POETRY I. Q. TEST

1. Poetry is so personal that it does not have to

make sense to another reader or have a

meaning for anyone other than the person

who wrote it.

2. Poems cannot be revised because they are

inspired by intense feeling.

3. Poetry was meant to rhyme. That’s the very

definition of poetry!

4. Poetry is always easier to write than prose.

5. You cannot be taught how to write poetry; it is just

a natural-born talent that some people have and

others don’t.

6. Distinguished poetry is too “deep” to be

understood by “normal” readers.

7. Poetry is only meaningful if it is put to music.

8. Poetry is something you "get" or you don't; you

cannot "aquire a taste" for poetry.

THREE BASIC KINDS OF POETRY

VERSE—poetry that has a rhyme scheme and has a consistent meter

BLANK VERSE—poetry that has a consistent meter but no rhyme scheme

FREE VERSE—poetry that has no rhyme scheme and no meter

A sonnet is a lyric poem of

fourteen lines, typically

written in iambic

pentameter and usually

following strict patterns

of stanza division and

rhyme.

SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET

Consists of three quatrains (four line stanzas)

followed by a couplet (pair of rhyming lines)

The rhyme pattern is usually abab, cdcd, efef, gg

The rhyming couplet usually answers the

questions or brings a conclusion to the issues

presented in the first three stanzas.

PETRARCHAN SONNET

Consists of two stanzas, one eight-line octave and the six-line sestet

The rhyme pattern is usually abbaabba, cdecde

or abbaabba, cdcdcd

The sestet usually answers the questions or brings a conclusion to the issues presented in the octave.

Ballads are short narrative poems with stanzas of two or four lines and usually a refrain.

The story can originate from a wide range of subject matter, but usually deals with folk-lore or popular legends.

An ode is a lyric poem.

Most odes usually

celebrate a person,

a place, a thing, or

an event. Others

express more

personal reflections.

CLASSIC ODES Classic or traditional odes are usually written in a

dignified manner and are typically serious in tone and style. They are written in formal stanza patterns and include rhymes.

Examples:

Keats’ “Ode to a Grecian Urn”

Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind”

MODERN ODES Modern odes take a fresh look at ordinary,

everyday objects and generally are not governed by the strict rhyme patterns of classic odes.

Examples: “Ode to Pablo’s Tennis Shoes” by Gary Soto

“Ode to a Dressmaker’s Dummy” by Donald Justice

“Ode to My Socks” by Pablo Neruda

An epic is a long narrative

poem written in a

dignified style that

celebrates the

adventures and

achievements of a

heroic figure of legend,

history, or religion.

POETRY SLAM

A poetry slam is a competition of original poetry judged on content and performance by select members of the audience. "Patrons can expect to be delightfully engaged at an event filled with high energy and passion along with a variety of individual poetic expressions ranging from humor or love to personal intrigue or social challenges," says HBO Def Poet and Dallas Poetry Slam organizer and host, Roderick "Rock Baby" Goudy.