Now that National Poetry Month has passed, I'd like you to reflect on poetry as a genre. What makes a poem a poem? What is the most important element or defining characteristic of poetry? What ultimately separates poetry from prose? In other words, what is your definition of poetry?
Include an example and a non-example to support your ideas. (If you missed the notes on prose poetry, take a moment to investigate this topic before responding to this post.)
35 comments:
My definition of poetry is a form of writing that follows a specific format and is presented in a creative way. It should be fun to read.
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Hey, Well I did miss the day we took notes on this prose stuff but googling it and looking up definitions, I think it means pretty much everyday life but written down. A poem is much different in my opinion. A poem is different then prose because it is normally short passage that goes beyond just telling a story. It must include description and a creative thought. A prose passage is more like an exerpt from a book and less like a piece of literature that contains creativity, rythm, rhyme, descrition, and often times sensory language.
Hey guys,
Bedell27t here. My definition of poetry is something that inspires thought and follows a specific format.
Example:
A Port is a delightful place of rest for a soul weary of life's battles. The vastness of the sky, the mobile architecture of the clouds, the changing coloration of the sea, the twinkling of the lights, are a prism marvellously fit to amuse the eyes without ever tiring them. The slender shapes of the ships with their complicated rigging, to which the surge lends harmonious oscillations, serve to sustain within the soul the taste for rhythm and beauty. Also, and above all, for the man who of mysterious and aristocratic pleasure in contemplating, while lying on the belvedere or resting his elbows on the jetty-head, all these movements of men who are leaving and men who are returning, of those who still have the strength to will, the desire to travel or to enrich themselves.
--Charles Baudelaire--
Nonexample:
Harry Potter books
Sincerly,
bedell27t
Hey guys,
This is a response to bedell27t. Yea i was reading your example of the poem and I completely agree. I was reading adn thinking to myself... if i had read this in a book would i have noticed that it sounds like a poem... and I thougth yes. Im not quite sure why but I woudl have. Theres something about it. Its like the description is intense and the vocabulary is beyond the norm. I like it, I might not always get it, but I like it. =)
To me, poetry doesn't have to follow a specific format, but it should be detailed or rhyming or just thought provoking. It would be something that makes you see a clear picture in your mind of what the speaker is talking about. It should make you calm or collective.-bedell26b
agreeing with 27t, the text sounds much like a poem and was exactly what i was thinking about when i posted earlier. Speaking of that post, i never did a nonexample. I think that one thing that is not poetry would be an instruction manual...
hey guys,
this is responding to bedel7m's posting. I agree with what your saying about poetry. I don't think that prose and poetry are very similar. I also like how you added that poetry can include rhythm, rhyme, etc., because it usually does and alot of the other responses left that out
I think poetry is an almost "musical" way of writing things down on paper. I say this because poetry flows like music. Sometimes music goes very fast, other times very slow. Sometimes poems' meter is fast, others its slow. Another thing is the mood. When you read some poems, they make you happy, others make you sad. The same happens with music. The rhyme schemes can be completly out there, as can the different parts to a song. An example would be Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. This poem flows and has different parts that go up and down like dynamics in a song. A non-example would be Uglies because the text is not flowing and although it is narrative, there is no poem structure.
In response to bedell17m...
I like your definition of prose and quite agree with you. Prose seems to me like just writing down whatever the heck you feel like, while poems have layers and hidden meanings. They are not completly unrelated, however, as prose is a type of poetry and can contain some of the same devices as "normal" poetry.
bedell24l speaking:
A poem has to provide a meaning to the reader. It should be very descriptive and be able to paint a picure and create a rhythm, or a beat to the poem in the reader's mind. It also has to relate a feeling, or mood to the person reading it, I believe to be the most important characteristic of a poem. The difference of poetry and prose is the stressed and unstressed syllables, the rhythm that only poetry can have. That is my definition of poetry.
In response to bedell10e: I disagree with your defintion of poetry. Pretty much any type of text can "follow a specific format and is presented in a creative way." When you said "It should be fun to read," poems aren't necessarily fun to read. Iv'e read some boring poems before. Besides this doesn't really clarify poetry, since Harry Potter is fun to read too.
In response to bedell27t:
I agree with your definition of poetry. It can definitely be prose, but it must flow and make you start thining. And although the Harry Potter books are awesome and make you think, it is definitely not poetry. It does not follow a specific format, which I agree should be part of the definition of a poem.
