Components and Elements of Poetry

Poetry contains specific components (line, stanza, meter) as well as important elements (rhythm, rhyme, form, and diction). Each of these components and elements define and organize poetry into something tangible. This post is by no means an exhaustive look at the components and elements of poetry but a simple look at how a poem functions.

Components

The important components of poetry are line, stanza, and meter. A line in a poem is the basic structure of a poem. It is not necessarily a complete sentence and can be arranged in various different ways depending on the poem. For instance, one of my favorite poets is E.E. Cummings. The lines of his poems can start at any position on the page, and he uses this visual impact to enhance his poetry. A line should work as a unit of speech and should begin and end with strong words. The first line should not only introduce your poem, but it should also grab the attention of the reader so avoid too many pronouns and definite articles like a, an, and the. The length of a line may help express feelings or evoke moods. If you want to create a sense of drama in a poem, then use shorter lines. If you want to create intense emotion, then use longer lines. The last line of a poem should be as powerful as the first because you want to leave the reader satisfied, startled, or with questions.

Stanzas are a group of one or more lines that make up a poem and act much like a paragraph with a main idea and a consistent theme. Stanzas signal a shift in the scene, a shift in focus, a shift in mood, a shift in time, or a pause. The pattern of stanzas can vary, and it must be both pleasing to the ear and to the eyes. Some poetry have only one stanza while others can go on and on in epic form. Depending on the kind of poem you are writing (like a couplet, a triplet, or a quatrain) will often determine the number of lines in a stanzas. For example, a Cinquain and a Limerick traditionally have five lines.

Meter is the emphasis in a line. It is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that make up a line of poetry. Meter is essential and gives regularity to a poem. The most common types of meter are iambic, trochaic, anapestic, and dactylic. 

Examples of meter:

Iambic has an emphasis on the second syllable foot. An iambic tetrameter has four iambic feet per line giving it eight syllables per line.

Example: to DAY, a DAY

Trochaic (pronounced Tro-CHEE) has an emphasis on the first syllable of a two syllable foot. A trochaic tetrameter has four two syllable feet giving it a total of eight syllables per line. 

Example: TIMing, TIME me

Anapestic has an emphasis on the third syllable in a three syllable foot. An anapestic tetrameter has four feet with three syllables with a total of twelve syllables per line.

Example: in a FORM

Dactylic has an emphasis on the first syllable of a three syllable foot. A dactyllic tetrameter has four feet containing three syllables each giving it twelve syllables per line.

Dactyl: CAL endar

Elements

The elements of poetry include rhythm, rhyme, form, and diction. Rhythm is the movement, repetition, and pattern of sound in a poem. It is the part of the poem that is easily discerned by ear and often heightens the emotional intensity. Rhythm is the heartbeat of a poem. It is what we sing and dance to. It is the defining element that separates poetry from prose.

Rhyme is the sound that similar vowels make and where the final consonant sound is in agreement. Rhyming is one of those elements I dare to experiment with in many of my poetry. I have a great appreciation for perfect rhymes, but I also take delight in free rhyme, where there is a close similarity in sound but not exact. It not only gives my poetry distinction, but also challenges some of the traditional notions of rhyming and gives a different impact to the emotion in the poetry.

Form is all of the structural components of a poem. It includes the rhythms, rhymes, stanzas, meter, and repetition found in the poem. In a way, it is the shape of the poem. The form of a poem determines the kind of poem it is. For example, an acrostic is a poem that uses the first letter of each line to spell out a word or phrase. It is this form that defines it as an acrostic.

Diction is the word choice and the order of the words in a poem. It is a combination of vocabulary and syntax. In a poem, language is used in a way that ordinary language can become complicated because there are so many different meanings to consider.

Verbs in Poetry

One way to improve a poem is to make the verbs more active. An active verb is a verb with more depth, more punch, and is more visual. If you have a problem poem that you are working on that does not seem to have the impact you desire, simply change the verbs. I usually use a thesaurus to look for verbs (and words) that have the meaning and impact needed. Below is a link to a worksheet I have used many times over the years to enhance the verbs in my poetry. It is a simple table where, on the left side, I list the problem verbs found in the poem I'm working on and, on the right side, I list more active verbs that will make a better substitute. Then I change the verbs in the poem until I have the result I'm looking for.

Download a free interactive and printable .pdf form to practice active verbs by clicking on this link.

What is Poetry?

What is poetry? Poetry is an art form that predates the written word. It was used as a means of recording oral history and may have had its origins in song. The oldest surviving poems, like Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, were meant to be recited along with music. These poems were long narratives, known as epic poetry, and usually centered on heroic deeds. For example, the Iliad was an epic account of the Trojan War. According to Greek mythology, the Greeks laid siege to Troy for ten years after the Trojan prince, Paris, kidnapped the Spartan queen, Helen. In the Iliad, the story centered on the heroic deeds of both the Greeks and the Trojans during the war. In the Odyssey, the story follows the hero Odysseus on his way home to Ithaca after the Trojan War.

