"Deneba Campus: Poetry"
1-Introduction
Welcome to the Krath Poetry course. In this course, I’ll be explaining to you the basics of poetry, such as the classes of poems, various forms of rhyme scheme, and the like. The goal of this course is to help you be able to write poetry, if not well, then at least properly, from a mechanical stand point.
2-The Common Poem
This section will deal with the “standard” poem most people are accustomed to. It tends to follow a rhyme pattern, and is considered one of the easiest types of poems to write. Within this particular class of poem are several sub-sets of a sort, such as doublets, octoplets, septuplets, and others. Generally, if you see a word ending in –let, if will be referring to this type of poem. Now, before anyone begins to panic over vocabulary, this is, as I said before, one of the easiest. The various –let types simply refer to the number of lines in a stanza, the paragraph of poetry. A doublet has two lines, making it a “double” line. An octoplet has eight lines per stanza, a septuplet seven, and others. Therefore, if you see a poem that has the same number of lines in each stanza, you can easily classify it by determining the correct prefix for –let.
Not all “simple” poems follow this pattern, however. For the sake of variety, many poems will use a variety of stanza sizes, though careful attention should be paid to keeping a general flow. For poem with a simple structure, yet a great deal of unnatural breaks, pauses, and jumps is something to be avoided.
Not all “simple” poems follow this pattern, however. For the sake of variety, many poems will use a variety of stanza sizes, though careful attention should be paid to keeping a general flow. For poem with a simple structure, yet a great deal of unnatural breaks, pauses, and jumps is something to be avoided.
3-Rhyme Patterns
Now then, a rhyme scheme can be nearly anything that makes sense as a pattern, and there are too many possibilities to list them all here. However, I will give a short list of some, to show you the variety you have to work with. In the examples, each letter represents a line that rhymes, so A rhymes with A, etc.
3.A-Simple Single Stanza
Arguably the most common and easiest of rhyme schemes, the last word of each line rhymes. This will generally be per stanza, as having an entire poem end with the same rhyme pattern is very difficult.
Example:
A
A
A
A
Example:
A
A
A
A
3.B-Complex Single Stanza
Don’t let the name worry you, it’s only called “Complex” because it isn’t as simple as the first example. It basically involves two or more rhyming patterns. This is best explained through the examples, though again.
Example One:
A
A
B
B
Example Two:
A
B
A
B
Example Three:
A
B
A
C
Example One:
A
A
B
B
Example Two:
A
B
A
B
Example Three:
A
B
A
C
3.C-Multi-Stanza
This combines one of the two forms above, more often the Complex Single Stanza, and spreads it across multiple stanzas or the entire poem. Once more, this is more easily demonstrated by example.
Example One:
A
B
A
B
A
C
A
C
Example Two:
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
Example One:
A
B
A
B
A
C
A
C
Example Two:
A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
4-Non-rhyming Poems
Most people don’t think of this when they think of poetry, because they’re very set on poetry rhyming. Poetry without a rhyme scheme, however, is some of the most famous poetry in the world. Those who have read Shakespeare’s plays have read this form of poem. The reason this counts as poetry, and not simple fiction, is that, though there is no rhyme scheme, is has a careful, rhythmic flow. Each line will have a certain number of syllables, and generally a set flow of stressed syllables. Since this pattern of syllables and stresses is best noticed when spoken, these are often meant to be read aloud. A specialized form of this is Iambic pentameter, the form used in most of Shakespeare’s works. Iambic pentameter is the use of five “feet,” in each line, each foot containing two syllables (there by ten syllables total), and an alternation on stressed and unstressed syllables (Pentameter = “five meters”). Also, please note that, although the stress pattern is important, you need to keep the word’s regular stresses. Altering the natural stress of a syllable makes the poem sound very strange, and therefore must be avoided.
Example of Iambic Pentameter (from Romeo and Juliet. The stressed syllables are bold):
But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Example of Iambic Pentameter (from Romeo and Juliet. The stressed syllables are bold):
But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
5-Less Common Poetry
There are a number of “special” types of poetry. In some cases, it’s a description of what the poem’s content is, in others it is a special type of structure all together. Below are descriptions, and in some cases examples, of six types of special poetry.
5.A-Haiku
A Haiku is one of the most specialized forms of poetry there is, since it is the most rigidly structured. A Haiku poem has three lines, with the first line containing five syllables, the second containing seven syllables, and the third containing five syllables again. There is almost never a rhyme scheme, though there is no reason there cannot be. Also, there is no requirement stating that each line must be a complete sentence.
