Elements of Poetry There are several elements which make up a good poem. In brief, they are described below.

Rhythm: This is the music made by the statements of the poem, which includes the syllables in the lines. The best method of understanding this is to read the poem aloud. Listen for the sounds and the music made when we hear the lines spoken aloud. How do the words resonate with each other? How do the words flow when they are linked with one another? Does sound right? Do the words fit with each other? These are the things you consider while studying the rhythm of the poem. Meter: This is the basic structural make-up of the poem. Do the syllables match with each other? Every line in the poem must adhere to this structure. A poem is made up of blocks of lines, which convey a single strand of thought. Within those blocks, a structure of syllables which follow the rhythm has to be included. This is the meter or the metrical form of poetry. Rhyme: A poem may or may not have a rhyme. When you write poetry that has rhyme, it means that the last words of the lines match with each other in some form. Either the last words of the first and second lines would rhyme with each other or the first and the third, second and the fourth and so on. Rhyme is basically similar sounding words like cat and hat , close and shows , house and mouse etc. Free verse poetry, though, does not follow this system. Alliteration: This is also used in several poems for sound effect. Several words in the sentence may begin with the same alphabet or syllable sound. For example, in the sentence "Many minute miniature moments," the sound of the alphabet M is repeated in all the four words continuously. When you say those words aloud, the sound effect generated is called Alliteration. Simile: A simile is a method of comparison using the words like or as . When, in a poem, something is said to be like another it means that the poet is using Simile to convey his feelings about what (s)he is describing. For example, in the statement Her laughter was like a babbling brook , the poet is comparing the laughter of the girl to the sound made by a babbling brook. Note that babbling brook is an example of Alliteration. Metaphor: A metaphor is a method of comparison where the words like and as are not used. To modify the earlier example, if the statement used had been something like Her laughter, a babbling brook , then it would be the use of Metaphor. Theme: This is what the poem is all about. The theme of the poem is the central idea that the poet wants to convey. It can be a story, or a thought, or a description of something or someone anything which is what the poem is all about. Symbolism: Often poems will convey ideas and thoughts using symbols. A symbol can stand for many things at one time and leads the reader out of a systematic and structured method of looking at things.

Often a symbol used in the poem will be used to create such an effect. Conclusion These are the basic elements of poetry. They are an essential part of what any good poem is all about, structurally. Of course, it does not mean, that all poems must have all these elements. It depends entirely upon the poet, who is has all these tools at his disposal, to use in order to convey his ideas most effectively.

1. Author Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) Emily Dickinson was born on Dec 10 Amherst,
1

1830

in

Massachusetts.

Though

Dickinson poems, her life household

wrote nearly 1800(1775 have been know) only 7 of them were published during time. She attended almost exclusively to chores and to writing poetry. Here I will show her life from 3 aspects: The family:

Emily was the second child of her family. There were an older brother Austin2, and a younger sister Lavinia. Her father named Edward Dickinson was lawyer and treasurer of the local college. He also served in Congress. Dickinson's mother, whose name was also Emily Norcross, was a cold, religious, hardworking housewife, who suffered from depression. Her relationship with her daughter was distant. In one of the letter Dickinson had wrote to her friend, she said: I never have a mother! The absence of mother s love might have caused some of Emily's eccentricity. The education:

1 2

Some one said it was 10 poems. Some book wrote his name was William.

As the granddaughter of one of the founders of Amherst College, and the daughter of a prominent politician, Dickinson had the benefit of receiving the excellent education. She studied philosophy, the Latin language, and the science of plants and rocks. After attended the Amherst Academy (1834-47), Emily left for the South Hadley Female Seminary3 (1834-47) where she started to compose poems. Dickinson s training in science help her in accurate observation in her later life, whether about the plants animals or human being. The study in science also gave her logical thinking ability which is important for a poet. The emotional life: Emily never married. Her emotional life was mysterious. But two important men must be listed in her emotion life Reverend Charles Wadsworth and Samuel Bowles, editor of the Springfield Republican. On her trip to Philadelphia, Emily met Wadsworth, and then they become dearest earthly friend . She also addressed many poems to Samuel Bowles, who was the sources of her inspiration and guidance. Unfortunately, in1861-62 Wadsworth had moved to San Francisco and Bowles disappointed her by traveling in 1861 to Europe. These were really big blows for her. It is still not known if she ever fully recovered. Emily Dickinson died on May 15 1886 at the age of 55, from what is described as bright s disease which is not truly a disease but a term that was used for a collection of medical symptoms, including kidney disease and hypertension. On her death bed she told her sister to burn all of her poems. So her sister had the poems published, and then burned the originals! Emily Dickinson has become part of our language without really being part of our history. Some see her as the last poet of an early American tradition. Others see her as the first modern American poet. Each reader seems to find a different Emily Dickinson. She remains as mysterious as she was when she was alive.
3

currently Mount Holyoke College

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Form Rhythm Rhyme Figurative language Imagery mood Theme Hope is frail, but strong. The words feathers and little show the frail physical side to the bird and hope. But hope, like the bird, cannot be defeated. It can survive any climate or extremity, no matter how severe. Hope never fades. Hope always appears in the soul, no matter what the crisis. Dickinson shows this in the fourth line: and never stopsat all. Hope is faithful. Hope is unselfish Hope never asks for anything in return, not even a crumb Hope is brave and fearless. The bravery of the bird is evident because it shows up in all climates, whether stormy or chilly. This shows that hope will always appear, no matter how much danger or despair torments the human spirit. Dickinson rejoices that hope is always present The use of an endless song to stand for hope is a form of celebration.

9. Rhetorical figures 10. Prosody 11. Style Analogy: Analogy is a parallel situation which continues over a number of lines. In this poem, the bird stands for hope. The words feathers, perches, sings, and crumb show that the bird image continues throughout the poem. Analogy is a form of continuous comparison. Symbol: The bird is also a symbol for the optimism of the soul, as it refuses to surrender to despair. Contrast: The sweet sound of the bird contrasts with the harsh sounds of the storm or gale. Sore and sweetest are a good example of dissimilarity or contrast. Punctuation: Dashes allow the reader time to think and feel, like after the first line. The reader tries hard to imagine feathers stuck to hope. This seems weird until the words perches and sings reveal the image of a bird. The dashes create the impression of a struggling voice, as if a violent wind is carrying some of the words away from the listeners ear. The dashes help to make the poets voice in the poem seem remote or

distant, as if she is speaking from another dimension. Simple diction: Even though the word order is strange, most of the words are simple. They consist mainly of one or sometimes two syllables. The first stanza illustrates this. The simple diction or word choice shows the down-to-earth nature of hope. The only word, extremity, that breaks this pattern is a good word choice because it shows the difficulties that hope can overcome. Tone: There are tones of mystery, respect, praise and amazement. Overall, the tone or attitude of the poet is reassuring. Atmosphere: There are some frightening and creepy images of harsh climates, like strangest sea, in the poem. But the bird and hope overcome this and provide an optimistic mood overall. Dickinson succeeds in creating a haunting atmosphere with the wordless tune of the bird and its sudden arrival as it perches in the soul. Alliteration: Phrases like strangest Sea and without the words create music in the poem and strengthen the impact of the images. 12.