Effective Writing

Lecture 35: Poetry and its Types

BINOD MISHRA
DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

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 What is Poetry?
❖ ‘…the best words in the best order’ – Coleridge
Success is counted sweet
❖ ‘…the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings’ – By those who ne’er succeed
To comprehend a nectar
Wordsworth Requires sorest need.
❖ ‘…emotions put into measure’ – Thomas Hardy - Pain by Emily Dickinson

❖ ‘…not the assertion that something is true, but making

of that truth more fully real to us’ – T. S. Eliot
❖ ‘…hundreds of things coming together at the right
moment’ – Elizabeth Bishop
❖ ‘…life distilled’ – Gwendolyn Brooks

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 Writing Poetry
A poem begins where prose ends – To force the pace and never to be still
at the edge of the word. Is not the way of those who study birds
Every word that we speak Or women. The best poets wait for words.
The hunt is not an exercise of will
is composed of breath. But patient love relaxing on a hill
On this most intangible foundation To note the movement of a timid wing;
rests the way of poetry. Until the one who knows that she is loved
No longer waits but risks surrendering -
- R. Parthasarathy, “A House Divided” In this the poet finds his moral proved
Who never spoke before his spirit moved.
-Nissim Ezekiel, "Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher"

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 The Four Functions of Language
❑ The Rhetorical Function: Language used to persuade someone
of a certain point of view. For example, A politician’s speech
❑ The Definitive Function: Language used to define and describe
the world. For example, A scientific report describing a
discovery
❑ The Informative Function: Language used to convey
Information. For example, An Encyclopaedia
❑ The Poetical Function: Language used for pleasure. For
example, Poetry

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 Differences between Poetry and Prose
❖ A poem is an integrated literary composition, tightly
expressed, that is not restricted to discursive progression and
logic but operates on a radiational level. (Riccio 1980: 28)
❖ ‘Prose is ordinary speech on its best behavior’, it is the
conventionalization of speech that is made by the educated or
articulate person when s/he is trying to assimilate speech
patterns to thought patterns.
❖ One major difference between verse and prose is rhyme. The
verse can retain a much higher concentration of metaphorical
and figurative speech than prose.
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 Poetry as an Auditory Art
• Poetry as an auditory art emphasizes the sonic qualities of
language—its rhythm, rhyme, meter, and the musicality of words.
Unlike prose, poetry often relies on sound to evoke emotions,
create atmosphere, and enhance meaning.
• The auditory aspect of poetry is deeply rooted in its history, with
oral traditions being the earliest form of poetic expression.
• Before the invention of writing, poetry was primarily composed,
memorized, and recited aloud.
• This oral nature of poetry emphasizes the importance of sound in
conveying meaning, with devices like alliteration, assonance,
consonance, and onomatopoeia being employed to enhance the
auditory experience.

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 Rhythm, Rhyme and Meter
❑ Rhythm
➢ Rhythm is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry. It
creates a sense of movement and flow, giving the poem its musicality and
emotional effect.
❑ Role in Poetry
➢ Rhythm can evoke different moods and paces, from the rapid pulse of excitement
to the slow, deliberate cadence of reflection. It often mirrors the content of the
poem, enhancing the meaning through sound. In free verse, where the pattern is
less structured, rhythm is more organic, relying on natural speech patterns.
Example: In William Blake's "The Tyger," the repetitive and rhythmic "Tyger Tyger,
burning bright" captures the intensity and power of the creature.

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 Cont.
Rhyme
➢ Rhyme refers to the repetition of similar sounds, typically at the end of
lines, but sometimes within them (internal rhyme).
➢ Types of Rhyme
➢ Masculine Rhyme - rhyme that occurs when the final syllable of two
words is stressed, and that syllable is the one that rhymes.
➢ Feminine Rhyme - rhyme that occurs when the final syllables of two
words are unstressed, typically following a pattern of a stressed
syllable followed by an unstressed one.

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 Cont.
➢ Internal Rhyme - Rhymes within a single line (e.g., "I went to town to
buy a gown").
➢ Initial Rhyme – Also called head rhyme or alliteration. When the
rhyme comes at the beginning of the words in the line (e.g.- She sells
seashells on the seashore)
➢ Role in Poetry: Rhyme creates harmony, linking lines together and giving
the poem a cohesive structure. It can also emphasize key words or ideas,
create a pleasing auditory effect, and make the poem more memorable.
➢ Example: In Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," the
rhyme scheme (AABA) creates a soothing and continuous flow that mirrors
the quiet, reflective mood of the poem.

