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1. INTRODUCTION This script provides you with the theoretical and practical know
ledge of poetry,. You will learn the definition of poetry, the kinds of poetry,
and the elements of poetry. You are given some examples of poetry and so you can
define poetry using your own words. When you have learnt the theory of poetry,
you are given some poems to analyze as the practical knowledge. Then you will be
assigned to read them loudly with good pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation. F
inally you may try to create your own poems. However, in creating your own poems
, you do not need to learn the theory. It is because there is no theory of how t
o create poems. You just need to express your idea and feeling by exploring the
potencies of language as have been demonstrated by some poets whose poems are pr
esented in the part of ―Poems for Experience . General Competence After this course
the students are expected to have theoretical and practical knowledge of poetry.
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2. DEFINITION OF POETRY
What is the definition of poetry? To answer this question let us read the follow
ing poem by William Wordsworth: I WANDERED LONELY AS A CLOUD I wandered lonely a
s a cloud That floats on high o‘er valleys and hills‘ When all at once I saw crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils, Besides the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and
dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the mi
lky way, They stretched in never-ending line, Along the margin of a bay: Ten tho
usand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves besid
e them danced: but they Out-did the sparking waves in glee; A pot could not but
gay‘ In such a jocund company; I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the sh
ow to me had brought For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant o in pensive mood
, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude: And then heart
with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.
Specific Competence:
When you have learnt this chapter, you are expected to define poetry using your
own words.
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Read the poem loudly. Consider the stressed and unstressed syllables. Listen car
efully to your voice when you are reading. Can you hear the rhythmic sound in th
e poem? Can you hear the rhyme or the repetition of particular sound while you a
re reading? Can you enjoy that thyme and rhythm? The poem above is composed in t
he pattern of rhythm and rhyme. Let us read the first stanza: ˇ – ˇ – ˇ ˇ ˇ – ˇ I wandered
as a cloud ˇ – ˇ – – ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ – That floats on high o‘er valleys and hills‘ ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – – Wh
ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – ˇ ˇ A host, of golden daffodils, ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – Besides the lake, beneath the
d dancing in the breeze The combination of unstressed syllables which are signed
by ˇ and stressed which are signed by – constructed a rhythmic pattern in each line
. This pattern is called rhythm. You can also find the repetition of the similar
sound. Pay attention to the repetition of /au/ in the final words in the line 1
and line 2, the repetition of the sound ils in the final words in the line 2 an
d line 4, and the repetition of the sound is in the final words in the lines fiv
e and six.
You can also find the repetition of the sound /l/ in several words. Read loudly
and carefully all the stanza and you can find the sound that is
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repeated in the words lonely, cloud, floats, valleys, hills, all, golden, daffod
ils, lake, and fluttering. Now, pay attention to the language use. The words use
d in this poem are common words. However in this poem they function to build ima
gination in the readers‘ minds. Consider the line I wandered lonely as a cloud, an
d the line That floats on high o’er valleys and hills. Pay attention to the phrase
golden daffodils. The poet uses the adjective golden instead of yellow which is
the natural color of daffodils. This is a metaphor that functions to describe t
he beauty of daffodils. Hence Wordsworth does not say ―The daffodils are beautiful ,
directly. He says it by using metaphor golden daffodils. Metaphor is one of fig
urative speech which is commonly used in poem. Now, read again the above poem. T
ry to grasp the content that the poet wants to convey. Can you grasp the poet‘s fe
eling? Is he happy or sad? Try to find it by reading the poem again and again. P
ay attention to the image he presents, i.e. the golden daffodils. In the last li
ne he says that he dances with them. Listen also to the rhythmical sound that to
uches your ear. if you read carefully, you can find the poet‘s feeling. In this po
em he is very happy. The use of image of golden daffodils suggests that he is ve
ry happy. Golden daffodils are very beautiful and beautiful is very close to hap
piness. This happiness is suggested more strongly in the last lines which says t
hat the speaker is dancing with the daffodils. The rhythmical sound also suggest
that he is very happy. The use of unstressed and stresses syllables suggests th
at the poet is singing happily. By the example above it clear that poetry is com
posed with two aspects. The aspects are sound and language. To define the defini
tion of poetry, let us consider what Kennedy and Gioia (2002:xxv) say: ―Poetry is
a rhythmical composition of words expressing an attitude. Designed to surprise a
nd delight, and arouse and emotional response.
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In the same sense, Daiches ( 1964: 137) says that poet uses the intellectual mea
ning of words, as the prose writer does, and he also uses their association sugg
estion and suggestions, their sound and rhythm, and the musical and other patter
ns they form in combination with each other. The other definition is that poetry
is the media of the poet to communicate his ideas or feeling through the use of
poetical language and rhythmical sound. In short, in composing poem, a poet exp
loits both the sound and the meaning of language. The poet uses rhythm and rhyme
to construct artistic sound that appears in musical pattern. In the term of lan
guage, a poet uses imagery and the figurative language such as, metaphor, metony
my, etc. Now, can you define poetry in your own language? Try to make it by cons
idering the above examples and explanation.
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3. THE KINDS OF POETRY
A. The kind of poetry in terms of content Basically, in terms of content, there
are two kinds of poetry. They are lyric and narrative poetry. To see the differe
nce read the following poems:
FIRE AND ICE
By: Robert Frost
Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. >From what I ve tasted of
desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think
I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would su
ffice. Also read the second poem by William Butler Yeats: THE LAKE OF INNISFREE
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And a small cabin built there, of
clay and wattle made: Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for honey-bee, An
d I live alone in the bee-loud glade. And I shall have some peace there, for pea
ce comes dropping slow, Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cric
ket sings;
Specific Competence:
After reading this chapter you are expected to explain the kinds of poetry.
