Tag: art of poetry

Categories
The Poet's Pen

What Makes A Good Poem?

All writing is about “words” but poetry uses concise words in a concise order. One word in a  poem can make a drastic difference in how the poem is perceived. Sometimes changing one word can make or break a poem.

Look at the following example from THE EAGLE by Alfred Lord Tennyson

He  clasps the crag with taloned hands (my version) or–

He clasps the crag with crooked hands (the way Tennyson wrote it)

Do you see how much smoother Tennyson’s version reads?

Which of the following two poems by an anonymous writer do you think is better?

A
The spoken or written word
Should be as clean as a bone,
As clear as is the light,
As firm as is a stone.
Two words will never serve
As well as one alone.

 

B
The written word
Should be clean as bone,
Clear as light,
Firm as stone.
Two words are not
As good as one.[1]

A Good Poem:

  1. comes from the poet’s heart.
  2. touches your heart.
  3. makes you want to read it again…and again.
  4. like the Bible, each time you read it you see/learn something different.
  5. creates a new image by juxtaposing different things together.
  6. uses clear, memorable, concrete images
  7. tells a story.
  8. creates a world inside the poem

The next time you write a poem, think about how the words fit together. Try replacing a word of phrase with a different one to see which one is better.

[1] Perrine, Laurence, LITERATURE Structure, Sound, and Sense, Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., New York, 1970. p.565.

Darlo Gemeinhardt writes middle grade novels. She believes that there is a story in every dog. In her spare time she takes care of 1 husband (of 40 years), 29 dogs and trains with TALLAO, K-9 SEARCH AND RESCUE. Visit her at From the dog pen.com

Categories
A Pinch of Poetry

What is blank verse? – Darlo O. Gemeinhardt

What is blank verse? Blank verse doesn’t recognize a rhyme scheme but it does adhere to a developed metrical pattern called iambic pentameter. Each line of verse has five metrical feet consisting of one short (or unstressed) syllable followed by one long (or stressed) syllable.

Blank verse was introduced by the Earl of Surry in 1540 when he published a translation of the second and fourth books of Virgil’s Aeneid.

The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus more commonly referred to as Doctor Faustus written by Christopher Marlowe and first performed in 1592 is a prime example of blank verse.

The Emperor speaking:

     Wonder of men, renowned magician,

Thrice-learned Faustus, welcome to our court.

This deed of thine, in setting Bruno free

From his and our professed enemy,

Shall add more excellence unto thine art,

Than if by powerful necromantic spells

Thou couldst command the world’s obedience.

Christopher Marlowe, Doctor. Faustus, ed. by John Hollander and Frank Kermode, The Literature of Renaissance England, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1973)  Scene XI, Lines 48-54

John Milton’s Paradise Lost, is another example of blank verse. It is divided into twelve books and of course is written in iambic pentameter.

He ended, and his words replete with guile

Into her heart too easy entrance won.

Fixed on the fruit she gazed, which to behold

Might tempt alone, and in her ears the sound

Yet rung of his persuasive words, impregned

With reason, to her seeming, and with truth;

John Milton, Paradise Lost, ed.by John Hollander and Frank Kermode, The Literature of Renaissance England, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1973) Book IX, Lines 733-738.

Look at “Ulysses” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson it too is written in blank verse.

I am a part of all that I have met;

Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough

Gleams that untraveled world whose margin fades

Forever and forever when I move.

Alfred,Lord Tennyson, “Ulysses”  ed.by M. H. Abrams, General Ed, The Norton Anthology of English Literature, rev (New York: W. W. Norton & Company,1968) p.842.

Additional reading:

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Macbeth

Robert Frost’s “Mending Walls” and “Birches”

How to Write a Blank Verse Form

  1. Observe the world around you and let it inspire you.
  2. Train yourself by reading and listening to poetry.
  3. Write for a specific reason. Don’t be afraid to tap into your emotions.
  4. Carefully choose your words.
  5. Use concrete images and vivid descriptions. Avoid cliches.
  6. Don’t let yourself fall into free verse.
  7. Read your poem out loud.
  8. Edit and share.

Darlo Gemeinhardt writes MG novels and the occasional poem.

She spends a good portion if each day taking care

of twenty-five dogs. That’s why she believes, “There’s

a Story in Every Dog.”

www.fromthedogpen.com

Categories
A Pinch of Poetry

The Art of Poetry

In my opinion, poetry is the high art form of all writing.

Crafting a meaningful poem can’t be done by anyone, but I believe anyone can learn to craft an extraordinary poem.

Hence the purpose of this blog A Pinch of Poetry where we will take our poetic talent to the next level.

Let’s consider visual art for a moment.  We could agree that most anyone can draw, color, or paint even if on the level of creating stick-figure abstract art.  But not everyone will become the next Van Gogh or Picasso.

So what makes renowned artists’ work more valuable than say a third-grade rendition of family life?  What defines them as “artists” rather than someone playing around in paint?

Techniques and intention distinguish art and poetry because they create aesthetic beauty.

Professional artists employ certain techniques to create an effect on the viewer or reader.  Every brush stroke and medium or color chosen is with a purpose.  Nothing is accidental. If you study a work carefully enough, you will discover secrets hidden deep within it that the artist is trying to share with you.

So it is with the art of writing poetry.

[bctt tweet=”Authentic Poetry is truly a high art form. #art #poetry”]

Crafting a poem goes beyond penning words on a page.  Many people can write a poem if given instructions just as so many could create a drawing.  But only a few will take poetry to another level and create written art.

How so?

When creating a poem, the poet has to consider the subject and the meaning they want to get across in as few words as possible.  Then he or she chooses the techniques which will best create images to convey those messages.  Some of those techniques are metaphor, personification, meter, alliteration, etc.

While we all have had the definitions of these techniques mercilessly beaten into us by our English teachers, implementing them is not as easy as it might seem.  And not all techniques are appropriate for every poem.  A poet decides what will work just like a visual artist decides what colors to use in a painting.

Every word and technique chosen has a purpose and meaning.  Nothing is accidental.

So if you’re already a poet then you can consider yourself an artist because authentic poetry is truly a high art form.  If you’re not poetically inclined yet, I look forward to helping you get acquainted with the craft.

Consider it an artistic adventure.

Have you ever considered poetry an art?  Tell me your thoughts below.

“VanGogh-View of Arles with Irises” by Vincent van Gogh – Web Museum (file). Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VanGogh-View_of_Arles_with_Irises.jpg#/media/File:VanGogh-View_of_Arles_with_Irises.jpg