The features of poetry are the elements that defines poetry and makes its style of writing different from other forms of writing. Poetry features.
What Are The Features Of Poetry?
We often ask ourselves,
"What makes a poetry a poetry?" "What are those special features of poetry that makes it easy to recognize and differentiate from other genres of literature?"
There's no doubt that poetry, as a literary genre has its features. The features of poetry are the elements that define poetry and makes its style of writing different from other forms of writing. The features of poetry are not necessarily to be adhered to, neither are the features of poetry a fast and strict rules to writing poetry. In essence, poetry is a special, dynamic form of writing that written based on the subjective interest, style or point of expression of the poet.
Also Read: How To Learn Digital Skills For Free
Hint:
Features of poetry are not a hack to writing good poetry
Despite the fact that there are no fast rules to poetry writing, there are some existing features of poetry that are input and easily recognized in poems, which then makes it equally easy to differentiate it from other forms of literature. These features of poetry vary from piece to piece depending on the author and the author's usage of these features.
Also Read: Literary Sources Of History
Note:
features of poetry varies from piece to piece depending on the author and the author's usage of these features.
Before proceeding with the features of poetry, there is a need to define what poetry is and give a brief explanation of the genre of literature.
What Is Poetry?
Poetry is a genre of literature that is written based on words and rhythms. Often times, it equally employs meter and rhyme. However, the latter is not always and necessarily employed while writing poetry. While writing poetry, the words are written in lines and stanzas to form sounds, ideas, and images that might be quite complex to comprehend or explain. This is quite unlike prose.
What Are The Features Of Poetry
What features or techniques does poetry employ that differentiate it from other forms of writing? Several times, there have been some arguments as to what actually constitutes a poem among poets, as it might be quite difficult sometimes to pin down what really is poetry. Despite this, as stated earlier, there are some generally agreed-upon features of poetry that are common in most poems.
Take a Second!!!!
- Imagery
Imagery is one of the most powerful features of a poem and an admirable tool that is often used in poetry writing. Imagery is the mental picture that is created in the reader's mind while reading a piece of poetry. Imagery makes a poem more detail-filled, creative, explanatory, and easily comprehensible.
Imagery is used to describe what a poet sees, feels, or perceives. It's a centerpiece in the poet's mind, thereby a breakthrough through the poet's imagination and message. Imagery, no doubt, as one of the features of poetry, is the most commonly used feature. Visual imagery, however, being a form of imagery, is the most common type of image in poetry writing.
- Figures Of Speech
Figures of speech are a creative way of describing or explaining things. It is also one of the most used features of poetry, which gives it quite a recognizable format. Examples of figures of speech are metaphor, personification, and hyperbole.
Also Read: Abdulrazak Gurnah Nobel Prize Speech
For instance,
"The sun glares down, staring at the brown boy as he kicks the ball with so much dexterity. It's excitement could be seen as it golden light shown brighter."
Noteworthy, figures of speech are not only attached to poems but are also used in prose and drama from time to time.
- Sound And Tone
Another features of poetry to consider are sounds and tones. There is no definite or exact way to use these features of poetry, as it's quite subjective. The usage of sounds and tones makes poetry interesting to the readers. For instance, the usage of alliteration in a poem:
"The poor pal played the ball like a pretty little pig"
These are sounds that could easily resonate in the reader's mind.
Magazines And Contest Writers Should Submit
- Lines And Stanzas.
It's no denial that the specific features of poetry that make readers differentiate it from other forms of writing are lines and stanzas. Even when the other features are novel to the readers, the particular features of poetry can't be written off in the book. Poetry specifically doesn't run off the margins and is usually in the form of stanzas.
Although there are forms of writing that accommodate both prose and poetry, they are called poetically-written prose. They run off the margins and may be a bit hard to differentiate.
An example of these features of poetry is:
"The mind is the centre piece of the bodyStern and dynamic,Creating illusory images of the world to see"
- Condensed Use Of Words
Poetry is an art itself. It involves the ability to speak a long thread of words in short lines without losing their meaning. This even makes it more appreciated compared to other forms of literature, and its impact on history, both politically and socially, can't be overemphasized.
- Meter
Meter is the rhythm or pattern of speech. Different forms of meter are being used by poets while writing poems. They are "iambic pentameter or spondaic heptameter." These functions are like a measurement of poetry.
- Rhyme
Another interesting feature of poetry is rhyme. Although not often used in contemporary poems, it's still another way to recognize poems. Rhymes in poetry are written in a specific format that replays in the mind of the reader.
An example of rhyme is:
I think that I shall never see --> A
a poem lovely as a tree…--> A
poems are made by fools like me,--> B
but only God can make a tree.--> B
(Joyce Kilmer, Trees)
As it could be seen, the first two lines ends sounding the same. Equally, the last two lines.
Conclusion
There are no fast rules for poetry writing. Each poem is written based on the poet's style of writing, fiction, perception, and ways of expression. These unique characteristics are the primary focus.
%20(1).jpeg)
.png)
%20(3).jpeg)
COMMENTS