Since the ancient period, defining exactly what poetry is and what determines good poetry has been debated. Plutarch described poetry as “painting that speaks.” Poetry uses language and prose that conveys a meaning and a purpose but can also be interpreted differently by different readers. Vocabulary is used to “paint” a story or express a particular emotion. For the ancients, the study of poetry revealed that it is a distinctive form of art, and they struggled for a definition that completely encompassed the aesthetics of poetry. Throughout the following centuries to the modern era, the definition of poetry continued to be elusive and interpreted as an art form that uses words as a creative means of expression. In general, poets are very careful about choosing words for a poem. Poets consider the clarity of the word, the emotional value, the spacing, and the spatial relationship of the word to the page. There is a beauty and significance when using the right word. In short, vocabulary can make or break a poem.

Determining what makes a good poem versus a bad poem is even more elusive than defining poetry. Poetry can be historical, fantasy, comical, tragic. Poets have a gift of communicating a thought with vocabulary and verse. By comparing great works of poetry over the centuries, we can get an impression of what makes a poem great. It is no coincidence that the best poetry stirs the emotions and can influence an entire culture, but the truest test of what makes a poem great is if it can stand the test of time. To be a good poet, you must first understand the mechanics behind poetry. Vocabulary plays a significant role, but poetry also contains many elements (rhythm, rhyme, form, and diction) as well as specific components (line, stanza, and meter), each of which will be discussed in future blog posts.

A Mythical Man from Expectations

One of my favorite subjects to write about is the expectations we often put on the opposite sex and on romance.  We all have these ideas of what a perfect mate would be and the characteristics that this person should have.  Often these ideas are unrealistic.  In the poem “A Mythical Man,” I explore this theme using mythology to reinforce the belief that the perfect man does not exist except in fantasy.

In the first stanza, I compare the perfect man with Theseus.  In Greek mythology, Theseus was an Athenian hero who fought the Minotaur, a monster who was half-bull and half-human and lived in a maze on the island of Crete.  Love-sick Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos, helped Theseus to escape the labyrinth of the Minotaur by giving him a ball of string.  Theseus defeated the Minotaur and Ariadne led him to a ship and they ran away together.  I chose Theseus to represent the brave aspect of the perfect man.  In the poem, I long for a man courageous like Theseus who will rescue me from a life without love. 

In the second stanza, I compare the perfect man to Hercules who was notorious for his strength.  Having a strong man to protect you is one of those things that women have been told that they need from a man.  For some women, having a chiseled man with six-pack abs is what they look for when choosing a mate, and they do not bother looking beyond the superficial (but that is a topic for another day).  In mythology, Hercules was the epitome of strength because he was the son of Zeus.  His twelve labors were legendary and each of the labors demonstrated his strength, which made him a perfect candidate for “A Mythical Man.”

In the third stanza, I praise the intelligent man by comparing him with Plato.  I used Plato in this poem even though he was a historical figure and not a mythical one.  I used him because of his work on Symposium.  In this dialogue, Plato explores the meaning of love, another favorite theme of mine. The speeches in the dialogue attempt to answer the question “what is love?”  Some of the conclusions and speeches in Symposium are hilarious.  Some of the answers are poignant and close to defining love, but it is Socrates’s speech that clinches the meaning.  The speech I love the most is the one by Aristophanes.  It’s a satire, but I can’t help but love the idea that I have a mate who shares my soul.  I think it’s a romantic idea.  To me, it explains that yearning we have to keep searching until we find that other part of our souls.  The Symposium is a great piece of literature and well worth picking up.

In the final stanza, I compare the perfect man to Homer who is credited for composing two of the greatest epics in ancient history, the Iliad and the Odyssey.  The language and imagery of the Iliad and the Odyssey transforms the story of the Trojan War and Odysseus’s journey back to Ithaca into a poetic epic that comes alive for the reader.  When Homer describes the battles, you can almost hear the swords clash; and when Odysseus travels to Hades, you can imagine yourself there with him interviewing Agamemnon.  Both epics are masterpieces of poetry, which is why I chose Homer as the example of a poetic man. 

The perfect man for me would be brave, strong, intelligent, and poetic.  He would rescue me from a life of loneliness and protect me from the world.  He would be well-read, intelligent, and articulate.  He would know the right thing to say and fill my life with beauty and poetry.  I doubt that such a creature exists and not because I believe that men cannot possess such gifts, but because we are all fallible human beings.  None of us are perfect.  In choosing a mate, it would be a mistake to concentrate on perfection because that leads to disappointment.

You don’t have to have a deep understanding of Greek mythology to appreciate this poem, but it does help to grasp the subtle meanings conveyed in the poem.  To learn more about Greek mythology, visit your local library and check out a book by Edith Wharton and/or Joseph Campbell.  Some of the best stories written were penned by the ancient Greeks.  They really understood the human experience.

To learn more about me and my writings visit my website.  If there are any specific poems you want me to discuss, then drop me an email.

Happy reading!!

The book trailer to Expectations: