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The History Of Poetry From The First Works

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Poetry is as old a part of human communication as any effort to express something defiant of literal description. Every world culture has developed some form of poetry, with or without music. They revered those skilled in its expression.

While written records of some of the most ancient poems exist, they all began as oral presentations. The authors of the Sumerian “Gilgamesh” epic, or “Innana, Queen of Heaven” – two of the world’s oldest poems – recited them from memory. Homer did the same with “The Odyssey” and “ The Illiad”. Audiences went to hear the poet as much as the story.

Most ancient poetry had its roots in religion. While Robert Graves’ book “The White Goddess” traces all European poetry back to pagan beliefs of a mystic lady, the ancient Anglo Saxon epic “Beowulf” still sets a pattern for many language techniques in English poetry. It does so while encompassing features of Western heroic traditions that persist in most movies today.

What we now consider poetry has changed greatly because of the printing press and the advance in literacy it created. Distribution of printed material kept Shakespeare’s work alive, and made Longfellow the all-time bestselling writer of his day. Even then, more people heard his poems read than could read them. Greater literacy turned poetry into the less communal and more personal, introspective, and quiet experience it has become today.More info here: Falling Upon Silence

Successful Techniques For Reading and Studying Poetry

www.forgodot.com — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Poetry is a unique form of literature that people tend to love or to hate. Students will often find that a poetry course or unit is a part of their studies. If poetry doesn’t come easily, it may be a daunting prospect to have to look into this form of literature in depth. There are many approaches to take when reading poetry in order to make it more enjoyable and to have a better understanding. It often helps to have background information about the poet in order to relate to the author and know where that person was coming form. You can find a quick rundown here. Pay attention to footnotes when provided to interpret tricky pieces. At the same time, sometimes it is a good idea to simply read through a poem without looking to any suggestions for interpretation and try to get something out of it. Poetry should be approached with an open mind as readers attempt to enjoy the possible imagery and use of language. Some poems are intended to be read out loud such as Shakespeare for better comprehension and appeal. Reading any poem aloud may give it new meaning. Poetry comes in many styles and it is important to try a variety.

Epic Poetry And The Art of Storytelling

www.forgodot.com — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

What makes a great poet, anyway? This is a question that has been up for debate for hundreds of years. There are many famous poets out there who have names that any literature or poetry fanatic would be able to recognize. What makes them as good as they are, though? These poets all share a bit of common ground. For starters, it is easy to see that writing was their passion. Besides that, these poets were all amazing storytellers.

The art of storytelling is not something which can be passed on from one person to the next. Get more information here. It is an ability that you are either born with or simply do not have. Many people out there are “good writers,” but to be an excellent writer, it takes a massive amount of know-how when it comes to putting words on a page that engulf a reader and make them feel like they are part of those words.

Poets like Robert Frost and Sylvia Plath were able to do this inherently. They took pride in making sure that each word committed to paper had meaning in and of itself. They wanted their readers to be taken on an emotional journey through unimaginable landscapes. This is why they were epic poets.

Your Kids and Poetry

www.forgodot.com — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Rather than allowing them to watch hours of MTV on your Direct TV or to sit in front of the computer all day long we recommend you and your family start reading poetry. It’s great for young minds and if you let it, it will inspire you too!
Dr. Seuss: The classic children’s poet, Dr. Seuss books are still readily available and easy to read. He’s not a poet in the sense of Shakespeare but he sure knew his way around words that rhymed!
Robert Frost: He’s surprisingly easy for kids to read and his poems often focus on natural narratives. They’re very imaginative and ethereal and your kids will find them easy to memorize which can help them really gain a lifelong love for the art.
Ken Nesbitt: He’s developed a loyal fan following online and his website is a fun, colorful exploration into poetry. If your kids like to laugh while they read Ken may be a great foray into poetry for them – get together and read out loud for the best bonding experience!

What Is The True Definition Of Poetry?

www.forgodot.com — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The definition of a poem is a complicated thing, for there are many styles of poetry. In short a poem is a written expression of beauty, nd a literary form of art. This type composition takes its nature from both songs and speech. Meaning that it uses words both common and created words, along with written sounds, rhymes and rhythms, and stanza styling to create an expressive form of art.