Hey everybody this is bedell19m.
The definition of poetry (according to dictionary.com) is the art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts. I agree with this definition but I also agree that there is more to poetry than just this. I look at poetry as a way to express yourself in many different forms. I think what makes a poem a poem is the fact that what was written or is being said has a purpose and meaning. I think if a poem is funny it has a meaning even if it's just to make someone laugh. A poem without a meaning or a purpose isn't a real poem. I do believe that someone can write a poem without any real purpose to it but I don't believe they fit my definition of a poet.
My own definition of poetry is a group of sentences/words that tell a story while following a guideline, example rhyme scheme, iambic pentameter, etc.
The most important thing is that it follows at least one specific guideline, so that it can be classified as poetry, and then a type of poem, and then a type of sub-poem(?)...etc.
I think that what makes a poem a poem is that it says as much as possible in as little words as possible. All poems follow a format, even if the format is specifically - no format. A poem should also invoke some sort of thought.
An example of poetry is prose. Prose has a paragraph format. It flows well and does not have excess language. A non-example would be a Dictonary. Dictionarys have tons of extra words, even though they follow a format, but it does not inspire thought.
Bye!
-bedell01L
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In reply to Bedell18e's first post, I agree that poetry is really a musical form of writing things down. Like you said, poetry can have different tempos (like music) and it can also have different moods and tones (also like music). Poems are not really as limited as regular books are. There are few books that have a rhyme scheme or a rhythm, while poetry on the other hand almost always has one or the other. (Not ALWAYS but it’s extremely common) Also, what do you think lyrical poetry is? It’s poetry that has been preformed musically and is what makes songs. Compare "In My Mind" By Jenn Farrell (http://100-poems.com/poems/sad/0521002.htm) to "Mary Had a Little Lamb" Both have a tempo that you read them to and both have a mood that they’re based on.
Hey everyone!!
A poem is made up by its rhyme, rhythm, format, and mood it has. I believe that the mood is the most important part of the poem. Mood creates the entire atmosphere of the poem. For example, it determines whether the poem is sad or a happy. Poetry is separated from prose by being well thought out and by going deeper into the story.
-bedell13m
In response to bedell01l who responded to me earlier:
I'm glad that you, a rabid Harry Potter fan agreed with me because I thought you'd defend your book.
Sincerly, bedell27t
mdin response to bedell26b's post, i completely agree. poetry should be calming. and some of my favorite poems follow little or no scheme at all. however, those such poems would not be the best for analyzing in class, because they lack a 'specific format'.
Dear bedell11m,
You mentioned in your post that some of your favorite poems don't follow a particular format, so they would not be good for our class. Although many poems DO follow specific formats, and it is important for you to know some of the most common formats so you are able to recognize choices made by poets, please know that many excellent poems "break the rules." If you have poems that you enjoy, please feel free to share them with our class, whether or not they fall into one of the patterns we have studied.
I think that a poem is a form of writing that has to follow a specific format but it also expresses emotion.
A poem is different than prose because prose does not usually have a deeper meaning and it isn't usually hard to understand what it means the first time you are reading it.
Poems usually take a lot of thought before you can totally understand the meaning.
Poetry is emotion, reflection, an outlet, art,and a love. The most important thing poetry can have is emotion. Emotional poetry sort of brings you in more as you read and makes you think about that particular situation. Non-emotional poetry is just a poem with a purpose but nothing there to pull you into it's meaning. When prose is incorporated with poetry it is called a prose poem, that lacks some of the obvious rules of poetry. However, when a poem lacks some of those obvious rules they are called free verse poems. Free verse poems lack those rules, but are still recognized as poetry by complex patterns.
-bedell04a
In response to bedell26b,
I agree with you on some level, but not completely. Poetry doesn't have to have a rhyme scheme or be thought provoking. Some of the most famous poems seem pointless when you read them. Not all poetry will leave you felling calm and collective. It could leaving you feeling angry, upset, confused, disgusted, sad, or just flat out blank.