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There midnight‘s all the glimmer, and noon a purple glow, And evening full of the
linnet‘s wings. I will arise and go now, for always night and day I hear the lake
water lapping with low sound by the shore; While I stand on the roadway, or on t
he pavement gray, I hear it in the deep heart‘s core. Now, compare the poem above
with the following poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson: RICHARD CORRY Whenever Rich
ard Corry went down town, We people on the pavement looked at him: He was a gent
leman from sole to crown, Clean favored, and imperially slim. And he was always
quietly arrayed, And he always human when he talked; But he still fluttered puls
es when he said, ―Good morning and he glittered when he walked. And he was rich—yes,
richer than a king— And admirably schooled in every grace: In fine, we thought th
at he was everything To make us wish that we were in his place. So on we worked,
and waited for the light, And went without the meat, and cursed the bread; And
Richard Corry, one calm summer night, Went home and put a bullet through his hea
d. Can you find the difference between the there poems above? Let us discuss the
first poem. The poem is entitled Fire and Ice,
In this poem, the poet presents an abstract idea about how the world will end. H
e presents this abstract idea through the concrete objects,
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i.e. fire and ice. The fire is the symbol of war, while ice is the symbol of pea
ce. Hence this poem is about whether world will end in war or peace. The second
poem is about the poet‘s dream of living in happiness. The lake of Innisfree has b
ecome the symbol of this dream. In the third poem you can find something which i
s deferent from the first and the second poem. You can find a story of a man nam
ely Richard Corry. Richard Corry becomes the character of the story. The setting
is a society living in poverty. I short, lyric poem is a short poem expressing
the thoughts and feeling of a single speaker. Often a poet will write a lyric fi
rst person (e.g. I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree) but not always. I
nstead, a lyric might describe an object or recall an experience without the spe
aker‘s ever bringing himself or herself into it. (Kennedy, 2002:674). In the relat
ively same sense Wynn (2001: 9) says that lyric includes all poems that are prim
ary about a subject and contains little narrative content. The subject of a lyri
c poem may be the poet‘s emotion, an abstract idea, a satirical insight, or a desc
ription of a person or place. Narrative poem is a poem that tells a story. It in
vites the skills of a writer of fiction: the ability to draw characters and sett
ing briefly, to engage attention, to shape a plot. (Kennedy, 2001: 12). The thir
d kind of poetry is dramatic poetry. Dramatic poetry refers to the spoken direct
ly by character in a drama. In other words, it is the dialogue between character
s in drama that is composed in the form of poetry. By the citations above it can
be concluded that a lyric poem contains the poet‘s thought, experience, and feeli
ng. Narrative poem is composed with the main purpose to tell a story.
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B. The Kinds of Poetry in terms of Form Stanzaic Form Stanza is a group of lines
in poem which is recognizable. It is a unit of poetry in which pattern of rhyme
are organized into verse. It is similar to paragraph in prose. 1. Couplet Coupl
et is a stanza that consists of two lines and usually rhymed. And then we have a
n heroic couplet which is frequently found in English poems. It is form of stanz
a that composed in the form of two rhyming lines of iambic pentameter. Read the
following lines from of Dryden: A man so various, that he seeme‘d to be Not one, b
ut all mankind‘s epitome: Stiff in opinion, always in the wrong; Was everything by
starts and nothing long. The above stanza is composed in two heroic couplets. 2
. Triplet (or Tercet) A stanza composed in the form of triplet consists of three
lines and usually with one repeated rhyme a a a. Read the following by Marshall
. Whenas in silks my Julia goes. Then, then (methinks) how sweetly flows That li
quefaction of her clothes. 3. Quatrain
Quatrain is composed in a stanza that consists of four. It is either rhyming or
nor rhyming.. Read the following stanza by Marvell as the example:
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My love is of a birth as rare As ‗tis for object strange and high: It was begotten
by despair Upon impossible. 4. Sestet When a pot is composing a stanza in six l
ines, he is creating a sestet. It is, specifically, it is the second part of son
net. All sonnets have fourteen lines which are divided into an octave and a sest
et. A sestet is commonly rhymed in abcabc such as the last lines of Millton‘s sonn
et, ―When I considered How my Light is spent : That murmur, soon replies, God doth n
t need Either man‘s work of his own gifts, who bet Bear his mild yoke, they serve
him best; his state Is kingly. Thousand at his bidding speed And post o‘er land an
d ocean without rest: They also serve who only stand and wait. 5. Octave Have yo
u ever read a stanza that consists eight lines? May be you will answer no, becau
se you do not know its characteristic. It may be found in a sonnet in the first
eight lines of stanzas. 6. Spenserian Stanza Spenserian stanza was designed and
employed by Spenser, a very famous English poet. Its composition consists of nin
e lines. The first eight lines are composed iambic pentameter while the last lin
es or the ninth line is in hexameter. This stanza rhymes ababbccbcc. This form h
as bee used widely by other poets such as Burns, Shelley, and Keats. The followi
ng stanza is from Shelley‘s The Revolt of Islam:
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I could not choose but gaze: a fascination Dwelt in that moon, and sky, and clou
d, which drew My fancy thither, and in expectation Of what I know not, I remaine
d: —the hue Of the white moon, amid than heaven so blue, Suddenly stained with sha
dow did appear; Like a great ship in the sun‘s sinking sphere A speck ship in the
sun‘s sinking sphere Beheld afar at sea, and swift it came anear. 7 Ottava Rima Th
is is one of stanzaic form which is composed of eight and rhyming in the pattern
of abababcc. Thi is a particular stanza used by a large number of famous poet,
such as Milton, Shakespeare, Byron, and Keats. The following Ottava Rima is take
n from Byron‘s Don Juan: But words are things, and a small drop of ink Falling lik
e dew, upon a thought, produces That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, th
ink; Tis strange, the shortest letter which man uses Instead of speech, may form
a lasting link Of ages; to what straits old Time reduces Frail man. When paper—ev
en a rag like this, Survives himself, his tomb, and all that‘s his. 8. Sonnet Sonn
et is originated in Italian poetry. It is a poem that composed in fourteen-line
and iambic pentameter. English sonnet consists of three quatrains and a couplet
and rhyming abab, cdcd, etet,gg .English famous sonneteer is William Shakespeare
. 9. Free Verse
You have read and learnt all the stanzaic form discussed previously. All of the
forms that have been discussed are composed in the
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patterns of rhyme. In terms of rhythm, they are also created in the pattern of r
hythm to created musical effect. Is there any other poetical form which is free
of such pattern? Yes, you can find poems which are not composed in those pattern
s. In other words, they are free verse. What is free verse? Reaske (1966: 18) sa
ys that free verse is it is poetry which is free from traditional pattern of lin
e, rhyme, and rhythm. Each line is created in various numbers of line, types of
feet poetry; it concerns with the meaning only. This form has been used widely s
ince the movement of symbolism.
