The features of poetry are what makes poetry easily recognizable and discernable from other forms of writing and literature. The features of poetry.
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 genres has its features. The features of poetry are the elements that defines 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 firm of writing that written based on the subjective interest, style or point of expression of the poet.
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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 varies from piece to piece depending on the author and the author's usage of these features.
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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 a brief explanation about 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 poet as it might be quite difficult sometimes to pin does what really is poetry. Despite this, as stated earlier, there are some generally agreed features of poetry and are common in most poems
- Imagery
Imagery is one of the most powerful features of poetry and an admirable tool that are often used in poetry writing. Imagery is the mental picture that are created in the reader's mind while reading a piece of poem. Imagery makes a poem more detail filled, creative, explanatory and easily comprehensible.
Imagery is used to describe what a poet sees, feels or perceive. It's a centerpiece to 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 usually 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 is a creative way of describing or explaining things. It is also one of the most used features of poetry that gives it quite a recognizable format. Examples of figures of Speech are metaphor, personification, hyperbole.
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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 are no definite or exact way to using these features of poetry, as it's quite subjective. To usage of sounds and tones makes poetry mare 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.
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- Lines And Stanzas.
It's no denial that the specific features of poetry which makes readers o differentiate 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 the book. Poetry specifically doesn't run off the margins and are usually in form of stanzas.
Although there are form of writing that accommodate both prose and poetry. It is 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 the meaning. This even makes it more appreciated compares to there forms of literature and its impact in history, both politically and socially can't be over-emphasized.
- 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 like a measurement of poetry.
- Rhyme
Another interesting features of poetry is rhyme. Although not often used in the contemporary poems, it's still another way to recognize poems. Rhyme 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 to poetry writing. Each poems are written based on the poet's style of writing, fiction, perception and ways of expression. These unique characteristics are the primary focus.
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