Aspiring Poetry: Through Famous and Classic Forms

By Russell T. Rodrigo Ed.D

Will it all be about your fantasies?
Or about old poems from old centuries?
Sitting in a new class named “poetry”,
You wonder how things would turn out to be.

Happy or Sad. Silly or Serious. Lively or Calm. Whatever mood you are in, you can never go wrong with poem writing. This book will guide you through time, history, and the mystical path of the world of poetry.
Here you will find:
User friendly guide to create your own poems
Poems structures from famous forms to traditional
Famous poems and a thorough analysis (Shakespeare, Milton, Keats, etc.)
Unique poems from unique poets you have never seen before
This book is a brilliant friend to keep by your side whenever you want to read, immerse yourself in, or create your own poems. Grab your pen or open your laptop. Prepare your creative mind. We are going to turn your thoughts into a wonderful piece of art!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669810902

Book preview

Aspiring Poetry

Through Famous

and

Classic Forms

Russell T. Rodrigo, Ed.D

Copyright © 2022 by Russell T. Rodrigo, Ed.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 02/14/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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Contents

Preface

Chapter 1 Into the Poetry World

What is poetry?

Why read poems?

How to read poems?

Types of poetry

Steps of how to read poems

Comprehension Check Questions

Chapter 2 Famous Forms

Lyric

Limerick

Sonnet

Haiku

Chapter 3 Classic Forms

Tercet

Villanelle

Rondeau

Ode

Glossary

Answer Keys

References

Acknowledgement

Dedication

To those who inspired it

aspired it

and dreaded it

Preface

You are in a classroom full of strangers, new to the course or program, wondering what your poetry class could be. Is it going to be another dull, boring class where your professor asks you to read poems written by famous poets in the older centuries? Poets, whose’ lives do not matter to you because you are enrolled into the course not to become a poet but merely wanting to pass. It will be a bonus point if you end up liking it and eventually write your own poems. Here you are, anxious, clueless about what to expect, and already debating whether to drop the course even before the first hour of the class commences.

Many university students enroll in poetry for three reasons; one, because they love literature and poetry and that they think it is the language of their soul; second, because it is a requirement; and third, perhaps, it is the easiest and the least challenging option left on their prospectus. Now, spend a few seconds. Which of the three reasons why you are sitting in this course? If it is the first, welcome! Poetry class warmly welcomes you and that your professor has higher expectations of you. If it is the second or the third, brace yourselves! Enjoy the bumpy ride as you are about to get yourself introduced into the world of poetry lexicons, measurements, rhyme schemes, literary and sound devices, and examples of poems written by famous authors since the dawn of poetry. That sounds rigid and boring, doesn’t it?

Whether your reason for being into this course is any of the three, behold! This book takes you on a beautiful journey of getting to know famous forms of poetry not by established authors alone but by students like you. Do you want me to repeat that? Yes, poems made by students like you. Poems that are written in your age and time, more realistic, more relatable.

You will be introduced to different forms of poems through the lenses of young aspiring poets your age. We will unlock and discover ways how to put your thoughts into words, study their rhyme scheme and form, meaning, and value.

Poetry has been underrated. You might think it is only found on Shakespeare’s antiques, towering, and intimidating shelves in old libraries! Look around. Everything you see on the wall, on advertisements, company slogans, and even the captions you read and write on your social media pages have all the elements of poetry!

So, are you ready for this ride? Sit down, relax, enjoy, and put your thirsty heart into words!

CHAPTER 1

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Into the Poetry World

Chapter 1 Into the Poetry World

Objectives

At the end of this chapter, you are expected to:

1. Explore the meaning and benefits of reading and writing poems

2. Identify different figurative languages, measurements, and rhyme schemes

What is poetry?

Poetry is a literary genre with rhythm, concise expression, diversified structure and is often used to reflect life and express emotion. Poetry is one of the earliest forms of literature. It originated in human society before there were written words, widespread in the form of spoken language and combined with music and dance. The earliest poems date back to prehistoric hunting poems in Africa. The early poems include the Ancient Chinese folk song Book of Songs, Pyramidal inscriptions found in African pyramids built in the 25th century BC, The Epic of Gilgamesh in The Mesopotamian civilization of West Asia, Veda in Sanskrit literature, Khasa in Zoroastrian literature, Homer’s epic poems, the Iliad, and the Odyssey. Aristotle’s Poetics attempted to define poetry, focusing primarily on rhetoric and the diction usage in drama, song, and comedy (Francis, 2017).

Later, people think that poetry can be changed, as well as the format and rhythm requirements of words and paragraphs, and emphasize the beauty of poetry, called rhyme, to distinguish it from prose. By the middle of the 20th century, the definition of poetry had become looser, that is, basic writing in the language. Poetry can stand on its own or be combined with other arts, such as verse plays, lyrics, or prose poems. Words set to music are called songs. Poetry combines observation, consciousness, etc., expressed in formal or informal, rhythmic forms. Poetry expresses a wide range of content and emotions, including narrative, dramatic, ironic, admonitive, erotic, and personal forms. Poetry does not only express the author’s thoughts and emotions but also reflects society and culture. While poetry forms can be free, there are traditional poems that require a particular form and pattern. Poetry often uses certain images and techniques to give words meaning beyond their surface or to evoke emotional resonance (Creely, 2019).

Why read poems?

Poetry is not an expressed opinion. It is a song from a wound or a laughing mouth by Gibran (n.d., as cited in Ying, 2020). Poetry is one of the most important forms of literature since it has its unique charm and contains rich spiritual and historical values. Now, in the age of technology, it is rare for people to have a poetic moment in nature due to reinforced concrete and pressures. So,