Poetry uses figurative language, aesthetic qualities, and poetic devices to convey meaning. Rhyme schemes and meter are common features, but not always present. Figurative language includes similes, metaphors, and other devices. Iambic pentameter is a common meter.
Poetry is a type of writing that focuses on figurative language, the aesthetic qualities of words and lines, and, in many cases, the overall meaning of words. The characteristics of poetry can vary significantly depending on the specific genre or type of poetry read, although most poetry shares some common characteristics. Figurative language is any word or phrase that has a meaning beyond the dictionary definition, and this type of language is exceptionally common in most forms of poetry. Other features include rhyme, meter, enjambment, and other poetic devices intended to draw attention to the nature of language.
While many readers think of rhyme as one of the most common characteristics of poetry, many poets eschew rhyme altogether, particularly in the postmodern genre. Rhyme schemes are present in many types of poetry, and the scheme itself can vary according to the poetic form. An example of a rhyme scheme might look like this:
A fire)
B (forest)
A liar)
B (hoods)
C (human)
Lines A have words that rhyme with each other, as do lines B. Line C rhymes with neither line A nor line B. These words could be included in lines of poetry, known as lines, in a single stanza or unit of poetry.
Figurative language is one of the characteristics that can be difficult to identify. Similarities are usually the most identifiable imagery, as these phrases are indicated by the use of the words “like” or “like”. They are comparisons of two different things; metaphors are also comparisons of two different things, but metaphors don’t use the words “like” or “like” to make these comparisons. Other figurative language includes metonymy, onomatopoeia, synecdoche and personification.
Most poetry is written in a certain meter, which means that the lines of the poem are constructed with a certain pattern, rhythm, or sound. Iambic pentameter, which is a line made up of five iambs, is a well-known meter. An iambus is a combination of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. An example of iambic pentameter might read something like this:
“I can smell the blades of grass outside my door.”
“I smell” is an iambic composed of the unstressed syllable, “I”, and a stressed syllable, “smell”.
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