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4. THE ELEMENTS OF POETRY
There are two main elements of poetry, i.e. the sound element and the meaning el
ement. The sound element is the sound pattern that appears beautifully in a poem
. In other words it is the musical aspect of a poem. It consists of rhyme and rh
ythm. Rhythm is developed through the suprasegmental aspect of words, i.e. stres
sed and unstressed syllable. Rhythm is developed through similarity of sound of
a particular syllable if some words in a poem. The element of sound functions as
music pattern in a poem. When a poem is being read loudly, this musical pattern
appears into the listeners‘ ears as rhythmic sound. By this the listeners will ha
ve a pleasure. In other words, this is an entertainment aspect of a poem. Rhythm
To understand the rhythm in a poem, read carefully and loudly the following: ˇ – ˇ – ˇ ˇ –
wandered lonely as a cloud ˇ – ˇ – – ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ – That floats on high o‘er valleys and hills‘
Specific Competence:
When you have learnt this chapter, you expected to have the following abilities:
1. Explaining the elements of poetry.
2. Applying the knowledge of the elements in analyzing poetry.
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ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – – When all at once I saw crowd, ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – ˇ ˇ A host, of golden daffodils, ˇ
eath the trees, – ˇ ˇ ˇ – ˇ ˇ ˇ – Fluttering and dancing in the breeze While reading, you s
ay attention to the sign above each line. The sign – means unstressed syllable and
the sign ˇ means the stressed syllable. What do you hear? Do you hear a musical p
attern that is composed through this pattern of sound? Yes, of course you do. Th
is pattern is called rhythm. Rhythm is one aspects of poetry. There are several
types of rhythm. They are as follows: 11. iambic :ˇ – diameter 2 units 2. trochaic :
– ˇ trimeter 3 units 3. spondee : – – ˇ tentrameter 4 units 4. dactylic : ˇ ˇ – pentameter
its 5. anapestic : – ˇ ˇ hexameter 6 units (Taylor. 1981: 199). Now, look at those pat
terns in the following examples: 1. Iambic ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – release / release / release ˇ – ˇ –
into / despair
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ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – ˇ Marie / disco / vers candy 2. Trochaic: – ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – ˇ Melting / melting / m
ter / disa / greed en / tirely – ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – clever /writing / filled the / page 3. Anapest
to the top / to the top ˇ ˇ – ˇ ˇ – a retriev / er appeared ˇ ˇ – ˇ ˇ – ˇ and a ter / rible
tylic – ˇ ˇ – ˇ ˇ – ˇ ˇ – ˇ ˇ – ˇ ˇ shivering / shivering / shivering / shivering / shiveri
ith the / symptoms of / viral pneu / monia – ˇ ˇ – ˇ ˇ – ˇ ˇ – ˇ ˇ ˇ note how the / ministe
t / Emily‘s grave
Now, read the following poem. What do you think the dominant rhythm?
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STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING
ˇ – ˇ ˇ ˇ – ˇ – Whose woods these are I think I know. ˇ – ˇ ˇ ˇ – ˇ ˇ His house is in the v
l not see me stopping here ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – To watch his woods fill up with snow ˇ – ˇ – ˇ –
must think it queer ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – To stop without a farmhouse near ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – Betwe
en lake ˇ – ˇ – ˇ ˇ ˇ – The darkest evening of the year. ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – He gives his harne
sk if there is some mistake. ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – The only other sound’s the sweep ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – ˇ
ny flake ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – The woods are lovely dark and deep. ˇ ˇ ˇ ˇ – ˇ ˇ – But I have pro
les to go before I sleep, ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – ˇ – And miles to go before I sleep.
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Yes, you are right. The above poem is dominated by iambic. The rhythm is compose
d with unstressed and stressed syllables. By the explanation above, it can be co
ncluded that rhythm is the musical aspect in a poem. It functions to pleasure th
e listener‘s desire to listen to the beautiful sound. RHYME The other pattern of s
ound is the repetition of a particular sound; which is called rhyme. The repetit
ion may occur at the initial syllable, medial syllable, or the final syllable. I
t consists of alliteration, assonance, and consonance. Alliteration is the repet
ition of initial sound, or initial rhyme, e.g. rain and ruin. Assonance is the r
epetition of identical vowel sounds surrounded by different kinds of consonants,
e.g. bird and thirst. It may occur at the initial, medial, or final position of
any words. The other pattern of rhyme is couplet rhyme. It is composed in the p
attern of aabb in the end of each line in a stanza. The last pattern of rhyme is
interlocking. It is the similarity of sound in the end of line in the pattern o
f abab, or ababa, etc.. The following lines are the good examples of couplet rhy
me: Breathes there the man, with soul so dead. a Who never to himself hath said
a The pattern of rhyme in those lines are a a. The complete example is in the fo
llowing poem:
The third rhyme type is perfect and half-perfect rhyme. Perfect rhyme is often c
alled exact rhyme. It occurs when the stressed vowels following differing conson
ant sounds are identical, e.g. take and make, and consonants sound are identical
, such as fleet and street. The following example is taken from Keats ―Ode on a Gr
ecian Urn. This example shows the use of perfect and half-perfect rhyme.