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 Cont.
Meter
➢ Meter is the structured pattern of rhythm in a poem, typically measured in "feet,"
where each foot consists of a combination of stressed and unstressed syllables.
➢ Types of Meter:
– Iambic: An unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one (da-DUM). (e.g.,
"The way a crow / Shook down on me" - Robert Frost)
– Trochaic: A stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one (DA-dum). (e.g.,
"Tyger Tyger, burning bright" - William Blake)
– Anapestic: Two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one (da-da-DUM).
(e.g., "Twas the night before Christmas" - Clement Clarke Moore)

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 Cont.
– Dactylic: A stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones (DA-dum-dum).
(e.g., "Half a league, half a league" - Alfred Lord Tennyson)
– Spondaic: Two stressed syllables together (DA-DA).
❑ Role in Poetry
➢ Meter gives a poem its rhythm and structure, often creating a specific pace and
tone. Traditional forms like sonnets, haikus, and limericks rely on consistent meter,
while modern and free verse poetry may play with or abandon regular meter for a
more fluid, expressive rhythm.
Example: Shakespeare's sonnets are written in iambic pentameter, where each line
consists of five iambs (da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM), giving the poetry
a formal and rhythmic quality.

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 Structural Elements
▪ Couplet – a unit in poetry that usually rhymes and are composed in the
same meter
▪ Tercet/Terza Rima – a stanza, that is, a group of lines related to an idea,
metrics and forming a pattern, made up of three lines, rhymed or
unrhymed
▪ Quatrain – each stanza has four lines and the rhymes vary from none at all
to two
❖ Depending on the number of lines used in the stanza unit, other forms are
Quintain- a five-line stanza, Sestet- a six-line stanza, the Septet uses seven
lines, and the Octave uses eight.

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 Types of Poem
Sonnets
✓ Sonnets are a specific form of poetry with a rich history and a set structure of 14
lines. It originated in Italy in the 13th century.
✓ Traditionally, sonnets are written in iambic pentameter. This means each line
contains ten syllables, following an unstressed-stressed pattern (da-DUM da-DUM
da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM).
✓ Sonnets follow specific rhyme schemes, depending on the type. The most common
forms are the Italian (Petrarchan) and English (Shakespearean) sonnets.
✓ Spenserian Sonnet: Similar to the Shakespearean sonnet with three quatrains
and a final couplet.
✓ Rhyme Scheme: ABABBCBCCDCDEE.

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 "Sonnet 292"
The eyes I spoke of once in words that burn,
the arms and hands and feet and lovely face
that took me from myself for such a space
of time and marked me out from other men;
the waving hair of unmixed gold that shone,
the smile that flashed with the angelic rays
that used to make this earth a paradise,
are now a little dust, all feeling gone;
and yet I live, grief and disdain to me,
left where the light I cherished never shows,
in fragile bark on the tempestuous sea.
Here let my loving song come to a close,
the vein of my accustomed art is dry,
and this, my lyre, turned at last to tears. (Petrarch)

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 "Sonnet 18"
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date;

Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimmed;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade

Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.“ (Shakespeare)

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 Types of Poem (Cont.)
❑ Villanelle
➢ The villanelle is a highly structured form of poetry known for its repeating lines and
intricate rhyme scheme. Originating in France, the villanelle is celebrated for its
musicality and the way it creates a sense of inevitability or obsession through its
repetitive structure.
➢ It consists of 19 lines, composed of five tercets (three-line stanzas) followed by a
quatrain (four-line stanza).
➢ The rhyme scheme of a villanelle is ABA for the tercets and ABAA for the quatrain. The
repeated lines ensure that there are only two rhyme sounds throughout the entire
poem.
➢ First and third lines of the first stanza repeat alternately in the following stanzas.
➢ Villanelles often explore themes of obsession, loss, grief, defiance, and the passage of
time. The repetition of lines can create a sense of inevitability, entrapment, or emotional
intensity.

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 Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night -- Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night, And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright

Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,

And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight

Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

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 Cont.
❑ Haiku
❖ This Japanese form is a short, self-contained seventeen-syllable form composed of three lines
with five, seven, and five syllables respectively.

❖ Previously called ho’kku, it was termed haiku by Masaoka Shiki in the 19th century. “Hai”-
denoting amusement, “ku”- the versified form of a sentence

❖ Poets like Basho and Issa made it popular in Japan in the 17th and 18th century.

