Lesson I

DISCOVERING THE DIFFERENT LITERARY GENRES

On the Art of Poetry

Poetry is derived from the Greek term poesis which means to create or to make. It is the
art of communicating meanings, emotions, and values which leave an effect or impact (emotions,
aspirations, conditions, etc.) on its leaders despite its shortness. It is delivered in both spoken and
written forms and it mainly considers the rhythmic and other tonal aspects which are perceived to
be intricate and complex.

The Key Aspects of Poetry (Structure, Language, Tone, Sound, Rhythm, and Emotional Appeal)

Structure refers to the means of utilizing a few words which are arranged in lines and stanzas.
Structure may differ depending on the style of the writer and the culture (e.g. Haiku, Ballad,
Sonnet).

Language is used to express familiar feelings, emotions, conditions, and the like in an implicit and
suggestive way. Words used contain expressions that bear numerous meanings and interpretations
such as connotations, concrete words, and figurative language. A variety of figurative expressions
beautify and heighten the effect of a poetic work.

Through the use of tone, sound, and rhythm, poem writing is similar to song writing. In most cases,
poets are careful of using rhythmic patterns, and even sound devices (e.g. Shakespearean,
Spenserian, Petrarchan sonnets; Japan’s Haiku).

Emotional appeal means to convey meanings in a mysterious way through words, ideas, or
constructs that are used by the writer that bear certain meanings which go beyond the literary or
ordinary sense. A reader, moreover, should have the ability to deduce and interpret certain ideas
which will help them understand better the revelations of the poem.

Emotional Composites of Poetry (Sense, Sound, Structure)

Sense involves word choice and imagery that can appeal to the senses, and lastly figurative
expressions. Sense can be established through words, symbolisms, and images.

Sound is an offshoot of a variety of elements like tonal patterns, rhythm, and measurements. Sound
devices, rhyming schemes, and repetitions are utilized to create a strong appeal.

Structure pertains to how words and lines are organized, sequenced, arranged, and formed to
ensure unity or form. It involved the careful and mindful combination of different parts,
establishing harmony, and revealing the meaning of a poem.

Different Poetic Forms

Dramatic poetry is a lyric work that exhibits dialogue and characterization which are known to be
elements of a drama. Elements of a dialogue include monologue and soliloquy.

Narrative poetry includes epics, ballads, idylls, and lays. Some narrative poetry takes the form of
a novel in verse. An example of this is The Ring and the Book by Robert Browning.

A lyric evokes and highlights the emotions both in a personal and subjective way. It is melodic in
nature and is usually sung. This includes odes, lyrics, songs, sonnets, and elegies. An example of
which is “O Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman.

An epitaph is a commemorative inscription on a tombstone for a deceased person which may be

serious or humorous in form.

A cinquain is a class of poetic forms that employ a 5-line pattern.

Blue (TITLE)
Is Sorrow (Describe the title.)
For you’re gone (Describe its action.)
And galaxies whither chaos (Describe feeling.)
Open wounds and grim oblivion (Refer back or comprehend.)

A riddle on the other hand is a description in a poetic way, and leads the readers to guess as they
are asked to decipher the answer by analyzing descriptions and sensory details carefully.

An acrostic is a verse in which initial letters are taken to form a line.

A clerihew is named after Edmund Clerihew Bentley, a humorous poem consisting of 4 lines
intended to describe a famous person. It is a short comic or nonsensical verse.

Edgar Allan Poe Lewis Carol

Was passionately fond of roe Bought sumptuous apparel
He always liked to chew some And built an enormous palace
When writing anything grewsome. Out of the profits of Alice

Shape poetry, lastly, is where words and lines are set to form the figure or shape of its subject.

On the Elements of Poetry

Stanzas are a series of lines grouped together and separated by an empty line from other stanzas.
They are the equivalent of a paragraph in an essay. One way to identify a stanza is to count the
number of lines.

Couplet (2 lines) Sestet or sexain (6 lines)

Tercet (3 lines) Septet (7 lines)
Quatrain (4 lines) Octave (8 lines)
Cinquain (5 lines)
Form. A poem may or may not have a specific number of lines, rhyme scheme and/or metrical
pattern, but it can still be labeled according to its form or style. Here are the three most common
types of poem, according to form:

A lyric poetry is any poem with ne speaker