Poems are written to express thoughts, feelings, memories, ideas or experiences with vivid language that evokes atmosphere and emotion. This helps explain it more. Language is chosen carefully when writing poetry for the beauty and the power are in the imagery and sound of the words, and the comfort and stability of the rhythms.

Poetry comes in many styles, like sonnets, haikus, epics, odes, rondelet, limericks, ballads and many others. Most poetry has set rhythms and structures that control the flow of the words. Free verse is the exception to the rule, it does not require rhyming or set rhythms. In free verse the most important thing is the beauty of the images and the sincerity of vision created by the words.

Poetry is a reflection of its writer and a window for its reader.

Major Poets And Their Effect on Poetry

admin — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Each era of poetry has certain poets that stand out as the great ones. These poets are the ones that changed the genre, perhaps, or started a new trend that others followed. Just as in any type of art, whether it be visual art, the written word or musical pieces, poetry transforms through the times and it takes the major poets to effect the changes.

The Romantic Period of poetry was greatly centered around Blake, Shelley, Byron, Keats, Wordsworth and Coleridge.The whole story can be found at http://rabbitshapedclouds.com/2011/07/06/guerilla-poetry/ Without their influence, the Romantic Period may never have blossomed as it did in the late 1700′s, changing poetry as well as some world views.

When we think about American gothic poetry, Edgar Allen Poe comes to mind. With his works of lost love and their supernatural feel, he stands out in this time period. “Annabelle Lee” and “The Raven” are two of his most famous poems and truly worth being studied.

Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes are two of the better known contemporary poets who have made their mark on the poetry of today, which is still ever evolving.

Whether poetry effects the world or the world effects poetry, we may never know. But following major poets is one way to see changes in both.

What Is And What Is Not Poetry

www.forgodot.com — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

There’s something very un-poetic about trying to define what is and what is not poetry. Poetry doesn’t need to rhyme, it doesn’t need to have any rhythm or meter, in fact, in it’s simplest form, it could just be a sort of shopping list of words, with no obvious meaning at all.

What defines poetry, and makes it such a beautiful medium for communication, is that the message is entirely in the subtext. A poem can mean something completely different to the poet as it does to the audience; some poetry paints a vivid image in the mind, although the metaphorical meaning of that image can often be so very different.

It is this imaginative element of poetry which makes finding a definition so hard: without depth of emotion, it is merely a song without a tune; without imagery and metaphor, it is simply a list of words, so often forced down students in literature classes.

Fundamentally then, what makes a poem is not so simple to define as elements off of a checklist, it is in fact much deeper than that, it is the connection that the words make between the writer and the reader, the images conjured, the metaphorical connections made. While these may not be the same for both poet and audience, if they do not exist, then perhaps the piece is merely a list of words, and no poem at all.

Major Works Of The Romantic Poetry Era

admin — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The beginning of the Romantic Period in English literature is usually considered the publication of William Wordsworth’s “Lyrical Ballads” in 1798. “The Prelude,” a work unknown until after his death, is a philosophical meditation on what it meant to be alive and an artist. Wordsworth’s innovation was to embrace simplicity and natural inspirations rather than the strict and formal neo-classicism of the earlier generation. Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” continues the pattern, with a healthy dose of fantasy and gothic horror thrown in as well. Lord Byron died young, but his contribution to Romantic poetry was immense.Want more? Click here/tag “Don Juan” is an epic poem which follows the trials and tribulations of a cavalier youth. Byron’s style sparked a lot of controversy, as much of his writing was vulgar by the standards of his time. Percy Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind” describes in vivid language the role of the poet in modern society. He worked throughout his short life for social change, using poetry as the vehicle of his ideas. Until fairly recently, William Blake was an often overlooked Romantic poet. He produced his greatest work prior to Wordsworth, putting him out of step with the times. His “Marriage of Heaven and Hell” is a complicated yet whimsical examination of theological and moral principles.