Intro lectpt 2

Introductory Lecture

Pt. 2Poetic Structure, Forms & Genres

A note on Scansion

Course Title: Poetry Course Code & NO.: LANE 447Course Credit Hrs.: 3 weekly Level: 7th Level Students

Instructor: Dr. Noora Al-MalkiCredits of images and online content are to their original owners.

This Presentation

• is divided into three sections (Pt. 1, Pt. 2, and Pt. 3), each dealing with a distinct topic.

• sums up the main points to be discussed in the course’s introductory lecture.

• introduces main concepts related to the meaning of poetry, poetry types and forms, elements of a poem…etc.

• encourages students to read further about English poetry in the listed references and websites.

Dr. Noora Al-Malki 2012 [email protected] 2

Poetry VS. Prose

3Dr. Noora Al-Malki 2012 [email protected]

Overall, prose and poetry differ in the following aspects:1. Poetry is more rhythmical, formal and metered in terms of structure compared to the more ordinary prose.2. Poetry is more expressive and attractive as opposed to the usual dull quality of prose.3. Lines are considered to be the basic units of poetry, whereas sentences fill the exact same role in the case of prose.4. Generally, poetry often has some rhymes and relationships between its words as opposed to their absence in prose.

http://www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-between-poetry-and-prose/

Poetic Structure


Abondolo, Daniel (2001). A poetics handbook: verbal art in the European tradition. Curzon. pp. 52–53.

The main structural elements in a poem include: the line, couplet, strophe and stanza.

Poets combine the use of language and a specific structure to create imaginative and expressive works.

Poetic Forms



Poetry as Form:Ancient philosophers tried to decide on what makes poetry distinctive as a form, and what distinguishes good poetry from bad. This led to the emergence of "poetics"—the study of the aesthetics of poetry.

Poetic Forms



Poetic Forms


The Bedford Online Glossary defines closed form, or "fixed form" poetry as follows:[Closed or fixed form poems are those] that may be categorized by the pattern of its lines, meter, rhythm, or stanzas. A sonnet is a fixed form of poetry because by definition it must have fourteen lines. Other fixed forms include limerick, sestina, and villanelle. However, poems written in a fixed form may not always fit into categories precisely, because writers sometimes vary traditional forms to create innovative effects.

Poetic Forms


What distinguishes closed form poems is that they develop regular patterns with regard to lines, meter, rhythm and stanza. When we discuss a poem's structure, we're observing its pattern of lines and stanzas.

Examples of Fixed Verse Forms can be found here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed_verse

Poetic Forms


A stanza consists of a grouping of two or more lines, set off by a space, that usually has a set pattern of meter and rhyme. The stanza in poetry is synonymous with the paragraph that is seen in prose, related thoughts are grouped into units.

Kirszner & Mandell. Literature Reading, Writing, Reacting. Ch. 18,pg. 716.

Poetic Forms


In traditional English-language poems, stanzas can be identified and grouped together because they share a rhyme scheme or a fixed number of lines (as in distich/couplet, tercet, quatrain, cinquain/quintain, sestet). In much modern poetry, stanzas may be arbitrarily presented on the printed page because of publishing conventions that employ such features as white space or punctuation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanza

Poetic Forms


The Bedford Online Glossary defines "free verse" poetry as follows:“Sometimes called "free verse," open form poetry does not conform to established patterns of meter, rhyme, and stanza. Such poetry derives its rhythmic qualities from the repetition of words, phrases, or grammatical structures, the arrangement of words on the printed page, or by some other means. The poet E. E. Cummings wrote open form poetry; his poems do not have measurable meters, but they do have rhythm.”

Poetic Forms


What distinguishes open form poems “free Verse” is that they do not develop regular patterns with regard to lines, meter, rhythm and stanza. Their structure is more "organic" instead of being predetermined, following its own inner logic according to the emotion or thought expressed.

Poetic Genres


Poetry uses forms and conventions to suggest differential interpretation to words, or to evoke emotive responses (mode). The result is distinct genres or sub-genres of poetry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poetry

Poetic Genres


Aristotle's Poetics describes three genres of poetry—the epic, the comic, and the tragic—and develop rules to distinguish the highest-quality poetry in each genre, based on the underlying purposes of the genre.

Heath, Malcolm, ed. (1997). Aristotle's Poetics. Penguin Books

Poetic Genres


Mainly, there are three major types of poetry: 1-Dramatic poetry2-Lyric poetry3-Narrative poetry

However, each of these major types includes various poetic forms.


Poetic Forms


Dramatic poetry uses the elements of drama. One or more characters speak to other characters, to themselves, or directly address the reader. This type of poetry often includes emotional conflict.


Poetic Forms


Lyric poetry expresses the thoughts and emotions of a single speaker. Usually short, a lyric poem creates a single, unified impression.


Lyric poetry, on the other hand, may tell about events, but the focus is on creating a mood or recalling a feeling. Lyric poems express the character, impressions and emotions of the poet, and are usually short.

Poetic Forms


Narrative poetry tells a story in verse form. A narrative poem has a beginning, a middle, and an ending, just like a prose story. Unlike prose, however, a narrative poem is much

more concentrated.Heath, Malcolm, ed. (1997). Aristotle's Poetics. Penguin Books

Narrative poetry tells a story. It combines poetic techniques, such as rhyme and alliteration, with the elements of fiction, such as characters and a recognizable plot..

A Note on Scansion


Scansion: Putting It All TogetherThe analysis of the patterns of rhythm in poetry is known as scansion(i.e. to "scan"). When you are asked to scan a poem, follow these steps:1. Determine the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables inthe poem.2. Draw a line separating each foot, then count the number offeet per line.3. Using the information from steps 1 and 2, name the type ofmetre for the poem (e.g. tetrametre)..

A Note on Scansion


Have a look at the example below, which is from Thomas Gray's "ElegyWritten in a Country Churchyard." The first stanza of the poem hasbeen written for you so you can see its metre and foot pattern.U / u / u / u / u /The cur / few tolls / the knell / of par / ting dayU / u / u / u / u /The low / ing herd / wind slow / ly o'er / the lea,

As this poem follows a pattern of one unstressed syllable and onestressed syllable, the name of the metre is iambic.

Extra material to check out


http://structureandsurprise.wordpress.com/pedagogy/poetic-structures-summarized/

http://www.types-of-poetry.org.uk/

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072405228/student_view0/poetic_glossary.html

Intro lectpt 2

Education

Transcript of Intro lectpt 2