~bedell04a
In response to bedell17m,
I agree, poetry is more about expression than prose poetry. Poetry also has more of a specific format
Yo class,
What makes a poem is its format and characteristics. Poems follow specific guidelines, express emotion, provoke thought, and often have a rhyme scheme. The most important, defining element of poetry is the format. It needs to have some type of poetic form. Prose doesnt really follow a specific format and its more like spoken word than poetry. Prose is also alot more straight foward than poetry and isnt as thought provoking. My definition of poetry is a form of writing that follows a specified format, provokes thought, and often has a ryhme scheme.
Aint i a woman is an example of prose and the raven is an example of a poem
-bedell04p
im not sure if i signed my name but the person that agreed with bedell17m was me.
-bedell04p
i think that a poem is creative, thoughtful, and follows its specific, structured format. it doesnt have to be entertaining (but its better that way). an example would be romeo and juliet by shakespere. it is extremely thoughtful (you can tell by reading it how much he must have thought out the plot) and it follows a structured format. A non-example would be Love is a Many Trousered Thing by Louise Rennision. It does not follow a specific format, and she basically writes random thoughts.
~bedell12a
All poems have specefic rules that make them what thay are. They should have a defined format and make you think. I think the most important elemnet is the format and the deep meaning that most poems have. Prose usally isnt at deep. Its more to the point and usally doesnt have a rhyme sceme. I think poetry is a piece of writing that makes you think and has a specefic format. Truthfully i really dont like poetry and i find it a waste of time but we all have to do it. I do like rap however aka rhythme and poetry
OUT!!!
Ey yo Bedell 04p. Thats real talk son. I agree my fellow African-American. I think you hit it right on the spot. Thats how peoms are and should be,
OUT!!!
HEy guys, well anyways i think that a poem is a piece of writing that would sound weird if you said it randomly in a conversation. It usually compares something to something else by using a simile or metaphor, and isn't just dialogue or description someone would say normally. I think the purpose of a poem is to speak words in a thought-provoking way so that you don't immediately understand it and it has many different meanings. An example of poetry would be:
There is a thing in me still dreams of trees,
But let it go. Homesick for moderation,
Half the world’s artists shrink or fall away.
If any find solution, let him tell it.
Meanwhile I bend my heart toward lamentation
Where, as the times implore our true involvement,
The blades of every crisis point the way.
By the way i didn't make that up.
That poem is obviously very deep and has a big meaning. It's not just words you can skim through to understand.
A non-example would be:
The other day i ate a pizza. It had pepperonis and anchovies. It was steamy goodness. I am glad i went to Dominos.
However, i did make that one up. ANyways, for that you get what i mean immediately, and it has no purpose whatsoever except to inform you that i had pizza.
bye
In response to everyone,
Why do poems have to follow a specific format? I think that they should just provoke thought and have a deep meaning. I think that if you add all the rules and things to a poem it sometimes takes some of the meaning out of it because the poets are so worried about following the guidelines instead of writing what they really wanted to.
Woo hoo! last posting!
-lisa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
♥
I am Bedell25j and at any given time 0.7% of the world's population is drunk. A poem is like the mix of regular speech and song. It is always metrical and is usually written with stanzas and lines. Being metrical is probably the most important aspect to poetry because in some cases that is the only thing separating prose from poetry. For example, take this prose poem a found by Ruth Behar. It is written like a paragraph but can be read metrically.
"How fortunate is the world that it does not depend on my will. How fortunate am I that you keep watering the stem of our love, even when it withers, even when it has nothing to give."
Now take this piece of prose. It, unlike the poem above, can't be read metrically.
"Hello. My name is Justin. I was born in Burbank, California. I like donuts."
Basically, a poem must be metrical.
Signing off,
Bedell25j
P.S.- Here are some of the "fun facts" that weren't able to be put up due to the lack of blogs.
-In the late 1960's Pez tried to market flower flavored candies.
-In Massachusetts, it is illegal for a mourner at a funeral to eat more that three sandwiches.
-White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said "I don't know" 400 times in his first 6 months.
-1 in 7 Americans say they or someone they know has had and experiance involving a UFO.
I disagree with ananymous blogger in that poetry has to have a specific format. If it has to have a specific format then what is free verse? There is no format to that.
~bedell06e
In response to anonymous i disagree because poetry should not always be fun to read because there is sad poetry and sad poetry is not fun.
I agree with anonymous except that poetry has to have a specific form. Blank verse does not have a form and yet it is considered poetry still. I do agree that poetry should be fun to read, and it has to be presented in a creative way in order for it to be read by people.
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