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Thou still unravish‘d bride of quietness, Thou foster-child of Silence and slow Ti
me, Sylvan historian, who canst thus express A flowery tale more sweetly than ou
r rhyme: Read the above stanza carefully. Identify the sound ―ess in the first and
third lines. They are perfect rhymes since they are identical sounds. The sound ―i
me in the second and fourth lines, on the other hand, are half-rhymes because onl
y the final consonants are identical. The fourth type of rhyme is masculine and
feminine. When the final syllables of the rhyming words are stressed, and there
is identical sound after the difference in the initial consonants such as contor
t and purport, then the masculine rhyme occurs. On the other hand, when the rhym
ing of stressed followed by identical unstressed syllables such as treasure and
pleasure, then feminine rhyme occurs. Consider the following example THE ELEMENT
S OF MEANING The elements of meaning of poetry are composed in two aspects of me
aning. The aspects are imagery and figurative speech. 1. Imagery Imagery plays i
mportant role in poetry. Why? Because the idea that or theme the poet wants to c
onvey in his poem is an abstract concept. Love, for example, is an abstract conc
ept that cannot be perceived by our five sensory. A poet needs a concrete object
that can be perceived and so the reader can understand the abstract concept. Ro
bert Burns‘ happiness of falling in love which is still an abstract concept become
s real when he presents it through the poem, My Luve is like a red, red rose. Rose
becomes an imagery that suggests the happiness of love.
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Imagery is derived from image. Image suggests a thing seen. Imagery means a word
or a sequence of words that refers to any sensory experience. The experience mi
ght be a sight (visual imagery) such as a dim light, sound (auditory imagery) su
ch as pounding surf, a touch (tactile imagery) such as scratchy beard, a smell (
olfactory) such as the scent of apple blossom, and taste (gustatory) such as bit
ter tang of gin. Read again the poem by Wordsworth ‗I wander Lonely as a Cloud‘. Wha
t type of imagery dominates the poem? The poem is dominated by visual imagery. T
he visual imageries in the poem are, for example, daffodil, cloud etc. They are
visual imagery because we can see them with our imagination. The function of ima
gery is to build imagination in the readers‘ mind. 2. Theme Theme is an important
aspect of poetry. Why is it important? Poetry, like any other literary genre, ex
presses the poet‘s feeling or emotion, and ideas. While Reaske (1988: 42) says tha
t theme is the basic idea which the poet is trying to convey. Therefore, theme i
s an essential aspect of poetry since it is the idea that the poet wants to comm
unicate through his or her poem. In the poem ―My Luve is Like a Red, Red rose, Robe
rt Burns want to convey the feeling of love. Theme in a poem, however, is not st
ated directly as in scientific writing. Read carefully Burn‘s poem ―My Luve is like
a Red, Red Rose. Can you find any directly statement that he is happy? Instead of
saying that he is happy with his love, he presents red rose to symbolize his em
otional state. He also manipulates the potency of sound. Listen carefully when i
t is read aloud. You will find that the dominant consonant is /s/ which function
s as cacophony that represents happiness. Why does he do this? It is to gain aes
thetic value.
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In short, a poetical theme is not stated directly. A poet often uses language po
tential power to communicate his feeling or ideas. Grasping the theme, we should
explore the elements of poetry. 3. Figurative Language 1. Metaphor Metaphor is
a comparison between two different things, for example in the following lines ci
ted from Shakespeare‘s Hamlet: His words were sharp knives The sharp knife of his
words cut through the silence. He spoke sharp, cutting words with his knife-edge
d voice. His words knifed through the still air. ―I will speak dagger to her… In the
lines above the words are compared to the knives. This comparison means that the
words can kill or hurt. The following poem is a good example of metaphor. THERE
IS A GARDEN ON HER FACE (Thomas Campion 1567-1620) There is a garden in her fac
e Where roses and white lilies grow; A heavenly paradise is that place Wherein a
ll pleasant fruits to flow There cherries grow with none may buy, Till ―Cherry rip
e themselves do cry. Those cherries fairly do enclose Of orient pearl a double ro
w, Which when her lovely laughter shows, The look like rose-buds filled with sno
w. Yet them peer nor prince can buy. Till ―Cherry ripe themselves do cry Her eyes l
ike angles watch them still, Her brows like bended bows do stand
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Threatening with piercing frowns to kill All that attempt, with eye or hand. The
se sacred cherries to come nigh Till all ―Cherrr ripe do cry. Now, pay attention to
the phrase ―There is a garden in her face. Garden here means a metaphor to describ
e the beauty of a girls who is, perhaps, the poet‘s sweetheart. In this sense, the
face‘s beauty is being compared indirectly to the garden. When a metaphor is comp
osed with a word like or as, it is called simile. We can find simile in many poe
ms. The very popular example is Robert Burn‘s poem, ‗My love is like a red, red rose
.‘ The other type of metaphor is personification. Personification is a comparison
nonhuman thing to human. A boy and a girl who love each other often this personi
fication, such as ‗The moon is smiling when you say you love me‘. The last type of m
etaphor is synecdoche. It is a particular metaphor in which a speaker says a par
t of a thing to signify the whole. So, when a poet says that a girl has beautifu
l eyes, he signifies the whole body, not only the eyes. 2. Metonymy Metonymy is
the use a related object to stand for thing actually being talked about. For a b
etter understanding, read the following poem by Robert Gropusso NIGGER Hi, Dad!
I met the nicest boy Today He‘s in one of my classes Dad, his clothes have holes i
n them. Why, Dad? His hair is different from mine, Dad. But I think he‘s nice, Dad
, Dad,
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What‘s a Nigger? Nobody, Honey, Nobody. The metonymy in the poem is a nigger boy.
