READING AND WRITING POETRY

DEFINITIONS OF POETRY
Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds.
Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted. -Percy bysshe
shelley
Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the
expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who
have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things.-
T.S. Eliot
Poetry is at bottom a criticism of life; that the greatness of a poet lies in his powerful and
beautiful application of ideas to life to the question: how to live. -Matthew Arnold
READING AND WRITING POETRY
DEFINITIONS OF POETRY
Poetry is what in a poem makes you laugh, cry, prickle, be silent, makes your toe nails
twinkle, makes you want to do this or that or nothing, makes you know that you are alone
in the unknown world, that your bliss and suffering is forever shared and forever all your
own. Dylan Thomas
Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the
expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who
have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things.
T.S. Eliot
READING AND WRITING POETRY

DEFINITIONS OF POETRY
I have said that poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin
from emotion recollected in tranquillity: the emotion is contemplated till, by a species of
reaction, the tranquillity gradually disappears, and an emotion, kindred to that which was
before the subject of contemplation, is gradually produced, and does itself actually exist in
the mind. William Wordsworth
Poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of the dictionary. Kahlil Gibran
ELEMENTS OF THE GENRE
Essential elements
A.1. Theme -

Major and Minor themes

A major theme - the most significant idea in a literary work.
A minor theme- an idea that appears in a work briefly
Presentation of themes
The feelings of his main character about the subject he has chosen to write about.
Through thoughts and conversations of different characters.
The experiences of the main character give us an idea about its theme.
ELEMENTS OF THE GENRE
Themes
The pulse of the story
If your theme is not compelling to you, it will certainly not be compelling to your readers.
EXAMPLES OF THEMES
1. ALIENATION THE EFFECTS OF, THE LONELINESS OF, TO CURE IT.
2. AMBITION GETTING WHAT YOU WANT, STUNTED BY, THWARTED.
3. BETRAYAL THE PAIN OF, IN LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP.
4. COMING OF AGE LOSS OF INNOCENCE.
5. COURAGE COURAGE TO DEAL WITH CONFLICT, LACK OF, DEVELOPING,
CONQUERING WITH.
6. DISCOVERY WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO DISCOVER NEW PLACES, INNER MEANING,
STRENGTH, EVEN TREASURE.
7. GOOD VERSUS EVIL SURVIVAL OF ONE DESPITE THE OTHER, TRIUMPH OF ONE
OVER THE OTHER.
THEME
The pulse of the story
If your theme is not compelling to you, it will certainly not be compelling to your readers.
EXAMPLES OF THEMES
1. ALIENATION THE EFFECTS OF, THE LONELINESS OF, TO CURE IT.
2. AMBITION GETTING WHAT YOU WANT, STUNTED BY, THWARTED.
3. BETRAYAL THE PAIN OF, IN LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP.
4. COMING OF AGE LOSS OF INNOCENCE.
5. COURAGE COURAGE TO DEAL WITH CONFLICT, LACK OF, DEVELOPING,
CONQUERING WITH.
6. DISCOVERY WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO DISCOVER NEW PLACES, INNER MEANING,
STRENGTH, EVEN TREASURE.
7. GOOD VERSUS EVIL SURVIVAL OF ONE DESPITE THE OTHER, TRIUMPH OF ONE
OVER THE OTHER.
TONE
The writers attitude towards the subject of the piece, the audience, and
self.
the way feelings are expressed.
author/the authors characters feel towards the subject, or towards
something.
-The tone can be formal, informal, serious, comic, sarcastic, sad, and
cheerful or it may be any
other existing attitudes.
TONE
ROBERT FROST THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

I SHALL BE TELLING THIS WITH A SIGH

SOMEWHERE AGES AND AGES HENCE:
TWO ROADS DIVERGED IN A WOOD, AND I,
I TOOK THE ONE LESS TRAVELED BY,
AND THAT HAS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
ELEMENTS FOR SPECIFIC FORMS
CONVENTIONAL FORMS :
Tanaga
WALA IYAN SA PABALAT
AT SA PUSO NAKATATAK,
NADARAMAT NALALASAP
ANG PAG-IBIG NA MATAPAT.
(PAG-IBIG)
-NI EMELITA PEREZ BAES
Totoong sinungaling,
At talagang malihim,
Pipi kung kausapin,
Walang kiboy matabil,
Ang isa sa kaaway,
Na marami ang bilang,
Ang iyong pangilangan,
Ayan katabi mo lang!
Ildefonso Santos
ELEMENTS FOR SPECIFIC FORMS
Diona
binubuo ng tatlong (3) taludtod.
Ang bawat taludtod ay binubuo ng Diona sa Ina
pitong (7) pantig. Ito ay may tugma.
Ikaw ang aking duyan.
Nang akoy iluwal
KAY SARAP MAG ISA Ang alay moy buhay.
SAPAGKAT NAGAGWA
Raul Funilas
NATING MAGING MALAYA
ELEMENTS FOR SPECIFIC FORMS
Dalt
- tula na maaaring mabuo sa isang saknong
Dalit sa Anak
gaya ng tanga at diyna.
- Ito ay binubuo ng apat na taludtod na may Ang bisig koy di namitig
sukat na wawaluhin ang bawat taludtod. Nang madama ang pag-
ibig.
- sa dalt ipinahahayag ng mga tagalog a
Anuman ang masasapit,
ng kanilang matatayog na kaisipan Kumapit ka nang
at mabibigat na damdamin. mahigpit.
ELEMENTS FOR SPECIFIC FORMS
Haiku An old pond!
- three-line poem with seventeen syllables, A frog jumps in
the sound of water.
written in a 5/7/5 syllable count. -Matsuo Basho
- Often focusing on images from nature,
- haiku emphasizes simplicity, intensity,
In the moonlight,
and directness of expression. The color and scent of
Employs provocative, colorful imagery, the wisteria
Seems far away.
and provides a sudden moment of illumination.
Yosa Buson
ELEMENTS FOR SPECIFIC FORMS

SONNET

fourteen-line poem
SHAKESPEARES SONNET
SPENSERIAN SONNET