguished from its sister prose. All these elements help to shape the right image in the reader’s mind, convey the message, and invoke specific emotions.

THE INGREDIENTS OF POETRY

When I was little there was a popular cartoon called Powerpuff Girls that I loved to watch. Even nowadays I like to imagine myself running around town fighting all the bad guys. Except I do not usually imagine myself wielding fists and weapons, not that I was that big of a fan of physical altercations even back then.

Either way, the Powerpuff Girls were cool and strong. I bet it gave quite a few girls out there the empowerment to be bold and authentic in their pursuit of their dreams.

The Girls were not just ordinary girls though They had supernatural powers and were created in a laboratory. The secret ingredients were sugar, spice, and everything nice. And of course a little bit of the infamous Chemical X!!! And thus the Powerpuff Girls were born.

Poetry too has its secret ingredients - elements - that shape her into the beauty she's known for being. Today we will take a look at some of them.

FORM

Structure.

Everything in life has form and structure. Poetry is no different. It does though come in a wide variety of different forms. Still, there are basic structural elements we can identify in almost all poetry:

Stanza: a group of lines set off from others by a blank line or indentation. They convey a certain message or meaning.

Verse: stanzas with no set number of lines that make up units based on sense.

Canto: a stanza pattern found in medieval and modern long poetry. (2)

METER

Meter on the other hand is a syllabic pattern found in verse (2,3). It is a combination of stressed and unstressed syllables (3) and is measured in feet - units of stressed and unstressed syllables (4).

The most commonly known and used meters are:

Iamb: consists of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable

Ex.: amuse (a-MUSE), delight (de-LIGHT)

Trochee: a metrical foot containing one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable

Ex.: poet (PO-et), garden (GAR-den)

Dactyl: comprised one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables

Ex.: Bicycle (BI-cy-cle), Elephant (E-le-phant), poetry (PO-e-try)

Anapest: consists of three syllables, where the first two are unstressed and the last one is stressed

Ex.: underfoot (un-der-FOOT), overcome (o-ver-COME)

Spondee: contains two stressed syllables

Ex.: childhood, heyday

Pyrrhic: is the opposite of spondee and contains two unstressed syllables

Ex.: green shade, go home (2)

These meters can be combined to form a metrical pattern also known as a metrical scheme. Among the most known are: iambic pentameter (lines contain 5 iambs each), iambic terameter (lines contain 4 iambs each), trochaic tetrameter (recurring pattern of four trochees per line), and trochaic octameter (verse lines contain eight trochees each). (2)

RHYME AND RHYME SCHEME

Rhyme is the repetitive pattern of sounds found in poetry. They are used to reinforce a pattern or rhyme scheme. The common types are: a) end rhyme, b) imperfect rhyme, c) internal rhyme, d) masculine rhyme, e) feminine rhyme. (2)

Rhyme schemes on the other hand show which lines rhyme with each other. They create structure and musicality and guide the reader through the poem’s rhythm and mood. To name a few:

Monorhyme: AAA
Couplet Rhyme: AABB
Couplet Progression: AABBCC
Tercet Rhyme: ABA.
Enclosed Rhyme: ABBA
Rubaiyat Rhyme: AABA
Alternate Rhyme: ABAB. (2)

SOUND AND RHYTHM

The sound of a poetic text means how a line or what sounds some specific words evoke in readers’ minds.

Rhythm on the other hand is a set pattern formed by these sounds (2,3). It is a beat created by stressed and unstressed syllables in words (4).

SUBJECT AND THEME

The theme is a recurring idea or a pervading thought in a work of literature, while the subject of the poem describes to us what the poem is about (2, 3). While the subject can be assigned only to each poem separately, themes can be applied to a collection of poems. Having a well-defined subject and theme helps with the identification of the main message or the purpose of the writing of the poem. (3)

TONE AND MOOD

The tone or attitude of a poem’s speaker and the mood of the entire text is an essential part of every poem. They are part of poetic diction, create the right image, and shape the reader’s feelings and the impression of the poem. (2,3)

SYNTAX

Syntax is the ordering of words into meaningful patterns to achieve certain artistic effects such as tone, mood, and similar. In poetry, syntax is distinct compared to prose, fiction, and other forms of literature.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE AND POETIC DEVICES

Figurative language and different poetic devices are used to introduce different interpretations of words or to evoke other ideas that are not connected with the words directly.

Alliteration, assonance, consonance, and onomatopoeia are used to create musical effects. Irony, symbolism, and juxtaposition leave a poem open to several interpretations while metaphors and similes build a relationship between different images previously not perceived. (2,3)

SPEAKER

The speaker is the one who narrates the poem. While that may be the poet the majority of the time, the writer can choose to narrate the poem through a character. The narration is usually in th perspective of a first-person or third-person speaker. It can also be in the perspective of a second-person speaker, which allows for a more compelling way of conveying the message. (2, 3)

CONCLUSION

Poetry has its own secret ingredients. It is uniquely shaped and structured. It can be structured in a wide variety of different forms. Verses, stanzas, syntax, figurative language, poetic devices, and other elements shape the right image in the reader’s mind and convey the core message, or invoke emotions.

SOURCES

Image created via canva.com
Sudip Das Gupta. 10 Important Elements of Poetry. Available at https://poemanalysis.com/poetry-explained/elements-of-poetry/
Lady of Poetry. 25 Essential Elements of Poetry. Available at https://ladyofpoetry.com/poetry/25-essential-elements-of-poetry/
Poetry (PPT presentation). Available at https://www.hasdk12.org/cms/lib/PA01001366/Centricity/Domain/687/Elements%20of%20Poetry.pdf