The thing being talked about in the poem is racial discrimination in American so
ciety. 3. Symbol Symbol is any concrete things or any action is a poem that impl
ies a meaning beyond its literal; sense. In the poem My Luve is like a red. Red
Rose, rose is the symbol of love. For you complete comprehension, read the compl
ete poem as the following: MY LUVE IS LIKE A RED, RED ROSE Robert Burns My luve
is like a red, red rose, That‘s newly sprung in June: My luve is like the melodie,
That‘s sweetly play‘d in tune. As fair as thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in luve am
I; And I will luve thee still, my Dear, Till a‘ the sea gang dry. Till a‘ the sea ga
ng dry, my Dear, And the rocks melt wi‘ the sun: And I will luve thee still, my De
ar, While the sand o‘ life shall run. And I fare-thee weel, my only luve, And fare
-thee-will, a while! And I will come again, my Luve, Tho‘ ten thousand mile! What
are the characteristics of symbol? The characteristics of symbol are as follows:
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1. It is a concrete object. As in above poems, rose is a concrete object that re
presents love.
2. In narrative poem, the part of the character‘s body is the symbol.
3. It is a special kind of image in the richness of images that exceeds the usua
l image in the richness of connotation. In above poems, red rose connotes the ha
ppiness of love.
4. It appears continuously to represent a thing.
The other thing that you should know is the kinds of symbol. There are two types
of symbol, i.e. conventional and non-conventional symbol. Conventional symbol i
s a symbol which its meaning is based on the convention of the society in which
the symbol is used. For instance rose is emblem of love in the English society.
Non-conventional symbol is the symbol which its meaning is not based on the conv
ention. It is created by the poet to suggest his own meaning. Inferring its mean
ing the reader should find the suggestions or connotation of the object function
ed as the symbol. 4. Hyperbole Hyperbole is an overstatement, i.e. a comparison
using exaggeration. For example, ‗He threw the ball so fast it caught catcher‘s mitt
on fire‘. The clearer example is in the poem ―My Luve is Like a Red, Red Rose. Try t
o infer the meaning of the phrase, ―Till all the sea gang dry, and ―And the rocks mel
t wi‘ the sun. These phrases are hyperbole since it is impossible that the sea will
dry and the rock melt with the sun. In this poem the poet describe his love as
an eternal love. He uses hyperbole to tell us that he has an eternal love 5. Rep
etition
Repetition is a figurative language in which a particular words or phrases is re
peated. This is applied when a poet wants to emphasize a
24
certain idea. So, when Robert Burns repeats the word red, he actually conveys th
e important of this word to convey his theme of love. 6 Irony Not only in poetry
, but also in common communication we use irony. Irony is used when we mocking o
r ridicule somebody by saying something which is contradictory to the reality. S
o, for instance, when we say, ―Good Work to mock somebody‘s bad work, we use irony. A
boss who says, Good Morning to his employee is actually using irony. 7. Sarcasm
Sarcasm can also be found in common communication and poetry. It used by an angr
y speaker. A poet or speaker who is angry may use rude word. Onomatopoeia Some p
oet often uses onomatopoeia is his or her poem to suggests meaning. However, not
only poet uses this, we often use this in our speech. For instance we say click
to refer to the operating of mouse in computer system. What is the meaning of t
his term in poetry? Read the following poem to have a complete understanding. 0M
EETING AT NIGHT I The grey sea and the long black land: And the yellow half-moon
large and low; And the startled little waves that leap And fiery ringlets from
the sleep, As I gain the cove with pushing prow, And quench its speed I‘ the slush
y sand.
25
II The a mile at warm sea scented beach; Three fields to cross warm sea-scented
beach; A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch And blue spurt of a lighted ma
tch. And a voice of a lighted match. And a voice less loud, thro‘ its joys and fea
rs, Than two hearts beating each to each. Now, can you find the dominant sound?
Yes, of course you can. The dominant sound is /s/. This sound suggests the gentl
e. Pay attention to the word slushy. Now, read the following poem by Shakespeare
. Hark, hark! Bow-wow, The watch-dogs bark! Bow-how. Harki, hark! I hear The str
ain of strutting chanticleer Cry, ―Cock-a-doodle-doo! What is the meaning of hark,
bow-wow? This is the imitation of sound produced by dogs. Cock-a-doodle-doo is t
he imitation of chanticleer‘s sound. What is the meaning of this poem? Perhaps it
describes the situation in a rural place or animal farm. Summary
Poetry is a literary genre uses by poets to express the emotional state or ideas
through the intellectual use of and rhythmical words. There are two main aspect
s of poetry, i.e. sound patterns and language. The sound pattern is composed in
rhyme and rhythm. Rhythm is the application of stressed and unstressed syllables
, and rhyme is the use of similar sound at the end or beginning of words. Langua
ge is the use of
26
imagery and figurative to convey the meaning to be inferred by the readers.
27
5. READING AND UNDERSTANDING POEMS
A. HOW TO READ POEM How to read poem successfully? Kennedy and Gioia (2001: 8-7)
suggest three steps, i.e. reading without any expectation, read for the detail
meaning as the second reading, and paraphrasing. In the first step, read the poe
m without any expectations and open mind. In this step you have to let yourselve
s to experience the reading ant not to worry about the troublesome of any streng
th words.
In the second reading, read the exact meaning of every word. Refer your dictiona
ry to find the meaning of words which are new to you. Try to find the figurative
languages that the poet might be used. And then try to infer the meaning. How t
o find the figurative languages and their meaning? Here are two suggested steps
that you might apply. First, recognize special words or phrases, or sentences th
at are illogical. Take the sentence, ―There is a garden on her face. Is it logic th
at you can find a garden on someone‘s face? Of course, it is not. Hence, it is a f
igurative language. Then you might have a question, such as ―What kind of figurati
ve language is it? To answer this question you have to apply the second step, i.e
. try to find the objects mentioned; in this example they are garden and face. T
he garden is on a woman‘s face. While, logically, it is impossible that you can fi
nd garden on someone‘s face. In this case, the face is being compared to a garden,
thus it is a metaphor. To find the metaphorical meaning, try to explore the cha
racteristics of the garden that face is being compared to. It is beautiful, thus
, ―There is a garden on her face means that she is beautiful.
