DEFINITION OF POETRY
Poetry is a form of writing stimulated by emotion and expressing a deep feeling, that may be very difficult to explain in literary form. It is act of uniting pleasure with truth by the help of imagination and reasoning. It is also, the spontaneous overflow of powerful emotions and feelings. However, poetry is an art of writing and collections of
poems. The diction employed in poetry is more than those treated in prose and drama. In view of all these, a poet is literarily permitted to use language the way it pleases him. This liberty enjoyed by a poet is called POTIC LICENCE.
This is the freedom to change the system, and normal rules of a language in a special piece of writing or speech in order to achieve a particular effect. This license in summary allows a poet to create new words, disobey rules of grammar, create inversions and use archaic diction.
CHARACTERISTICS OF POETRY
The language of poetry is expressed rhythmically poetry is characterized by the use of archaic language and precision of words. It makes use of stanza, metre rhyme scheme and lines, and also expresses deep feelings and emotions. Poetry also, makes use of dialogue known as dramatic monologue. Here, the poet makes use of invented characters and settings.TYPES OF POEM
EPIC: An epic poem is used in praising a person who has done something heroic. An example of an epic poem is Homer's "lliad" and Virgil's "Aeneid".LYRIC: A lyrical poem is a poem that is song-like and it usually expresses emotions and desires an intense or spontaneous way. An example is "Streamside Exchange" by J.P.CLARK.
ELEGY: An elegiac poem is written to mourn a dead person or thing. An example is "Adonais" by Thomas Gray and "Songs of Sorrow" by kofi Awoonor.
ODE: An ode is a poem written in praise of a thing of nature. Examples are: "Ode to a Nightingale" by John Keats and "on the Grasshopper and the cricket" by John Keats.
BALLAD: A ballad is a simple poem that tells a story. It is sometimes in the form of a song. Examples are "Sohrab and Rustum" by Mathew Arnold and Richard Cory" by Edward Arlington Robinson.
SONNET: A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines. It can either be (1) Italian or Petrarchan Sonnet having an Octave (8 lines) rhyming abba abba and a Sestet (6 lines) rhyming cdecde or cdc cdc. (2) English or Shakesperian sonnet have three quartrains (4 lines) and a couplet rhyming ababcdcd efefgg. The Spenserian version has rhyming scheme abab bcbccdcdee.
UNSEEN POETRY: This is used in testing candidate's comprehension skills as well as his mastery of literary techniques. What the term means is that the poem on which the candidate is tested will not be one of the prescribed poems in the syllabus; it is expected to be strange to the candidate. A good Knowledge of literary devices will greatly aid a candidate in answering the questions.
LITERARY TECHNICS OF POETRY
A POET: This is a person that writes a poem.NURSERY RHYME: This refers to a poem meant for children
A NARRATIVE POETRY:his tells a story throughout.
A PASTORAL POEM: This portrays simple and rural life among common people.
A ROMANTIC POEM: This deals with appreciating things of nature.
POETIC LICENSE: This is the freedom of a poet to use language in the way that suits him.
COUPLET: This a poem of two lines.
QUARTRAIN: This is a poem of four lines.
RHYME: This reffers to the sameness of sound at the end of the lines of a poem.
INTERNAL RHYME: This is when two words rhyme within a line of poetry while END RHYME is when words rhyme at the end lines of a poem.
RHYTHM: This is the pattern of a poem and should not be confused with RHYME
METRE: Is the grouping of stressed and unstressed syllables. This is to achieve prosodic (sound) effect.
ANTHOLOGY: It is a collection of poems by different poets.
CLICHE: Cliche in literary work is a stereotyped expression that is commonly used.
ORAL POEMS: This are meant to be chanted. An example is the Ijala of Yoruba
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