Poetry is a form of literary art which uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meanings.
Poetry has a long history. Early poems evolved from folk songs or from a need to retell oral epics. Ancient attempts to define poetry, focused on the uses of speech. Later attempts concentrated on features such as repetition, verse form and rhyme. From the mid-20th century, poetry has sometimes been more generally regarded as a fundamental creative act employing language.
Poetry uses forms and conventions to suggest differential interpretation to words, or to evoke emotive responses. Devices such as assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhythm are sometimes used to achieve musical effects. The use of ambiguity, symbolism, and irony often leaves a poem open to multiple interpretations. Similarly figures of speech such as metaphor and simile create a resonance between otherwise disparate images—a layering of meanings, forming connections previously not perceived.
Some poetry types are specific to particular cultures and genres and respond to characteristics of the language in which the poet writes. Much modern poetry reflects a critique of poetic tradition, playing with and testing, among other things, the principle of euphony itself, sometimes altogether forgoing rhyme or set rhythm. In today's increasingly globalised world, poets often adapt forms, styles and techniques from diverse cultures and languages.
For a complete listing and explanation of the various poetic forms please click here.
Poetry has a long history. Early poems evolved from folk songs or from a need to retell oral epics. Ancient attempts to define poetry, focused on the uses of speech. Later attempts concentrated on features such as repetition, verse form and rhyme. From the mid-20th century, poetry has sometimes been more generally regarded as a fundamental creative act employing language.
Poetry uses forms and conventions to suggest differential interpretation to words, or to evoke emotive responses. Devices such as assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhythm are sometimes used to achieve musical effects. The use of ambiguity, symbolism, and irony often leaves a poem open to multiple interpretations. Similarly figures of speech such as metaphor and simile create a resonance between otherwise disparate images—a layering of meanings, forming connections previously not perceived.
Some poetry types are specific to particular cultures and genres and respond to characteristics of the language in which the poet writes. Much modern poetry reflects a critique of poetic tradition, playing with and testing, among other things, the principle of euphony itself, sometimes altogether forgoing rhyme or set rhythm. In today's increasingly globalised world, poets often adapt forms, styles and techniques from diverse cultures and languages.
For a complete listing and explanation of the various poetic forms please click here.
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