Specific Competence
After finishing this chapter, students are expected to:
1. Analyzing poems
2. Reading poems loudly in good pronunciation and rhythm.
3. Creating their own poems
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When reading silently, sound the words in your mind. However, in reading aloud,
you sound the words with your organ of speech. Pay attention to the stressed and
unstressed syllables to produce the sound effects. Refer to the phonology of En
glish. You will enjoy it. The other method is by trying to paraphrase the poem a
s a whole. In this method, you can paraphrase. Paraphrasing means you try to rew
rite the poem based on your interpretation using your own words. Take the follow
ing stanza from by William Butler Yeats‘ ―The Lake of Innisfree as an example: I will
arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And a small cabin built there, of clay a
nd wattle made: Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for honey-bee, And I li
ve alone in the bee-loud glade. You might paraphrase it as, ―I will get up now to
go to Innisfree to build a small cabin of clay and wattle. There I will have a h
ive for honey-bee and so I can live alone in the bee-loud glade. When you have do
ne this process, you have had a more complete understanding of the poem you are
reading. Tone Finding tone in a poem is one of your duties as a reader because i
t is the poetic speaker‘s attitude toward the subject matter. The attitude might b
e anger, irony, sadness, happiness, or any other attitudes. Read again Robert Bu
rns‘ ―My Luve is Like a Red, Red Rose. Read it and pay attention to every words spoke
n. Read how he says that his love is like a read rose and melodie. These stateme
nts indicates that he is happy.
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C. Poems for Experience Here are some poems which you are expected to analyze. Y
ou are given some guiding questions for each poem. You might wonder why each poe
m has different guiding question. The difference is due to the fact that above a
ll the similarities, every poem has its own characteristics. Some poems have the
dominant repetition figurative language. Therefore, you need difference questio
ns to guide your understanding. Answering the questions well, you should refer t
o the theory given in previous chapters. When you have finished your analysis, y
ou are expected to read them loudly in good pronunciation, rhythm, and intonatio
n. Finally you are expected to create your own poems. You may imitate your favor
ite poet‘s style of creating poems. However, for the shake of your own development
, in the future you should have your own style. MY LUVE IS LIKE A RED, RED ROSE
Robert Burns My luve is like a red, red rose, That’s newly sprung in June: My luve
is like the melodie, That’s sweetly play’d in tune. As fair as thou, my bonnie lass
, So deep in luve am I; And I will luve thee still, my Dear, Till a’ the sea gang
dry. Till a’ the sea gang dry, my Dear, And the rocks melt wi’ the sun: And I will l
uve thee still, my Dear, While the sand o’ life shall run. And I fare-thee weel, m
y only luve, And fare-thee-will, a while! And I will come again, my Luve, Tho’ ten
thousand mile!
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Note: Luve: love Thou: you Bonnie lass: nice girl, a girl who becomes a man’s swee
theart. Play’d: played Gang: going gangue, worthless rock or other matter occurrin
g in a vein or deposit within or alongside a valuable mineral. It is also called
veinstone. Guiding questions:
1. What is the tone of the poem?
2. What kinds of imagery are in this poem?
3. What is the sound pattern of the poem? Explain your answer.
4. What is the dominant figurative language in the poem?
5. What are the characteristics of rose and melodie?
6. What is meant that the speaker’s love is like a red, red rose and melodie?
7. What is meant that he will love her until the sea gang dry and the rock melt
with the sun?
8. What is the theme of the poem?
FIRE AND ICE
Robert Frost
Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I ve tasted of d
esire I hold with those who favour fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think
I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would su
ffice. Guiding questions
1. What are the sound patterns in this poem, i.e. rhyme and rhythm?
2. What fire and ice suggest?
3. What are the symbolic meanings of fire and ice?
4. What is meant that the world will end in fire?
5. What is meant that the world will end in ice?
6. What is the poem theme?
31
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorr
y I cannot traveled both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one a
s far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as ju
st as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wante
d wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same
, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I k
ept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if
I should ever come back. I shall be telling with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages
hence: Two roads diverged in a woods, and I – I took the one less traveled by, An
d that has made all the differences. Guiding questions:
1. What are the patterns of rhyme and rhythm in the poem above?
2. What is the characteristic of road?
3. What is meant literally that there are two diverged road?
4. What is the symbolic meaning of the two diverged road?
5. What is meant that the speaker took the road that is less traveled by?
6. What is the theme of the poem?
32
The Tyger William Blake Tyger! Tyger! Burning Bright In the forest of the night,
What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry? In what distant she
ep or skies Burnt the first of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What th
e hand dare seize the fire? What the hand dare seize fire? And what shoulder & w
hat art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet? What the hammer? What the chain? In what fur
nace was thy brain? What the anvil? What dread grasp Dare its deadly terrors cla
sp? When the stars threw down their spears, And water’d heaven with their tears, D
id He smile His work to see? Did he who made the Lamb make thee? Tyger! Tyger! B
urning bright In the forest of the night. What immortal hand or eye, Dare frame
thy fearful symmetry? Notes: Thy: yours Thee: you (object) Thine: belonging to o
r associated with you, when ―you is singular Dread: to feel extremely frightened or
