Poetry and its Unique Characteristics
Poetry examines human character and reveals the unchanging truth about people. It is a tool that alters the way people view and experience existence. However, poetry is not always well received, perhaps as a result of how difficult it is to understand. The numerous components that make up poetry as an art set it apart from other forms of literature. Poetry differs from other continuous written literature in that it follows a structured order rather than simply condensing words to convey ideas. In figuring out what distinguishes a sonnet from other literary works, it is critical to expand on the condensation of the figurative language and the different parts that are combined to create a poem.
The Role of Rhythm in Poetry
The first element to notice in a poem and which differentiates it from other works of literature is rhythm. Poetry exists in many forms such as the sonnet, limerick, and haiku just to mention a few. What is common and evident in all these forms of poems is the musicality in them. “My black face fades,…black granite” (Gardner 1218). These lines from Komunyakaa’s poem are an example of musicality in poetry. The rhythm in words makes it unique from any other form of literature. Furthermore, it brings out the dynamics of poetry in communicating ideas through music and rhythm. It is believed that much of poetry is written with a form of rhythm because rhythm has powerful social meaning in the cultural context.
Aural Effects through Assonance and Consonance
In the creation of rhythm, poems employ sounds in lines that are closely pronounced or repeated vowels to create aural effects. Assonance is the use of repeated vowels that create a similar sound to create rhythm. For example “I don’t know if there is anything I thought I knew…” by Naughton utilizes the “O” vowel in such a way that the audience can follow. This assonance creates a stronger sense and meaning of the poem. On the hand, poets use repeated consonance to reiterate the significance of a point and through creating a rhythm with the consonance. For example, Shel Silverstein employs “Y” to emphasize her message in the opening line where she says “I’ll swing by my ankles…” (Harvey 56). This powerful use of assonance and consonance differentiates poems from other types of literature. However, it is also important to note that repetition of vowels and consonants can be found in other pieces of literature. But when they are used, they change the part of that writing to poetic rather than the continuous prose that existed before the rhythm was created.
Structure and its Importance in Poetry
Moreover, poetry is distinguished from other forms of literature through its structure. Poetry is unique in the way it is composed and arranged to bring out its meaning. It may not follow a particular structure since poets are independent and art can be unique. In fact, a poem can have free verses. In the identification of the structure of a poem, stanzas which are a series of lines grouped together are identified. Unlike other forms of literature, poetry can have a unique way of structuring words and lines. It does not have a specific rule that must be followed. For example, a line can have as many as sixteen words and as low as two words and yet still make sense and be accepted as a poem. Thus, the structure can be used to tell whether or not a piece of literature is a poem or not. Besides, like other elements, the structure element is very vital, and it has other minor facets associated including poetic lines, stanza, enjambment, placement, and verse.
Forms of Poetry
Additionally, a form can be used to differentiate a poem from other literature. A poem can take three forms; lyrics, narrative, or descriptive. In the lyric form, one speaker is involved and could be the poet or another character who uses lyrics to express thoughts or feelings. The narrative poem can use a second or third person as the narrator and its structure is such that it resembles the plot line of a story. On the other hand, the descriptive poem describes the world of the speaker. It uses imagery in an elaborate manner and adjectives to paint the picture clearly to the mind of the audience.
The Role of Sound, Imagery, and Figurative Language
Similarly, the element of sound is essential in poetry. It gives a distinctive acoustic character to a poetic dictation. Rhythm, meter, end rhyme, internal rhyme, and assonance and other bestow a very richer aural attitude to poetry which is way different from other forms of literature. Imagery and figurative language also add definitive feature to a poetry dictation. Precise language and sensory details are associated with the imagery. On the other hand, symbolism, personification, metaphor, hyperbole, and sarcasm include the attributes of figurative language (Strachan, John, Terry, Richard, 119).
Figures of Speech in Poetry
Furthermore, figures of speech such as allegory, expression and metonymy fashion a kind of reverberation between otherwise incongruent imageries – a multi-layered meaning, establishing relations not observed in other forms of literature. In addition, associated procedures of character may exist, between individual verses, in the designs of their rhyme or rhythm.
Conclusion
In conclusion, poetry is a unique art that has existed for many years. It is distinguished from other literature through its unique composition, form, and structure. Despite the freedom that exists in poetry, several elements emerge as the defining factors that make the audience distinguish poetry from other arts. This essay has explored different elements that in unity constitute the formation of a poem.
Works Cited
Gardner, Janet E. Literature: a portable anthology. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013. Print.
Harvey, B. J. Blissful surrender. Auckland, New Zealand: BJ Harvey, 2014. Print.
Naughton, Patrick. Poetry from Dusk to Dawn. Place of publication not identified: Lulu Com, 2012. Print.
Strachan, John R, Terry, and Richard G. Poetry: an introduction. Edinburgh University Press. 2000. Print.