❖ Any 17-syllable poem written in the 5-7-5 syllable pattern is called Haiku.

Now the swinging bridge

Is quietened with creepers
Like our tendrilled lives
- Basho
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 Cont.
Free Verse
• Free verse is a form of poetry that does not adhere to traditional rules of
meter, rhyme, or structure.
• Unlike more formal poetic forms, free verse gives poets the flexibility to
write without the constraints of a fixed pattern, allowing them to create
poems that mimic the rhythms of natural speech and reflect the
spontaneity of thought and emotion.
– T.S. Eliot’s "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
"Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized upon a table;"

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 Cont.

Lyric
• Lyric poetry is a genre of poetry that expresses personal emotions,
thoughts, and feelings, often in a highly musical and imaginative
manner.
• Lyric poetry focuses on conveying the poet's inner experience,
capturing moments of intense emotion or contemplation.
• The term "lyric" originates from the ancient Greek word "lyrikos,"
meaning "singing to the lyre," reflecting the tradition of poems
being sung or recited to musical accompaniment.

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 How do I Love Thee
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning
I love thee with the passion put to use
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
For the ends of being and ideal grace. Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I love thee to the level of every day’s I shall but love thee better after death.
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

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 Cont.
Odes
• Odes are a type of lyric poetry that is formal, ceremonious, and often addresses
and praises a person, place, thing, or idea.
• The form is one of the oldest in Western literature, dating back to ancient Greece,
where odes were originally performed with music. Over time, the ode has evolved
but retained its focus on the expression of admiration and reverence.
• Many classical odes are divided into three parts:
– Strophe: The first section, where the theme or subject is introduced.
– Antistrophe: The second section, which often provides a counterpoint or
develops the theme further.
– Epode: The final section, which brings resolution and concludes the poem.

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 Cont.
Pindaric Ode: Named after the ancient Greek poet Pindar, this type of ode is
structured with a formal three-part pattern: strophe, antistrophe, and epode.
Pindaric odes were originally composed to celebrate athletic victories in ancient
Greece.
• Example: Pindar's "Odes"
Horatian Ode:
• Named after the Roman poet Horace, Horatian odes are more personal,
reflective, and meditative. They often consist of uniform stanzas and have a more
restrained tone than Pindaric odes.
• Example: "Ode to the West Wind" by Percy Bysshe Shelley

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 Cont.
Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness,

Irregular Ode: Thou foster-child of silence and slow time,

Sylvan historian, who canst thus express
Who are these coming to the sacrifice?
To what green altar, O mysterious priest,
A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme: Lead'st thou that heifer lowing at the skies,
What leaf-fring'd legend haunts about thy shape And all her silken flanks with garlands drest?

❖ The irregular ode does not follow a Of deities or mortals, or of both,

In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?
What men or gods are these? What maidens loth?
What little town by river or sea shore,
Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel,
Is emptied of this folk, this pious morn?
What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape? And, little town, thy streets for evermore
fixed pattern of strophe, antistrophe, What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy? Will silent be; and not a soul to tell
Why thou art desolate, can e'er return.
Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard
and epode, nor does it adhere to a Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;
Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd,
O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede
Of marble men and maidens overwrought,
Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone: With forest branches and the trodden weed;
consistent rhyme or meter. This form Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave
Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare;
Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought
As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral!
Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss, When old age shall this generation waste,
allows for greater flexibility and Though winning near the goal yet, do not grieve;
She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss,
Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe
Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st,
For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair! "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all
creativity in expressing admiration or Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."

Your leaves, nor ever bid the Spring adieu;

reflection. And, happy melodist, unwearied,
For ever piping songs for ever new;
More happy love! more happy, happy love!
For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd,

❖ Example: "Ode on a Grecian Urn" by For ever panting, and for ever young;
All breathing human passion far above,
That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd,

John Keats A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.

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 Cont.
❑ Elegy: An elegy is a form of poetry that typically expresses sorrow,
lamentation, or reflection, usually in response to the death of an
individual or a profound loss.
• While elegies often focus on mourning, they also explore themes of
memory, the passage of time, and the search for solace or understanding
in the face of grief. The tone of an elegy is generally sombre, introspective,
and meditative.
• Example: Lycidas, In Memoriam, Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard,
etc.