worried about something that may happen in the future. Guiding questions
1. What are the patterns of rhyme and rhythm of the poem above?
2. What is the image of tiger presented in the poem?
3. To what animal is that tiger being compared?
4. What are the characteristics of tiger and lamb?
33
5. What is the symbolic meaning of tiger and lamb?
6. What does the poet want to communicate by presenting tiger and lamb?
7. What is the theme of the poem above?
GO LOVELY ROSE Edmund Waller (1606-1687) Go lovely rose, Tell her that wastes he
r time and me, That now she knows When I resemble her to thee, How sweet and fai
r she seems to be. Tell her that young, And shuns to have her Graces spy’d, That h
adst thou sprung In Deserts, where no men abide, Thou must have uncommented died
. Small is the worth, Of Beauty from the light retir’d; Bid her come forth, Suffer
herself to desir’d, And not blush so to be admired. Then die, that she, The commo
n fate of all things rare, May read in thee How small a part of time they share,
That are wondrous sweet and fair. Notes: Spy’d: spied Retir’d: retired Desir’d: desir
ed. Guiding questions:
1. What are the patterns of rhythm and rhyme in the poem above?
2. What is the figurative language that is dominant in the above poem?
3. What is the poetical meaning of lovely rose?
4. What is meant that the lovely rose has to go?
5. Why does the lovely rose have to go?
6. What is the theme of the poem?
34
THE DEFINITION OF LOVE Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) My love is of a birth as rare
As tis for object strange and high; It was forgotten by despair. Magnimous despa
ir alone Could show me as divine a thing, Where feeble hope could ne’er have flown
, But vainly flapped its tinsel wing. And yet I quickly might arrive Where my ex
tended soul is fixed, But fate does iron wedges drive, And always crowds itself
betwixt. For fate with jealous eye does see Two perfect loves, nor lets them clo
se; Their union would her ruin he; And her tyrannic power depose. And therefore
her decree of steel Us as the distant poles have placed, (Though love’s whole on u
s doth wheel) Not by themselves to be embraced; Unless the giddy heaven fall, An
d earth some new convulsion tear, And, us to join, the world should all Be cramp
ed into planisphere. As lines, so love’s oblique may well Themselves in every angl
e greet; But ours so truly parallel, Though infinite, can never meet. Therefore,
the love which us doth bind, But fate so enviously debars, Is the conjunction o
f mind, And opposition of the stars. Guiding questions:
1. What is the rhythm and rhyme of the poem?
2. What is the speaker’s tone about love?
3. What can you conclude about love based on the poem?
4. What do you think the theme of the poem?
35
I WANDERED LONELY AS A CLOUD William Wordsworth (1770-1850) I WANDERED lonely as
a cloud That flouts on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host the lake beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Contin
uous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the Milky Way, They stretched in nev
er-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossin
g their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did
the sparkling waves in glee: A pot could not but the gay, In such a jocund comp
any; I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: Fo
r oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that
inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fill
s, And dances with the daffodils. Note: Breeze: wind ranging in strength from li
ght to moderate, with a speed of 6 to 50 kph/4 to 31 mph Daffodil: springtime pl
ant with trumpet-shaped flowers: a European plant that has yellow trumpet-shaped
flowers and long slender leaves growing from a bulb. o’er: over Solitude: state o
f being alone: the state of being alone, separated from other people, whether co
nsidered as a welcome freedom from disturbance or as an unhappy loneliness. Jocu
nd: cheerful and full of good humor
36
Guiding questions:
1. What are the patterns of sound in the poem above?
2. What kinds of imagery can you find in the poem?
3. What can you infer the line I wandered lonely as a cloud?
4. What is the speaker attitude toward the daffodils?
5. What is the symbolic meaning of daffodils?
6. What is the theme of the poem?
SHE DWELL AMONG UNTRODEEN WAYS William Wordsworth (1770-1850) She dwelt among un
trodden ways Besides the springs of Dove, A maid whom there none to praise And v
ery few to love: A violet by mossy stone Half hidden from the eye! —Fair as a star
, when only one Is shining in the sky. She lived unknown, and the few could know
When Lucy ceased to be; But she is in her grave, and, oh, The difference is to
me! Note: untrodden ways: the ways which are not trodden. Dove: Holy Spirit: in
Christianity, a manifestation or representation of the Holy Spirit Ceased (Past)
: stop happening: to come to an end; to bring something to an end Guiding questi
ons:
1. What are the patterns of sound in the poem?
2. What is meant by ―Besides the spring of Dove ?
3. What is the metaphorical meaning of the second stanza, especially the words A
violet by mossy stone/ Half hidden from the eye! ?
4. What tone is in the poem?
5. What is the theme of the poem?
37
SHE WAS A PHANTOM OF DELIGHT William Wordsworth (1770-1850) She was phantom of d
elight When first she gleamed upon my sight; A lovely apparition, sent To be a m
oment’s ornament; Her eyes as stars of Twilight fair; Like Twilight’s too, her dusky
hair; But all things else about her drawn From May-time and cheerful Dawn; A da
ncing Shape, an Image gay, To Haunt, to startle, and way-lay, I saw her upon nea
rer view, A spirit, yet a Woman too! Her household light and free, And steps of
virgin-liberty; A countenance in which did meet Sweet, promises as sweet; A Crea
ture not too bright or good For human nature’s daily food; For transient sorrow, s
imple wiles, Praise, blame, love, kiss, tears, and smiles. And now I see with ey
e serene The very pulse of the machine; A Being breathing thoughtful breath, A T
raveler between life and death; The reason firm, the temperate will, Endurance,
foresight, strength, and skill; A perfect Woman, nobly planned, To warn, to comf
ort, and command; And yet a Spirit still, and bright With something of angelic l
ight. Notes: Phantom: unreal being or sensation, illusion, apparent power. Delig
ht: great joy and pleasure, somebody or something that brings somebody great joy
and pleasure Angelic: very kind or beautiful Haunt: appear to somebody as a gho
st.
38
Well. It’s Love, Love alone Anonym Well, it’s love, love alone Caused King Edward to
 leave his throne, It was love, love, love alone Caused King Edward to leave his
throne. On de tenth of December we heard de talk: He gave his throne to de Duke
of York. It was love, love, love, love alone Caused King Edward to leave his th
rone. King Edward was noble; King Edward was great, It was love caused him to ab
dicate, It was love, love, love, love alone Caused King Edward to leave his thro
ne. He sorry dat his mommy would grieve, He could not help it, he would have to
leave, It was love, love, love, love, alone Caused King Edward to leave his thro
ne. You can take his cow; you can take his goat, Leave him with his yachting boa
t. It was love, love, love, love, alone Caused King Edward to leave his throne.
