Overview
This lecture explores the elusive definition of poetry, highlighting its varied forms, characteristics, and the blurred boundaries between poetry, prose, song, and art.
Defining Poetry
- Muhammad Ali delivered what is claimed to be the shortest poem: "Me, we."
- The definition of a poem is debated, with poets using metaphors like "machine," "firework," and "dream."
- Poetry is difficult to pin down with a single definition.
Recognizable Characteristics of Poetry
- Poems emphasize musical qualities of language, like rhyme, rhythm, and meter.
- Poetry uses condensed language, expressing meaning with few words.
- Intense feelings are often central to poetry.
Forms and Evolution of Poetry
- Early poems used rhythm to aid memory before writing existed.
- Poems need not be lyrical; visual poems like Döhl's “Apfel” and Gomringer's "silencio" combine art and poetry.
- E.E. Cummings created poems where shape and visual arrangement amplify meaning.
Poetry, Song, and Prose
- Debate exists about whether song lyrics are poems; some lyrics stand as poetry even without music.
- Rap incorporates rhyme, rhythm, and vivid imagery, making the poetic form inseparable from the content.
- Line breaks are traditionally part of poetry, but prose poems use poetic devices in paragraph form.
Poetry in Unexpected Places
- Poetic language appears in spiritual hymns, oratory, and even tweets, such as those from journalist Joanna Smith during Haiti's earthquake.
- Haiku, an ancient Japanese form, uses three lines with a specific syllable pattern for brief intensity.
The Blurring Boundaries
- The lines between poetry, prose, music, and visual art continue to blur.
- Poetry is rooted in the Greek word "poiesis," meaning "to create."
- Poets shape language to express unique human experiences.
Human vs. Machine in Poetry
- Researchers found that humans can always distinguish between poetry written by people and by artificial intelligence.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Rhyme — Repetition of similar-sounding words, often at line ends.
- Rhythm — Pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in language.
- Meter — Structured rhythm in a poem.
- Prose poem — A poem written in paragraphs, using poetic language and images.
- Haiku — Japanese poetic form with three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables.
- Poiesis — Greek root meaning "to create."
Action Items / Next Steps
- Reflect on what elements make a text poetic.
- Explore examples of poems, prose poems, and song lyrics for poetic qualities.
- Consider writing your own poem experimenting with form, sound, and imagery.