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 Cont.
❑ Pastoral Elegy: a specific type of elegy that traditionally takes the form of
a pastoral, which idealizes rural life and nature.
➢ In a pastoral elegy, the speaker, often portrayed as a shepherd, typically
expresses grief over losing a friend, mentor, or loved one, often using the
conventions of pastoral poetry to create a setting where shepherds or
rural figures mourn the deceased.
➢ The poem may begin with an invocation to the muses or other classical
figures, asking for inspiration in expressing grief.
➢ Although the elegy expresses deep sorrow, it often concludes with a note
of consolation, sometimes suggesting that the deceased has found peace
in a pastoral afterlife.
➢ Famous examples of pastoral elegies include John Milton’s “Lycidas”,
written for his friend Edward King, and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Adonais,”
an elegy for John Keats.

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 Cont.

➢ Dirge: A dirge is a short, mournful song, poem, or piece of music that

expresses sorrow and grief, typically in response to death.
➢ Unlike an elegy, which can be more reflective and broader in scope, a dirge
is more immediate and focused on expressing the deep sadness and
lamentation associated with the loss.
➢ Dirges are often associated with funerals or memorial services, where
they are performed as part of the rituals honouring the deceased.

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 Cont.
"Dirge" by William Shakespeare:
➢ From "Cymbeline," this short dirge is sung to mourn the supposed death
of the character Fidele. It is a poignant expression of grief and the
inevitability of death.
➢ Excerpt:
"Fear no more the heat o' the sun,
Nor the furious winter's rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages:
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust."

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 Narrative Poetry
❑ Narrative poetry is concerned primarily with telling a story in verse form
and its two basic types are ballad and epic.
▪ Ballad: A ballad is a form of narrative poetry that tells a story, often in
a song-like manner. Traditionally, ballads were passed down orally
from generation to generation and were typically composed in simple
language to make them accessible to a wide audience.
▪ They are known for their rhythmic and rhymed stanzas, which
contribute to their musical quality and make them easy to remember
and recite.
▪ Example: “The Rime of Ancient Mariner”, “The Ballad of Reading
Gaol”, etc.
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 Narrative Poetry
▪ Epic: An epic is a long narrative poem that often recounts the adventures,
deeds, and journeys of a heroic figure or group of heroes.
▪ Epics are grand in scope, often involving significant events, such as battles,
quests, or the founding of civilizations. They typically explore themes of
heroism, the human condition, the struggle between good and evil, and
the interaction between humans and the divine.
▪ Epics have been central to the literary traditions of many cultures and
have served to preserve and transmit cultural values, history, and
mythology.
▪ Example: The Iliad and The Odyssey

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 Mock Epic
❑ A mock epic (or mock-heroic poem) is a form of satire that uses the
grandiose style and conventions of classical epic poetry to
humorously portray trivial or mundane subjects.
❑ The mock epic often serves as a satire, using its exaggerated style to
critique social customs, political events, or human nature. It
highlights the disparity between the grandiose form and the trivial
content to underscore the foolishness or vanity of its subjects.
❑ Famous examples of Mock Epics: "The Rape of the Lock" by
Alexander Pope and "MacFlecknoe" by John Dryden

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 Dramatic Monologue
❖ A dramatic monologue is a type of poem in which a single speaker, who is
not the poet, addresses an implied or silent listener, revealing aspects of
their character, situation, or a particular event.
❖ The dramatic monologue is a hybrid form that combines elements of
drama, poetry, and narrative, offering readers insight into the psychology
and personality of the speaker.
❖ It is designed to reveal something important about the speaker’s
personality, often unintentionally. Through their speech, readers gain
insight into the character’s thoughts, emotions, and psychological state.
❖ Example: “My Last Duchess”, “Porphyria’s Lover”, “Ulysses”, etc.

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 Cont.
"My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning
❖ This is one of the most famous examples of a dramatic monologue. In the
poem, the Duke of Ferrara speaks to an emissary about a portrait of his
late wife, revealing through his words that he may have been responsible
for her death due to his jealousy and controlling nature.
❖ Excerpt:
"That's my last Duchess painted on the wall,
Looking as if she were alive. I call
That piece a wonder, now: Frà Pandolf's hands
Worked busily a day, and there she stands."

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“Poetry is when an emotion has found its
thought, and the thought has found words.”
– Robert Frost

Thank You

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 Works Consulted

❑ Dev, Anjana Neira, Anuradha Marwah & Swati Pal. Creative Writing A
Beginner’s Manual. Pearson Longman.
❑ Morley David & Philip Neilson. The Cambridge Companion to Creative
Writing. Cambridge University Press. 2012.
❑ Cuddon J. A. rev. C. E. Preston. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms
and Literary Theory. Penguin Books.

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