CHAPTER V BASIC ELEMENTS OF POETRY
Poetry (from the Greek “ποίησις”, poiesis, a “making” or “creating”) is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its ostensible meaning. Poetry may be written independently, as discrete poems, or may occur in conjunction with other arts, as in poetic drama, hymns or lyrics.
Poetry, and discussions of it, have a long history. Early attempts to define poetry, such as Aristotle’s Poetics, focused on the uses of speech in rhetoric, drama, song and comedy. Later attempts concentrated on features such as repetition and rhyme, and emphasised the aesthetics which distinguish poetry from prose. From the mid-20th century, poetry has sometimes been more loosely defined as a fundamental creative act using language.
Poetry often uses particular forms and conventions to expand the literal meaning of the words, or to evoke emotional or sensual responses. Devices such as assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhythm are sometimes used to achieve musical or incantatory effects. Poetry’s use of ambiguity, symbolism, irony and other stylistic elements of poetic diction often leaves a poem open to multiple interpretations. Similarly, metaphor and simile create a resonance between otherwise disparate images—a layering of meanings, forming connections previously not perceived. Kindred forms of resonance may exist, between individual verses, in their patterns of rhyme or rhythm.
Some forms of poetry are specific to particular cultures and genres, responding to the characteristics of the language in which the poet writes. While readers accustomed to identifying poetry with Dante, Goethe, Mickiewicz and Rumi may think of it as being written in rhyming lines and regular meter, there are traditions, such as those of Du Fuand Beowulf, that use other approaches to achieve rhythm and euphony. In today’s globalized world, poets often borrow styles, techniques and forms from diverse cultures and languages.
There are several elements which make up a good poem. In brief, they are described below.
- Figurative language
- Imagery
- Rhythm
- Rhyme and alliteration
- Tone
Some important elements of poetry are:
5.1 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Figurative language is wording that makes explicit comparisons between unlike things using figures of speech such as metaphors and similes.
5.1.1 SIMILE
Simile: direct comparison between two unlike things usually delivered with the word “like,” “as,” or “so.”. A simile so common as to be a cliché indicates great haste with the expression “like a bat out of hell”: When Marcia’s parents came home early, Bill went flying out the back door like a bat out of hell.
The words indicating simile are: like, as, so, appear, seem and more than.
O my love, is like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June.
O my love is like the melody
That’s sweetly played in tune.
(Robert Burns)
Emily Dickinson’s There is no frigate like a book
There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry:
Note: frigate=kapal perang gerak cepat, courses=kuda-kuda yang lari cepat, rancing=berjingkrak-jingkrak.
5.1.2 METAPHOR
Metaphor: a figurative analogy or comparison between two things where the comparison is indicated directly, without the “like” or “as” customary in similes. Metaphors suggest literally that one thing is something else which it clearly is not in reality.
In the sentence, “He is like a tiger,” the expression “like a tiger” is a metaphorical expression meaning “having a bravery or courage like a tiger” or in the sentence, “Mr. Johnson yelled out the back door, ‘Bill, I’m going to kick your butt from here clear into the next county!'” the expression “kick your butt” is a metaphor: Mr. Johnson means that he will cause physical harm to Bill, but not necessarily by applying his foot to Bill’s backside.
Robert Herrick’s A Meditation For His Mistress (kekasih) .
You are a tulip seen today
But, dearest, of so short a stay (tak berumur panjang)
That were you grow scarce man can say
You are a lovely July-Flower,
Yet one rude wind or ruffling shower (hujan gerimis yang mengganggu)
Will force you hence, and in an hour.
