POETRYPOETRY

Out of the quarrel with others we make rhetoric; Out of the quarrel with others we make rhetoric; out of the quarrel with ourselves we make out of the quarrel with ourselves we make

poetry.poetry.

~W.B. Yeats~W.B. Yeats

Four Main Types of PoetryFour Main Types of Poetry

NarrativeNarrative

LyricLyric

DramaticDramatic

DidacticDidactic

Narrative PoetryNarrative Poetry

•Narrative—a poem that tells Narrative—a poem that tells a story. a story.

•Ex.: a ballad or an epic poemEx.: a ballad or an epic poem

Lyric PoetryLyric Poetry

• Lyric– a short poem expressing the thoughts and feelings Lyric– a short poem expressing the thoughts and feelings of a single speakerof a single speaker

• Lyric poems are usually easy to recognizeLyric poems are usually easy to recognize

• Lyric poems are often written in first-personLyric poems are often written in first-person

• Traditionally, lyric poems have a songlikeTraditionally, lyric poems have a songlike

immediacy and emotional forceimmediacy and emotional force

• Ex.: “The Red Wheelbarrow”Ex.: “The Red Wheelbarrow”

Dramatic PoetryDramatic Poetry

• Dramatic—a poem that presents the voice of an Dramatic—a poem that presents the voice of an imaginary character or charactersimaginary character or characters speaking directly, without anyspeaking directly, without any additional narration by the author.additional narration by the author.

• Strictly speaking, it describes any verse writtenStrictly speaking, it describes any verse written for the stage, but generally it refers to a poemfor the stage, but generally it refers to a poem written as a speech made by a characterwritten as a speech made by a character

• Ex: Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess”Ex: Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess”

Didactic PoetryDidactic Poetry

• Didactic—a kind of poetry written with Didactic—a kind of poetry written with the purpose of imparting knowledge or the purpose of imparting knowledge or teaching a moral lesson.teaching a moral lesson.

• Ex: “Early to bed, early to riseEx: “Early to bed, early to rise

makes a man healthy, wealthy,makes a man healthy, wealthy,

and wise.” ~Ben Franklinand wise.” ~Ben Franklin

What does good poetry do?What does good poetry do?

• Engages the whole person through Engages the whole person through senses, emotion, imagination, or senses, emotion, imagination, or intellect.intellect.

• Employs no excess words, but uses Employs no excess words, but uses only those that bear their full weight only those that bear their full weight in contributing to the total meaning in contributing to the total meaning of the poem.of the poem.

More characteristics of good More characteristics of good poetrypoetry

• The diction, images, and figures of speech The diction, images, and figures of speech are are freshfresh, not trite, except when irony is the , not trite, except when irony is the purpose.purpose.

• The “sound” doesn’t clash with its “sense,” The “sound” doesn’t clash with its “sense,” or the form with its content.or the form with its content.

• Images and ideas are so effectively arranged Images and ideas are so effectively arranged (crafted) that any rearrangement would be (crafted) that any rearrangement would be harmful to the effectiveness of the poem.harmful to the effectiveness of the poem.

Quotable Quote 2Quotable Quote 2

Poetry is a kind of Poetry is a kind of language that says language that says more more and says it and says it more intensely more intensely than does ordinary than does ordinary language.language.

~Author unknown~Author unknown

Quotable QuoteQuotable Quote

The greatness of a poem is The greatness of a poem is in proportion to the range in proportion to the range and depth and intensity of and depth and intensity of experience that it brings to experience that it brings to us: its amount of us: its amount of life.life.

~Author unknown~Author unknown