Poetry

Today, as I was flipping through Sound and Sense, I came across the nursery rhyme "Little Jack Horner." Its placement within the work, as well as the songs we've been looking at in class lately, made me contemplate a bit on what exactly constitutes poetry. It's interesting that so many forms of expression can fit under the same blanket term: songs, free verse, rhyme. Is a poem a poem because it uses literary devices? Has a specific meter or rhyme scheme? I'm not sure, for I can think of exceptions to most qualifications. Is something simply a poem because someone calls it such?

Who knows. Perrine can't even tell; he does not include the term in the glossary. Perhaps the word, like much poetry, is up to interpretation.

Comments

[Theresa Y.]

hmmm...if a poem's a poem cuz it uses literary devices, than basically anything we say or write is a poem. We use hyperboles, personification, irony, and that m term (mychetomy?? I've got no idea how to spell it) all the time.

I think though, a poem is trying to get across a message, or some type of universal truth/feeling.

but wait a sec, that's not always true. There are haikus just about flowers.

Haley, good question, I'm just as confused as you.

[Annie S.]

Poetry to me means a piece of literature that is open to interpretation. Something that has so many different meanings and can viewed from so many angles. But it is interesting that so many things fit under the term poetry. As long as there is more than one meaning I think you can constitute it as poetry.

[Dan T.]

My definition of art is that it has to be beautiful or clever. Beautiful art holds value in the experience of viewing/reading/etc. the art. "Clever" art has value in the ideas or truths it suggests.

The haikus just about flowers are not clever, because they do not suggest some universal truth, but the language is beautiful so they count as art.

I think poetry, as art, must have these qualities. But beyond that, there aren't too many guidelines. We talk about poetic language in prose, so I don't think it's limited to any specific format. All I can say for now is that it's art in word form, although maybe that's also too specific...

[Jennie L]

I think Dan's interpretation of art as a whole is very interesting. It makes me think about abstract art. I have not studied art but what I always think about when I go to the musium and see art that some may respond to with "that looks like a 3 year old made it" is this...
True, valid abstract art is art composed by people who know a lot about art and have mastered various techniques and are now challenging the classic techniques. They can go against the rules only because they know what all the rules are and have figured out how to follow them.

[Jake R]

I like Jennie's take on Dan's view. When I first thought of beautiful art, abstract art didn't pop into my head, but if you try to think of abstract poetry there can be so many different kinds of things that if someone wants to call it poetry, it pretty much can be. Other people may disagree, but countless others may say that it is poetry and it just becomes accepted as poetry.

[ben L]

Good call lets get Perrine. I think that there are certain schemas we all have of whats good art. I believe in a very traditional style. But I think that abstract or any modern art is also beutiful. Beuty is in the eye of the beholder.