PoetryHonors 9 Lecture Notes

Unit 5

History of Poetry Poetry as an art form that predates literacy.

In prehistoric and ancient societies, poetry was used as a way to record cultural events or tell stories. Poetry is amongst the earliest records of most cultures

Some of the earliest poetry is believed to have been orally recited or sung.

Many ancient works, from the Vedas (1700–1200 BC) to the Odyssey (800–675 BC), appear to have been composed in poetic form to aid memorization and oral transmission

The oldest surviving poem

Epic of Gilgamesh, from the 3rd millennium BC in Sumer (in Mesopotamia, now Iraq), which was written in cuneiform script on clay tablets and, later, papyrus.

The effect of poetry:

The words of a poet can inspire people or cause them to see something in a different way.

The Early Categories of Poetry

Early attempts to define poetry, such as Aristotle's Poetics, focused on three genres of poetry:

epic, comic, and tragic

Aristotle's work was highly influential throughout the Middle East during the Islamic Golden Age, then through Europe during the Renaissance.

Later, poetry was described to have three major genres:

epic, lyric, and dramatic

with dramatic holding the subcategories tragic and comedy (concentrated on features such as repetition and rhyme, differentiating poetry from prose)

From the mid-20th century, poetry has sometimes been more loosely defined as a fundamental creative act using language.

Prose vs. Poetry

Early During early modern Western tradition, poets sought

to distinguish poetry from prose by using the understanding that prose was written in a linear narrative form and used logical explication, while poetry was more abstract and beautiful.

Later Following the development of writing, poetry has since

developed into increasingly structured forms.

However, much poetry since the late 20th century has moved away from traditional forms towards the more vaguely defined free verse and prose poem formats.

Elements of Poetry Poetry's use of stylistic elements often leaves a poem open

to multiple interpretations. In addition, stylistic elements add layers of meanings, forming connections for the reader.

Some common elements: Simile

Metaphor

Imagery

Symbolism

Irony

Ambiguity

Personification

Meter & Rhyme

Alliteration

Assonance

Onomatopoeia

Three Lessons to This Unit

Lesson One: Imagery Catalog Poem Haiku Sonnet Lyric Poem

Lesson Two: Figures of Speech Monologue

Lesson Three: The Sounds of Poetry Ballad Free Verse

You will be responsible for a large list of literary elements that extends beyond these notes for this unit. You will be introduced to them individually as we start different lessons and types of poems. Keep track of definitions and examples in your notes!