Example (with syllables marked):
Three| things| are| cer|tain:
Death|, tax|es| and| lost| da|ta.
Guess| which| has| o|ccurred.
Example (with syllables marked):
Three| things| are| cer|tain:
Death|, tax|es| and| lost| da|ta.
Guess| which| has| o|ccurred.
5.B-Limerick
A limerick is essentially a quintet (five lines to a stanza poem) with a very set rhyme scheme, almost always with a humorous subject, resulting in it being called, occasionally, the “joke poem.” It commonly tells a story, and will usually start with “There once was a…” The rhyme structure is that the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme, and the third and fourth lines rhyme. Note, though, that neither of the sets cross rhyme. There is also a stress scheme that must be followed. In the first, second, and fifth lines, there are three sets of syllables that repeat, two unstressed and one stressed. Note that the second unstressed syllable in the first sequence is optional, and it is optional to have two additional unstressed syllables at the end of the line. In the third and fourth lines, the unstressed-unstressed-stressed pattern repeats twice. The second unstressed syllable in the first sequence is again optional, as are the two unstressed syllables at the end of the lines.
Traditional Example:
There once was a lady named Bright
Whose speed was much faster than Light
She set off one day
In a relative way
And returned the previous night
Traditional Example:
There once was a lady named Bright
Whose speed was much faster than Light
She set off one day
In a relative way
And returned the previous night
5.C-Epic Poem/Ballad
An epic poem is a poem that expounds the glories of a specific person, place, occupation, etc. It will often be unrhymed, simply because it is easier to speak about a topic when not restricted by a rhyme scheme. A ballad is essentially an epic poem put to music, and will more often be rhymed.
5.D-Song
Yes, a song is a form of poetry. I won’t deeply explain this one, as most are familiar with it, I mention it here mainly to point out it is, indeed, a form of poetry. Pick a song, give it a listen, and you should be able to pick out the rhyme scheme, and see what I mean.
5.E-Ode
An ode, like an epic poem, glorifies one particular person, place, etc. The difference between them is that while an epic poem tends to tell the story of a hero, and is fairly “upbeat,” an ode will more often have a melancholy tone to it. A poem to a “lost love” is very likely and ode, as an example.
5.F-Line Poems
A line poem is a very specialized form of poetry, because, unlike a “standard” poem which requires attention to the last word of a line and the rhyme scheme, attention must be paid to the first word in a line. A line poem is a poem in which, if you take the first letter of the first word in each line, it will spell out a word or phrase, and quite often describes the word/phrase it spells out. Rhyming is optional.
Example:
Pleasing to the ear
Often read aloud
Enjoyed by many people
Many have been written
Example:
Pleasing to the ear
Often read aloud
Enjoyed by many people
Many have been written
6-Poetry Tips
- When writing a poem, be sure to avoid unnatural breaks, unless you are specifically aiming for such a structure. I know I already said this, but it’s important enough to repeat.
- If you’re using a rhyme scheme, and can’t make a word fit the scheme, change the word. If that means you have to change the sentence, do so. A prime rule of poetry is not to let yourself worry if you seem to have written yourself into a corner, just go back and rework what you’ve done.
- Do not over extend yourself. No form of poem is inherently better or worse then any other form. If you’re trying to write a Haiku and can’t get it right, try a “simple” poem. If a Non-rhyming poem isn’t working for you, go for a limerick.
- Rhyming dictionaries and thesauruses are your friends. If you have an odd word, check a rhyming dictionary to see what fits in with it. If you can’t find a word that works for what you’re saying, check the thesaurus for a synonym that’s easier to rhyme with.
- Don’t think poems need to be noble. Poetry can be written about anything, not just “pretty” things. Unless you need to have a specific topic, pick one that you can write easily enough.
- When poetry you write, grammar rules can altered be. That doesn’t mean you can totally break the rules of grammar, but a few transposed words never hurt anyone. Never be afraid to sound a little like Yoda when you’re writing a poem.
- Spell check after every line. It would seem to go without saying, but nothing is worse then writing a very good poem all the way through, only to realize that you made a mistake in the first stanza which throws off the rest of the poem.
- Don’t be afraid to improvise. The formats in this course are, for the most part, only guidelines. Mix and match if you want. Add or subtract syllables from a Haiku, make it a new type of poem.
7-Conclusion
Keep in mind, this course is a very basic introduction to poetry, not the end all and be all on the subject. Poetry is truly about letting your mind go off and write. Creativity is key. So, good luck, and good writing.