An Introduction to Poetry
“A poem…begins as a lump in the throat,
a sense of wrong, a home sickness, a love
sickness….It is a reaching – out toward
expression; an effort to find fulfillment.
A complete poem is one where an emotion
has found its thought and thought has found
the words.”
Robert Frost
• If you asked six people what a poem is,
you’d get six different answers. Poetry is
as varied as people’s reactions to it, but
all poetry has this much in common: it is
arranged in relatively short line length,
and it says a lot in a few words.
• Poetry has been around almost longer
than any other form of writing.
• Poetry is one of the oldest art forms in
the world. It seems that as soon as
people learned to communicate verbally,
they wanted to recite or write poems.
•You’re probably aware that
you listen to poetry every day
in the form of song lyrics.
Not all lyrics have poetic
qualities, but many do. The
ones that are most like
poetry are probably the ones
easiest to memorize.
• One of the great strengths of poetry is
that it helps readers see things in a new
way.
• Figurative language is one such literary
device that aids a writer in the delivery
of his or her poem.
• Figurative language
suggests more than it states. Figurative
comparisons show relationships
between things that are unlike in
nature.
• A simile is a comparison of two
things using like or as. Similes
create word pictures or images.
• Examples: Her lovely hair
cascaded down like a flowing
waterfall.
"My love's LIKE a red, red rose."
"He was AS cold AS ice."
SENSES
Sadness is as happy as laughter.
You might cry because it hurts.
You might laugh because it hurts.
But I know one thing,
laughter is laughter and sadness
is sadness.
They can show the
same things like
hurting and gladness.
• The term “metaphor” is an implied comparison. A metaphor is a
comparison between two unlike things. It does not use the word like or
as.
• Metaphors can be an effective way to create vivid
impressions because it requires readers to participate in making
the comparison by mentally associating one image with another.
Examples:
The sea is a wilderness of waves, a desert of water.
Your insincere apology just added fuel to the fire.
After the argument, Dave was smoldering for days.
No man is an island.
The pen is mightier than the sword.
The teacher descended upon the exams, sank his talons
into their pages, ripped the answers to shreds, and then,
perching in his chair, began to digest.
Metaphor by Eva Merriam
Morning is
a new sheet of paper
for you to write on
Whatever you want to say,
all day,
until night
folds it up
and files it away
The bright words and the dark words
are gone
until dawn
and a new day
to write on
• Hyperbole, or exaggeration, is the obvious stretching of
the truth to emphasize strong feeling or create a
humorous effect.
• Often we stretch the truth in our everyday speech to make a
point or to inject a little humour. When you say you’re
starving just before lunchtime, you don’t really mean it. You
might be hungry, but “starving” is an exaggeration.
An Example: This rug is so beautiful that it will make you
believe in magic carpets again.
Here's another example: "I had so much homework,
I needed a pickup truck to carry all my books
home!"
Hyperbole is supposed to evoke a ridiculous
picture in your mind, ... and in the process,
make the point effectively.
(You must have had a lot of homework!)
•
"My history teacher's so old, he lived through everything
we've learned about ancient Greece" Ryan, CFS,
Willingboro, USA
•
•
"I think of you a million times a day" Vern Sal, the
Philippines
"Saskatchewan is so flat, you can see your dog run away
for 4 days!" Jenna, from Olympic Heights School, Calgary
•
"It was so cold, even the polar bears were wearing
jackets." Elizabeth, from Covington, USA
•
"Our library is so old, its book pages are numbered with
roman numerals ... written by the Romans!" Bobby W.
•
"That boy's eyes are so big, they look like they're going to
jump out and grab you! Ashley Clarke
•
"My best friend is so forgetful, I sometimes have to
remind her what her name is!" Katie Holmes
More examples of hyperbole
• Personification is a figure of speech in which poets give
an animal, object, or idea human qualities, such as the
ability to love, sing, cry, feel, talk, and make decisions.
• In personification, the non-human is identified with the human or
given human characteristics.
Examples:
The river dozed in the afternoon sun.
The New Zealand dollar
had a quiet month.
Life dealt him a
heavy blow.
More examples of
personification
• 1. The wind sang her mournful song through the falling leaves.
• 2. The microwave timer told me it was time to turn my TV
dinner.
• 3. The video camera observed the whole scene.
• 4. The strawberries seemed to sing, "Eat me first!"
• 5. The rain kissed my cheeks as it fell.
• 6. The daffodils nodded their yellow heads at the walkers.
• 7. The water beckoned invitingly to the hot swimmers.
• 8. The snow whispered as it fell to the ground during the early
morning hours.
• 9. The china danced on the shelves during the earthquake.
• 10. The car engine coughed and sputtered when it started during
the blizzard.
Symbolism
• A symbol is something that represents something
else, either by association or by resemblance. It can
be a material object or a written sign used to
represent something invisible.
• In writing, symbolism is the use of a word, a phrase,
or a description, which represents a deeper meaning
than the words themselves. This kind of extension of
meaning can transform the written word into a
very powerful instrument.
Imagery
• Poems reflect vivid
images of who we are as
individuals and of our
surroundings. While the
images may be crystal clear,
their true or real
significance is often just
suggested.
• It is the reader’s
responsibility to reflect
upon one’s own
experiences and live to
better understand what the
poet is trying to create.