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Shaping
the poem: approaches |
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Poems are organized pieces of writing. At the very
least, their constituent words are selected
according to some occasion (what was felt,
observed
or thought
at the time), some intention
(to express,
convey
or evoke),
some creative process (rational
planning, reverie,
self-exploration,
automatic
writing) and/or literary convention (genres,
contemporary
styles, recognizable
forms). Add to these constraints the makeup and preoccupations
of the individual poet, plus the audience being written for,
and many of the 'free expression versus the formal requirements
of art' debates
become academic. Poems inevitably serve some purpose,
intentionally or otherwise, and identifying
that purpose or purposes
is the first requirement of would-be writer and reader. |
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Shaping by plot and character |
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Why write poetry? Because good poetry makes the world a
finer place, and in the end turns readers into friends.
The social
aspects of creative fiction are variously and shifting,
but do generally include some aspect of plot and character.
Even short lyrics display the personality of their creator
(why imitations are not wanted). Plot may have taken second
place to character in serious novels, but plot has not disappeared
— not if by plot
is meant some deep organization by theme,
structural
elements, myths
or psychological
constants, some of which can be approached through cognitive
science.
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Formal shaping: stanza patterns |
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Poems
generally employ a smaller canvas than plays or novels,
but by way of compensation a) exhibit tighter organization,
b) deploy greater resources
of language, and c) use a more literary diction. Or did
until recently. Several strains of Modernism
aimed at a looser expression (Black
Mountain School, W.C.
Williams, Beat
Poets) and more everyday language (Frost,
Movement
Poets ). These tendencies are accentuated in Postmodernist
work,
which tries hard not to be literary - with inevitable
gains and losses: the poetry is more accessible, but may not
last or satisfy. Consistency in diction is important in all
styles, but clearer in traditional poetry is organization
by stanza
pattern
and rhyme.
Though not esteemed at present, and undoubtedly difficult
for beginners, these organizational devices become essentials
in the hands of master poets. |
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Further reading |
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Short bibliographies follow the Plot and Stanza
entries in The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and
Poetics (1993). For plot see: E.M. Forster's Aspects
of the Novel (1927) and The
Straight Dope. For stanza see E. Häublein's The
Stanza (1978), W. Packard's The Poet's Dictionary: A
Handbook of Prosody and Poetic Devices (1994) and L
Turco's The New Book of Forms (1986). Online references
listing stanza and rhyme schemes include: poetry
basics, poetic
endeavours, glossary
of poetic terms, poetry
corner, and infoplease.
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