Religious poetry is a diverse genre that varies by culture and era. It includes epic poetry, devotional poetry, and mystical poetry. Examples include the Vedas in ancient India, Greek epic poetry, and Islamic mystical poetry. John Donne and George Herbert popularized devotional poetry in 17th-century England, and TS Eliot continued the tradition in modern times. […]
Protest poetry criticizes current events or social problems, often focusing on government misdeeds or war and racism. Effective protest poetry combines great poetry with passion and can inspire action. Poets use various tools to expose flaws and reflect the views of the people. However, protest poetry can be mistreated by less skilled poets who let […]
Classical poetry must exhibit high quality and durability, with poems often reintroduced long after the poet’s death. Time must pass to demonstrate staying power, and non-Western poetry is now included. Different structures and translations can affect the original intent. Many poets are widely studied, including Dante, Shakespeare, Neruda, and Dickinson. Much debate surrounds the definition […]
Consonance is a literary device that repeats consonants in sequence and is often confused with alliteration. It provides varied hearing range, emphasizes words, and creates an almost hypnotic rhythm. Consonance gives a “bounce” to a poem and creates an auditory journey for the reader. It also provides greater depth and texture to words, pointing out […]
Love poetry expresses various types of love, including romantic, familial, and love for pets or nature. It can be written in different forms, such as sonnets, limericks, or epic poems, and can convey happiness or sadness. Writing poetry can be a way to heal emotional pain and express feelings that are difficult to communicate verbally. […]
Poetry themes include love, nature, history, religion, and death. Love is the most popular theme, while nature is often used as a metaphor for human experience. History, religion, and death are also common themes explored by poets throughout history. The theme of a poem refers to the underlying subject that the poem discusses. While there […]
Irony in poetry uses discordance, incongruity, or a naïve speaker to convey a meaning beyond the literal. There are three types: verbal, situational, and dramatic. Poets use irony for satire or political points. Examples include “The Rape of the Lock,” “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” and “My Last Duchess.” Irony in poetry is […]
Def poetry is a form of poetry that focuses on urban culture and the African-American experience. It expresses personal opinions and life stories, often similar to hip hop or rap music. It is not always competitive like slam poetry and can have various themes, but usually reflects the poet’s upbringing and views on politics, race, […]
Humorous poetry can take any form but some, like limericks, chastushkas, and clerihews, are used exclusively for comedy. Limericks are the most recognized, with five lines and an AABBA rhyme pattern. Chastushkas are more abrupt and adult-oriented, while clerihews use irregular line structures. Double dactyls are often used to open humorous poems with pairs of […]
Diction is crucial in poetry, setting tone and style, and conveying meaning, sound, and syllables. In structured forms, poets must choose words that fit within constraints while conveying meaning. Diction also conveys tone and emotional impact, and can reveal the narrator’s background or age group. Diction, or a writer’s choice of words, has an especially […]
Simile and metaphor are commonly used in poetry to create mental images and link different parts of the poem. Simile can also be used to describe and personify objects or ideas, but writers should avoid clichés. The complexity of simile is up to the writer, but it should enhance the poem’s meaning. There are a […]
Descriptive poetry is realistic and focuses on description rather than emotions or metaphors. It has been around since the beginning of poetry but rose to prominence in the 16th and 18th centuries. Examples include “Poly-Olbion” and “The Seasons.” Critics argue that it lacks poignancy and should not dominate lyric or narrative poetry. Descriptive poetry is […]
Metaphors in poetry allude to one object or situation using another, serving as a figure of speech and analogy. Aristotle believed analogy was the most important of the four types of metaphor. Kennings are not metaphors as they lack concept. Basic types of metaphors include allegory, catachresis, and parables. Metaphors help explain emotions and qualities, […]
Contemporary poetry, written from the mid-20th century to present day, differs from traditional poetry in structure, length, and language. In the US, contemporary poetry has two main branches: conventional and avant-garde. Common themes include love, family, and death, but contemporary poetry often focuses on suggesting ideas rather than declaring them. High school and college literature […]
Rhyme in poetry creates structure and symmetry, aiding memorization. It is used in songwriting and advertising, but is most common in poetry. Rhyme was used in oral narratives and is still used in nursery rhymes and folk songs. Shakespeare used complex rhyme schemes and imperfect rhymes can also create symmetry. Rhyme is sometimes translated in […]
Neoclassical poetry reflects the ideas of the 17th and 18th centuries, emphasizing reason, morality, and order. It imitates classical works and focuses on generalities, with the purpose of providing moral instruction. The form is limited to classical types, with strict adherence to meter and rhyme. Satire is a popular form, offering freedom for writers. Wit […]
Performance poetry is a type of poetry performed for an audience, often composed spontaneously. It has grown in popularity since the 1980s and is connected to ancient oral traditions. Devices such as rhymes and alliteration aid memorization, and percussion and body language are important in modern performance poetry. It is classified as literature by the […]
Repetition is a common component of poetry used to achieve different purposes, such as emphasizing a point or making a poem easier to memorize. It can also refer to the repetition of specific sounds to produce effects like alliteration or rhyme. Repetition can be used on a larger scale to bring unity to a collection […]
Renaissance poetry was written in Europe from the 14th to the early 17th century, influenced by classical styles and humanist movements. It covered a range of subjects, including love, politics, and Christianity, and was often set to music. Famous poets include Petrach, Shakespeare, and Mary Herbert. Renaissance poetry encompasses a variety of artistic writings completed […]
Nature poetry focuses on themes, emotions, and images related to nature. Haiku is a common form, with 17 syllables and a focus on natural elements. Figurative language and specific meter and rhyme schemes can be used to write nature poetry. Nature poetry is a form of writing that primarily focuses on themes, ideas, emotions, situations, […]
