Poetry

What is a poem?

The definition of a poem is a piece of writing in which the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by particular attention to diction, rhythm, and imagery. Personally, I would describe a poem as a form of art involving words, in which one expresses a collection of ideas and emotions in a creative way. 

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Is This a Poem?

'''Two all-beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun''

From this piece of writing, I gathered that was not a poem, nor was it written to be. The lack of descriptive and emotive language that would ordinarily be included in a poem tells me this. It also has a lack of structure, which makes it difficult to read. Alternatively, the text could have similar elements of a poem if it was structured more effectively, though it still doesn't have the same elements and attributes of a traditional poem.

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Analysing Spoken Poems

During this exercise, we watched two clips of poems being spoken out loud on a stage, then noted down our thoughts, which included highlighting key poetry devices, mood, message, theme and tone.

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Rudy Francisco - ''My Honest Poem''

Rudy Francisco begins his poem with an implied comedic tone, which sets the theme of the piece itself and is one side of the contrasting message I believe Francisco is trying to convey. He reveals a range of confessions about himself, from mundane and laughable to heavy, emotional facts about himself, in which he has effectively enveloped within his fast-paced, energetic way of speaking. An example of this is the quote - ''I enjoy frozen Yoghurt, people watching, but I don't allow myself to cry as often as I need to.''  The casual fact followed by the sudden emotional revelation creates contrast within the poem, therefore emitting emotion within the reader and effectively setting the tone. The rhythm of the spoken poem helps to impact the mood and initiates an understanding of how Francisco wants his words to come across, and what emotion they should be related with. This is highlighted in the fast, frantic sentences towards the middle of the poem when his emotions are at their peak, though calmed down towards the end as the slower spoken words indicate a sense of hope and reflection. The use of figurative language to convey emotion is also prominent as it is a highly effective poetic device used often in the poem.

Overall, the entire premise of the poem is powerful honest, and relatable in a way that many listeners can empathise with, which Rudy Francisco achieves by incorporating relevant and important elements within his poem.

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Sarah Kay - ''Table Games''

Similarly to the previous poem, Sarah Kay opens up her poem with a clear playful tone, reminiscing over happy memories of a past lover, though this use of comedy immediately jumps out as having a deeper meaning.

As the poem progresses, the tone becomes more angry and uses the happy memories she has to portray her heartbreak. The somber tone towards the end expresses a sense of regret and reflection, which is a harsh contrast to the energetic, quickly spoken beginning of the poem. Even when the author speaks about unhappy thoughts and memories, she still keeps up the tone, except at the end. Repetition is used to emphasise her negative emotions towards the situation and how it is still running through her head.

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Basic Terms and Techniques

Theme - The message of the poem; the point that the author wishes to make.

Topic - What the poem is about (The 'subject matter').

Tone - The attitude of the writer towards their subject matter.

Mood - Feelings expressed. Includes what the writer/speaker feels and how the reader feels when they read the poem. This may also be related to the atmosphere created.

Note - Tone and mood are closely related. The tone of voice used will often influence the mood/atmosphere

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Additional poetic devices

Metaphor - a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

Imagery - visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work.

Simile - a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid (e.g. as brave as a lion).

Enjambement - the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza:

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Being inspired by the world around you - Frank O'Hara

• New York 1950's

• Beat poetry generation

• Abstract expressionism - Jackson Pollack

• Method acting

• Ginsberg

• Jack Kerouac

• Jazz

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Exercise - mimic the poems

''Ave Maria'' by Frank O'Hara

Throughout this poem, Frank O'Hara uses the activity of 'going to the movies' as an extended metaphor to convey the notion that adolescents from his time should be able to go out and explore, rather than being confined by their parent's rules and values. He continuously pushes the narrative, using a tone of amusement and frustration, that these children and teenagers will gain life experience as a result of going to the movies, which conveys a more literal sense of the theme. The use of context can be used to evaluate the message of this poem, as the time period in which this poem was written was a time in which the idea of teenagers was a new concept, and they had begun to rebel against social norms. O'Hara enhances emotion through the use of literary devices in the poem, such as enjambment. He uses this frequently throughout the poem to create a loose and uneven structure, creating a casual element to the poem that ultimately appeases teenagers, which is who the piece is about. The author also employs repetition to create a subtle rhythm. He does this frequently with the word 'mother', which aids the persuasive element of the poem by constantly repeating the names of the people he is addressing.

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''Having a Coke with You'' by Frank O'Hara

This poem by Frank O'Hara takes elements of the author's everyday life and uses them to emphasise the unconditional love he feels for his partner. It comes across as a stream of consciousness from the speaker, as he is addressing his thoughts one by one whilst saying that there is nothing more pleasurable than having a coke with this person. He emphasises this theme by emphasising extravagant places he would like to go to and compares his lover to all of these things. Ultimately, the point always comes back to the idea that O'Hara would prefer to spend time with his partner rather than anything else. The main theme in this poem is the idea is love, which is also the main tone of the poem. Imagery is one of the most prominent literary devices as he makes many references throughout. The author also incorporates enjambment, as he often cuts off lines before the conclusion of a phrase.

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Now write your own version of these poems using the opening lines or a version of the opening lines;

For my rendition of 'Having a Coke with You' By Frank O'Hara, I decided to take inspiration from the title and incorporate the same idea of sharing a beverage. I also incorporated O'Hara's effective style of writing, and the stream-of-consciousness element to use in my own poem.