You can take his money; you can take his store, Or give him that lady from Balti
more, It was love, love, love, love, alone Caused King Edward to leave his thron
e. I don’t know what dis Simpson got her bone Dat caused de king to leave his thro
ne. It was love, love, love, love, alone Caused King Edward to leave his throne.
On de tenth of December nineteen-thirty-six De Duke of Windsor to get his kicks
. It was love, love, love, love, alone Caused King Edward to leave his throne. N
otes: De: the Dis: this Dat: that
39
Guiding questions:
1. What are the patterns of sound of the poem above?
2. What kind of figurative language is used?
3. Why does the poet repeat love, love alone, and King Edward?
4. What is the speaker’s attitude toward love as the subject matter?
5. What is the theme of the poem above?
MEETING AT NIGHT I The grey sea and the long black land: And the yellow half-moo
n large and low; And the startled little waves that leap And fiery ringlets from
the sleep, As I gain the cove with pushing prow, And quench its speed I’ the slus
hy sand. II The a mile at warm sea scented beach; Three fields to cross warm sea
-scented beach; A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch And blue spurt of a l
ighted match. And a voice of a lighted match. And a voice less loud, thro’ its joy
s and fears, Than two hearts beating each to each. Notes: Slushy: covered with o
r full of melting snow and ice Guiding questions:
1. What are the sound patterns in this poem?
2. What is the effect of the visual image in the first and the second lines?
3. What is the effect of the tactile imagery in the last line of the fisrt stanz
a?
4. What is the effect of auditory imagery in the fifth line in the second stanza
?
5. What is being told in this poem?
6. What is the theme of the poem?
40
ANNABEL LEE Edgar Allan Poe It was many and many years ago, In a kingdom by the
sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee, And
this Maiden she lived with no other thought, Than to love and be loved by me. S
he was a child and I was a child In this kingdom by the sea: But we loved with a
love that was more than love— I and my Annabel Lee, With a love that the winged s
eraphs of heaven Coveted her and me. And this was the reason that long ago, In t
his kingdom by the sea, A wind blew out of cloud, shilling. My beautiful Annabel
Lee, So that her high-born kinsmen came And bore her away from me, To shut her
up in a sepulcher . In this kingdom by the sea. The angles, not so happy in heav
en, Went envying her and me— Yes! that was the reason (as all men know, In this ki
ngdom by the sea) That the wind came out of cloud one night, Chilling and killin
g my Annabel Lee. But our love is stronger by far than the love Of those who wer
e older than we— Of many far wiser than we— And neither the angles in heaven above,
Nor the demons down the under the sea, Can ever discover my soul from soul Of th
e beautiful Annabel Lee: For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams Of
the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
41
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling –my life and my bride, In the sepulcher by the sea. In her tomb by
sounding sea. Notes: Seraphs: angel: an angel of the highest rank in the traditi
onal medieval hierarchy of nine categories of angels. In the Book of Isaiah they
are described as having six wings Sepulcher: burial place: a vault in which som
ebody is buried Guiding questions:
1. Who is the speaker?
2. Who is Annabel Lee?
3. What is the tone of this poem?
4. What happened to Annabel Lee? Show the evidence to prove your answer.
5. What is the theme of the poem?
TO CELIA Ben Johnson Drink to me with thine eyes, And I will pledge with mine; O
r leave a kiss but in the cup And I’ll not look for wine The thirst that from the
soul doth rise Doth ask a drink divine; But might I Jove’s nectar soup, I would no
t change for thine. I sent the late a rosy wreath, Not so much honouring thee. A
s giving it hope that there It could not withered be; But thou thereon didst onl
y breathe And send’st it back to me; Since when it grows, and smells, I swear Not
of itself but thee! Note: Rosy: 1. rose-colored: of the reddish-pink color of ro
ses
42
2. like a rose: resembling roses, characteristic of roses, or full of roses Thee
: You (object) Guidance questions:
1. What are the sound patterns in the poem?
2. Is the speaker a man or a woman?
3. IS Celia a man or a woman?
4. What is meant by the line ―Drink to me with thine eyes ?
5. What is meant by the line ―Or leave a kiss but in the cup ?
6. What is the meaning of the line ―The thirst that from the soul doth rise ?
7. What is meant by the lines ―But might I Jove’s nectar soup,/ I would not change f
or thine. ?
8. What does ―it in the line ―Since when it grows, and smells, I swear refer to?
9. What is the meaning of the last line?
10. What is the theme of this poem?
HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS Emily Dickinson Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches the in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never st
ops at all. And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm That c
ould abash the little bird That kept so many warm. I’ve heard it in the chilliest
land, And on the strangest sea; Yet, never, in extremity, It asked a crumb of me
. Note: Perch: place for bird to sit: a place for a bird to land or rest on, for
example, a branch or a pole in a cage. Guiding questions:
1. What are the sound patterns of the poem?
2. What is the characteristic of wing in line one?
3. What is the meaning of line one that ―Hope is the thing with leather?
4. What does the poet want to say about hope? Present the evidence from the poem
to prove your answer.
43
REFERENCES Daiches, David, 1964. A Study of Literature for Readers and Critics.
New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc. Gwynn, R.S, 2002. Poetry, A Pocket Antholog
y. New York: Addison Ashley Educational Publisher Inc. Kennedy, X.J & Gioia. 200
1. Poetry Tenth Edition. New York: Longman. Reaske, Christopher Russel, 1966. Ho
w to Analyze Poetry. New York: Monarch Press. Taylor, Richard, 1981. Understandi
ng the Elements of Literature. London: The Macmillan Press LTD.
44
THE CONTENT 1. Introduction 1 2. The Definition of Poetry 2 3. The Kinds of Poet
ry 6 4. The Elements of Poetry 13 5. Reading and Understanding Poems 27 6. Refer
nces 43