Let us recap what constitutes a poem: It is a verse written to create a response of thought and emotion in the reader, sometimes in rhyme. Not all that rhymes are considered poetry.
The human eye can only see between 430THZ and 770THZ. Our ears can only detect sound between 20HZ and 20KHZ. These ranges make up a fraction of the total sound and light frequency range. This means a lot is going around that we cannot see or hear. As poets, we have carte blanche to tease out the unseen and unheard in a fashion that captivates the audience—a daunting task and responsibility.
10 POINTERS:
- The analyses of various poems are common on the Internet, for example, the very informative website, Poem Analysis. For examples, see the many poetry analyses by Team PoetrySoup here under ARTICLES.* It is a good place to START. Poets can do whatever they like with a poem, but they have no control over how readers perceive or react to it—once it is published, the poem belongs to the audience. Do not be tempted to defend your poem; it is what it is.
- It is advisable to research your target audience before setting out to compose poetry with a specific genre in mind, for example, when composing poetry for the very young. The toddlers, or even babies, love best books that rhyme and have almost a lyrical element to them; especially if they have some kind of plotline (language is best acquired in context), and feature lots of objects they can recognise. This will aid the expansion of language and teach concepts.
- The more adult reader tends to read between the lines, therefore, you don’t have to be explicit. Less is often more; therefore, don’t spoil the effect by gushing profusely about a topic—self-restraint is to be admired and encouraged. It is best to show, rather than tell—poetry is not a thesis on any subject however well-meaning and sincere the poet is in conveying his life experiences. That is not poetry.
- Poetry (especially the shorter poetic forms such as haiku, couplet, etc) teaches one to be more succinct in the expression of thought and argument. The shorter forms are often more challenging to write than their longer counterparts.
- Whatever its length, the opening statement needs to engage the reader—the hook. A hook may constitute the opening line or a full stanza (a number of verse lines that work together as a unit)—the poet, literally, has only about eight seconds to engage the reader’s interest. Don’t waste it on gimmicks.
- The plot development needs to be unambiguous, and the conclusion might contain an unexpected twist or challenge the reader’s preconceptions.
- Do not leave your readers in any doubt as to what thought or message you wish to convey; leave your readers with a sense that they can identify with, or relate to, the poem; do not be didactic—leave your readers in a pensive mood.
- Poetry does not call on the reader to suspend disbelief (as is the case with novels); its chief objective is to stir the emotions in the reader. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy piece to engage the reader’s interest.
- If the meaning is too readily found, it is not poetry. All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling. To be natural is to be obvious, and to be obvious is to be unartistic [sic]. ~Oscar Wilde
- Last, but not least, do not be tempted to tell the readers what they must think or explain the process of the content of your poem. Like making good wine, let the individual palate of your readers savour the end product without reverting to terminology—leave them speechless!
*MY EXAMPLE: DECONSTRUCTING LAURA - Metapoetry - Suzette Richards's Blog (poetrysoup.com)
Many of the Eastern-influenced poetic forms are tricky to write as they are chiefly subtle and not in your face or explicit, like for example, a Limerick, which is notoriously risqué. Poetry that has its roots in classic Chinese poetry, for example, jueju, has some elements in common with Western poetry. In terms of the technical side of this poetry, the two traditions have similarities: There are fixed number of lines of syllables and rhyme; and the ‘strict’ form of writing (metre, rhyme scheme, and stanzas), is still the most prevalent form of poetry in both traditions.
We are more familiar with Japanese poetic forms such as haiku, senryu (a failed haiku), tanka, kyoka (a humorous or satirical tanka), etc. A handy tip to bear in mind in the construction of these short forms: Where, when, and what. While haiku tend to be about nature (not always) and always reflect positive statements and compassion, senryu is often cynical or darkly humorous and satirical. An obvious philosophical statement would classify a haiku as a senryu, as would personification and allegory. The poetic device juxtaposition takes the place of the metaphor favoured in Western poetry.
© ‘Red Passion’, art photography by Michele Ranchett
The following tanka was prompted by the above photograph.
berries harvested
when they’ve reached their optimum
a summer’s bouquet
matured in the cask of life
which let me savour the past
Copyright © Suzette Richards, 7 January 2024