Below I have attached my first drafts of my poem which highlight my initial ideas and first drafts:

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Having a cup of tea with you

Having a cup of tea with you

Doesn't ignite a spark within me

Nor does it freeze my heart and leave me shivering

Having a cup of tea with you

Engulfs me in lukewarm motherly love

And grounds me with such cordiality.

That sweet spot between profuse swaddling and soulless neglect

Perks me up

Just as two spoonfuls of sugar should

Having a cup of tea with you was all I knew

Until it wasn't

''One black coffee please''

Two spoonfuls of sugar just weren't enough

To keep me running from the peril of adolescence

Such peril that became adulthood

Faster than a kettle could boil

To prepare for a cup of tea with you

You stayed there

Sipping the sweet reminiscence 

Of playground days and bittersweet bedtimes

That last mound of sugar

At the bottom of the mug

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 'Ave Maria' by Frank O'Hara inspired me to write my own version of this poem using similar techniques that O'Hara displayed. In particular, I incorporated persuasive techniques mixed with emotive and touching themes/languages in 'Ave Maria'.

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A Note to Perfect Parents

Perfect parents of ordinary children

A star on the chart is perfectly adequate

Mere miniscule appreciations, a gesture of reassurance

Would balance me out

Keep me floating atop a sea of achievements

A buoyancy aid to keep me going.

Don't make me swim

Or steer the ship myself

My tears will cloud my vision

And the voyage will come to an end.

I'm not the captain, not for a while

Keep me below deck

Teach me the ways of the water

The fish I will meet

Before throwing me headfirst

And washing me up.

A note to perfect parents

I know you've learned to swim

But hold my hand as I learn

And one day I will learn.

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''Under Milk Wood'' by Dylan Thomas

Initial thoughts:

• Emphasises all five senses and speaks with dramatic pronunciation

• The relationship of two words put together creates a quicker, clearer picture

• ''Hearing the dew falling'' - paints a picture of the silent happenings of the night, conveys a mysterious tone

• Describes small movements within the still, quiet, dark atmosphere

• Invites the reader into the story - use of second person narrative adds a personal feeling that draws emotion

 

Write a poem inspired by 'Under Milk Wood'

Describe a place you love using only sounds, colours, and movements - 

To Traverse the Coast

Roaring breakers splash so suddenly

Whistles and whispers of wind howl signals

Not phased by their ravishing shades of sapphire

Cerulean serenity

The crunch of polished pebbles

At rest on a bed of sand

Cacophonous caws of gulls

Spitting droplets of salty tide

Over my grin-stricken face

 

Responding to Events in the here and now - Simon Armitage

Simon Armitage was appointed Poet Laurite in May 2019. His first five poems were responses to events and issues in the world today.

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First responses to ''Ark'' by Simon Armitage

• A clear impactful message conveyed

• Specificity in the poem enhances word/language choice which ultimately draws emotion

• The use of Biblical references to convey a contemporary issue. This contrast creates a striking and emotional image.

• Commenting on the dire issue of global warming, climate change, the state of the world at present and the effect it has on animals and nature.​

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Poetry exercises - ''Birdshooting Season'' by Olive senior

Structure the poem in a way that makes sense to you:

Birdshooting season

Birdshooting season

The men make marriages with their guns

My father's house turns macho

As from far the hunters gather

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All night long countless women stir their brews

Hot coffee chocolata, cerassie wrap/pone and tie leaf for tomorrows sport

Tonight the men drink white rum neat.

In darkness shouldering their packs, their guns, they leave.

We stand quietly on the doorstep shivering

Little boys longing to grow up bird hunters

Too little girls whispering;

Fly birds Fly.

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How does your version compare to the original?

After looking at the original structure of the poem, I noticed that the author spreads out words within his sentences, whilst I seemed to put one longer sentence as one line. Other than this difference, my structure of the poem is very similar to the original as I managed to estimate the placement of different words and lines by reading the poem out loud and writing down what felt correct.

 

Imagery - what is Imagery?

Imagery is a literary device that refers to the use of figurative language to evoke a sensory experience or create a picture with words for a reader. By utilizing effective descriptive language and figures of speech, writers appeal to a reader’s senses of sight, taste, smell, touch, and sound, as well as internal emotion and feelings. Therefore, imagery is not limited to visual representations or mental images but also includes physical sensations and internal emotions.

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What makes a good poem?

A good poem is a piece of writing that makes the reader feel something. Every element of a poem should hold a thought-out tone or meaning, from the structure to the language and word choice. A good poem is authentic, and truthful, and should relate the the author's voice and experience. Poetic tools and devices are also important to shape a good poem, as they have the ability to enhance the theme and emotion that is portrayed.

 

Evaluation

During this week of sessions, I have found that I have a better understanding of poetry as a whole, including studying important devices that contribute to a poem. Analysing and studying other writers work and identifying theme, word choice, structure and tools also helped contribute to this. I found that I have began to expand my range and variety of writing poems during the task of mimicking other famous poems, and have understood how these writers affect the reader and how to incorporate it into my own work. I initially struggled writing my poem about current issues in the world, as I found it difficult to fully express my theme and word choice when sticking to a rhyming scheme. I combatted this issue by researching other famous poems that rhymed, which helped me understand the structure and how to still portray the image that I aimed to do.

Overall, these lessons taught me the importance of poetic devices, how to use them and inspired me to write my own poems by looking at examples of other writers' work.