A form of literature, poetry uses words in a creative and often rhythmic way. It is one of the oldest forms of expression, and it appears in many forms. For these reasons poetry is difficult to define. In general, it is writing that stirs a reader's imagination or emotions through language carefully chosen and arranged for its meaning, sound, and rhythm. Some poems are meant to entertain, others to inform. At its simplest level poetry consists of children's nursery rhymes. At a deeper level poetry tries to address the human condition and express some universal truth.

Structure of poetry

Poems are more than just strings of words. They are words that use patterns of sounds and rhythms to create a certain effect. The basic components of many poems are the syllable, foot, line, and stanza. When a poem is read aloud, each syllable that makes up a word receives a certain stress, or emphasis. A group of syllables constitutes a foot. The accenting, or stressing, of syllables within the foot creates a particular rhythm, which is also known as meter. The words of a poem are arranged in lines, and a group of lines makes up a stanza.

Because poetry is so broad in scope, it includes many forms and patterns. Some poems follow strict patterns of rhyme, meter, and length. Of all the set patterns in English poetry, the sonnet is probably the best known. It consists of 14 lines of ten syllables each with a set meter and rhyming pattern. Another English form is the limerick, a single five-line stanza. Limericks are poems in which the first, second, and fifth lines have one rhyming pattern, while the third and fourth lines have another. The Japanese haiku is another well-known poetic form with a fixed length and number of syllables.

Some poems do not use any set form. Instead they rely only on the effect of words that flow freely from the poet's mind. These poems are known as free verse.

Poetic techniques

Poets use certain techniques to create the sounds, rhythms, and meanings they desire. One of the most recognizable techniques is rhyme, which results from a pair of words that end with the same sound but begin differently, like “hat” and “bat”. Two other closely related sound devices are assonance and consonance. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within words. In the common phrase “high as a kite,” for example, the long i sound creates assonance. Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds, as in the phrase “a stroke of luck.” Assonance and consonance are often discussed together with another technique, alliteration. Alliteration occurs when two or more words start with the same letter sound. The d sound in the phrase “a dark day” is an example. The literary device called onomatopoeia means using words whose sound is similar to their meaning. A phrase such as “the buzzing of busy bees” suggests the buzzing sounds made by bees.

Types of poetry

Through the centuries different kinds of poetry have developed to serve different purposes. Among them are narrative, dramatic, and lyric poetry. Narrative poems, like long works of fiction, tell a story. The best-known narrative poems include the Iliad and the Odyssey by the ancient Greek poet Homer.

Dramatic poetry often follows the pattern of a play. It is nearly as old as the narrative form. The ancient Greek writers Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides were outstanding dramatic poets who wrote plays in poetry form. In English literature, William Shakespeare is considered the most notable of the dramatic poets.

Lyric poems are so called because they were originally set to music and accompanied by an instrument known as the lyre. Lyric poems are the most common type in English. They are shorter than narrative and dramatic works. They express the poet's thoughts or feelings on a single subject. The sonnet is one of the best-known forms of lyric poetry. Shakespeare excelled in writing sonnets. Among other types of lyric poetry, two forms stand out: the ode and the elegy. Odes were originally meant to be sung or chanted and are usually addressed to a person, thing, or quality. Examples include William Wordsworth's Ode to Duty and John Keats's Ode on a Grecian Urn. Elegies are poems written about death or in memory of someone.

History

The word poetry comes from the Greek verb poiein, which means “to make” or “to create.” The words poet and poetry came into English usage in about the 14th century. Before language was written, it was spoken. Verses of poetry are easier to remember and retell than a long story, especially if they have patterns such as rhyme. Thus the first great written literature was mostly poetic in form because it came from a much older spoken tradition.

From the written evidence that has survived, it seems clear that poetry was first used for religious and political purposes. It gradually developed as a form of entertainment. During the Middle Ages, when Christianity dominated Europe, poetry largely served the interests of religion. The 14th century brought in a period known as the Renaissance. This led to a new interest in learning and in exploring the world. During this time poetry addressed ideas outside of religion. Its subject matter became as diverse as the world, allowing poets to use their imagination in new ways.

In the past poetry was often meant to be heard by mass audiences. Poets hoped to have an impact on society, to affect events and to change people's minds. This was true in ancient Greece and in Shakespeare's time. Since the end of the 18th century, however, poetry has been directed more toward the individual reader than toward society as a whole.