Poetry (Definition, Elements & Types)

Poetry

(Definition, Elements & Types)

Poetry is considered to be one of the oldest forms of literature. It is a literary instrument. It creates imagery and uses figurative language with words to convey messages. It expresses the feelings, thoughts and emotions of the poet. It is a musical composition of literature. Similar words for poetry are verse, poem and poetry.

In other words, we can say, poetry is a means through which poets can express their personal feelings, thoughts and emotions.

👉 Definition of Poetry

Poetry, derived from the Greek poesis, meaning " to make", also called verse, is a form of literature that uses the aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language—such as phonetics, word symbolism, and meter—to evoke meaning in addition to, or instead of, an undisclosed meaning.

👉 Elements of Poetry

While composing poetry, the poets use various literary elements. Some important elements of composing poems or poetry are given below:

Stanza: This refers to groups of lines within a poem. A group of two lines is called a couplet, a group of three lines is called a tercet stanza, and a group of four lines is called a quatrain stanza.

Rhyme: Rhyme refers to the same ending sound at the end of a line of a poem. It creates musical effects in the lines of the poem.

Theme: Theme refers to the central idea of the poem or we can say it is the basis of the story. The theme of the poem can be anything like patriotism, friendship, love, life etc.

Rhythm: Rhyme is an essential element of poetry. It creates musical effects in the lines of the poem. When we talk about rhyme we are talking about the syllables used in poetry. A combination of two syllables is called a foot.

Figurative Language: Figurative language is also known as literary device or literary terms. Literary devices play an important role in shaping a poem. We can find many literary devices. Some examples of them include as below:

1) Simile- It is a literary device that compares one thing to another by using the words ‘like’, ‘similar’ and ‘as’. He plays cricket like Sachin Tendulkar.

2) Metaphor- It is a kind of literary devices that compares the similarities between two indifferent objects implicitly without using the words ‘like’, ‘similar’ and ‘as. Example - The classroom was a zoo, 'Heart of gold', 'She is a rose' etc.

3) Archaism- The use of old words and phrases is an archaism. For example, who are you?

4) Intrusion- This refers to the repetition of the initial sound of the same consonant letter within a group of words. Like- or or black ship.

👉 Types of poetry

There are different types of poetry like sonnet, lyric, elegy, ode, epic, mock-epic, ballad etc. Each type of poem is defined below:

Sonnet: The word sonnet comes from the Italian word sonnet which means a little sweet song. The sonnet originated in Italy in 1230 AD by Giacomo da Lentini and later spread to various European countries. A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines with iambic pentameter in each line of the poem. Sonnets are divided into three categories such as Italian sonnets, Spenserian sonnets and English sonnets. Each type of sonnet is defined below:

Italian Sonnet – Also known as Petrarchan Sonnet. Its 14 lines are divided into two stanzas: octaves and sestets. It has ABBA ABBA CDE CDE rhyme scheme. It is the original form of a sonnet.

Spenserian Sonnet- It has fourteen lines and each line is written in iambic pentameter. It is divided into four stanzas and has an interlocking rhyme scheme- abab bcbc cdc ee.

English Sonnet- It is also known as Shakespearean sonnet because it was popularized by Shakespeare. It has an alternate rhyme scheme - abab cdcd efef gg.

Lyric: The word lyric comes from the Greek word lyre which means "a musical instrument". So a lyric poem is a poem that can be sung as a song with a lyrical instrument. It is a musical short poem. It is related to the poet or the poet and his feelings. Lyric poems are usually written about life, love, death and other topics. The Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns is an example of the lyric.

Elegy: Elegy poems are usually written on someone's death. It is a song of mourning or lamentation. It is an expression of sadness. Poets write such poems to express their inner sad feelings through poetry after the death of someone special to the poet. An Elegy in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray is an example of an elegy poem.

Ode: Ode is a special type of lyric poem. It is addressed to someone or something. It is usually written to praise someone's victory. There are three types of odes such as Pindaric ode, Horatian ode and irregular ode. Ode to the west wind by PB Shelly is an example of Ode poem.

Epic: The word epic comes from the ancient Greek word "epos" which means story, poem or words. Epics are subgenres of lyric poetry. It is written on some extraordinary men or women and their heroic deeds. It is a long narrative poem, usually consisting of twelve books. John Milton's Paradise Lost, Homer's Odyssey and the Iliad are popular examples.

Mock-epic: Mock-epic is a sub-genre of epic. Every element of the epic is used in the mock-epic but in a way that creates humor. Mock-epics are short narrative poems. Here we find a ‘story’ dealing with remarkable heroic themes.

Ballad: The word ballad comes from the Greek word ballare which means "to dance". Ballad poems are poems that tell short stories. It also deals with heroic themes like epics and mock-epics. It is made for dancing.

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👉 Common Figures of Speech | in English Literature

👉 What is Lyric Poem? | Importance of Lyric Poem

👉 What is a Short Story? | features and significance

👉 What is Narrative Poem? | Importance of Narrative Poems

👉 What is Comic Relief? | What role does it play in literature?

👉 What is Metaphysical poetry? | Explain its features

👉 Literary Terms | related to Drama or Play