The Cockroach Haiku’s (or Hokku)

Commentary:

The haiku is a Japanese tercet; its lines consist of 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively. In my first book of poetry, I did several of them; to be proper, the lines are unrhymed, I say proper in the sense of how the poem was meant to be.

We can add to this hardship, short poem, by adding the name of a longer Haiku, called Tanka. Here we add two additional lines. Thus, making a chain, and now we got five lines; the two extra lines have seven syllables each. I have done these poems in the past (not naming them Tanka, but they were). This part of the poem should revolve smoothly with the above three lines.

There are always exceptions to the policy, is that not true, and in my case, it is good, because I do not like to be locked into form, to where it robs effect, and emotion. Thus, we have the Enclosed Tercet, that allows rhyme (aba)) usually)). Then we have the Sicilian Tercet, this also allows rhyme, iambic pentameter.

We can also go to the Triad, a loose Irish form. I’m part Irish, so this can come in handy. Here we have three tercets, all bearing some relationship to each other, and all consisting to be one poem. Then you see Siluk’s Haiku, and that is another story. We have several linking poems, some with a slight rhyme to it, others not, the lines are 17-syllables, and usually I like them 7, 5, 5 –not always though. (there are other forms of haiku I have not mentioned, Chinese, etc., and I think the main purpose of the haiku, or poem (or any poem for that matter), is to insure it is readable to the reader (if not a specific group in mind, for some poems are so difficult, you need a combination to unlock them). Light it may be, or hard and heavy. Here it is lighthearted, but much truth to it.

The Cockroach Haiku’s

(The poems)

Cockroach I

Now listen, you Cockroaches–

don’t tell the thieves–

where I live!

#1639

Cockroach II

Leaping from my neighbor’s yard

“Excuse me,” he said,

“Where is the damn bread?”

#1640

Cockroach III

The night is so long and hot,

Here the cockroach rests

By my bedroom door!…

#1641

Cockroach IV

Fatty cockroach, please stand still

Dennis is coming

(where are my glasses?)

#1642

Cockroach V

The old fat cockroach, he bends

His fat little knees

Listening for me.

#1643

Cockroach VI

Cockroach, cockroach please beware

I’m stepping down

These hard wooden stairs.

#1644

Cockroach VII

Since it is summer and hot

Can we not, have some–

Cockroach courtesy?

#1644

(1-30-2007))Written in the evening, while in Lima, Peru)) Commentary added 1-31-2007, and poems restructured.

Critical appreciation of a poem is defined as the critical reading of a poem. The meaning of its words, its rhyme, scheme, the speaker, figures of speech, the references to other works (intertextuality), the style of language, the general writing style of the poet ( if mentioned), the genre, the context, the tone of the speaker and such other elements make up the critical reading or appreciation. It does not mean criticising the poem. A critical appreciation helps in a better understanding of the verse.

• Meaning- Read the poem more than once to get a clear idea of what the speaker is trying to say. Look up the meanings of difficult or unusual words in a thesaurus. The title of the poem is a key to the general meaning and summary of the thought presented. A poem might be about lost love, ‘Lucy’ (Wordsworth).
• Rhyme Scheme- Find the rhyming words. These occur at the end of each line. Rhyming words might be present in the middle of the line also. Mark the rhyme scheme. For example, if rhyming words occur at the end of each line alternatively in a poem of 4 lines, the rhyme scheme will be ‘a b a b’. In the poem, ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ by Robert Frost, the second stanza goes like this:

“My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year… “

In these lines, the rhyme scheme is ‘a a b b’

In several poems, there are no rhymes. Such a poem is called a blank verse.

• Speaker- Identify the speaker of the poem. It can be a child, an elderly, a shepherd, a swordsman, a student, a milkmaid, a sailor, an animal or even an object like a chair or a place like a house or a mountain. Each Speaker will speak differently.
• Setting- Every poem has a specific setting. It might be a ship or a modern condominium. The setting is the background of the poem and contributes to its meaning. For example, the setting of a pastoral is very likely to be a grazing ground for a flock of ship. The setting of Eliot’s ‘Preludes’ is a modern city with its people leading a mechanical life. The words also convey the same sense.

“And short square fingers stuffing pies,

And evening newspapers, and eyes,

Assured of certain certainties… “

• Context- The context gives us the time and location of the poem. It is what prompted the poem. The context might be an event of great political significance like the French Revolution. It prompted P.B. Shelley’s famous, “Ode to the West Wind.” The poem beautifully upholds the spirit of the revolution and heralded the dawn of a new age.
• Language- The language of a poem is the very vehicle of its thoughts and ideas. Study the language in terms of the use of figures of speech, its tone, use of loan words or archaic words, length of sentences, the rhythm (meters- iambic, Trochaic or any other), number of lines etc. Note the introduction of new ideas and mark the place where it occurs. For example, in the poem, ‘The lamb’ by William Blake, the lamb refers to both the baby sheep, the little boy who is the speaker and the Lamb of God. Here the word, “lamb” is a metaphor.
• Intertextuality- While writing the critical appreciation of a poem, we notice that another poem is alluded or looked back upon. This is called intertextuality or reference. For example, Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury Tales’ allude to Boccaccio’s ‘Decameron’ in its structure of people narrating stories during a journey.
• Genre- Genre roughly means the category of the poem. Each genre has set rules and characteristics. For example, a very long narrative poem, running into a several thousands of lines, dealing with divine figures or demi-gods or great generals of the past and describing a terrible war or an incredible journey on which the fate of humanity rests can be termed as epic. For example, the ‘Iliad’ (Homer), ‘Paradise Lost’ (J. Milton) and such poems. A short poem of 14 lines expressing intimate emotions is a ‘sonnet’. For example, ‘Let me not to the marriage of true minds’ (Shakespeare) is a sonnet extolling real love and devotion. There are several genre- satire, mock-epic, ballad, lyric, ode, parody etc.

Writing poems to get your boyfriend is not a bad idea. It will give you the chance to tell him how you feel and be creative at the same time. Poems take time to write and he would really appreciate the effort and be impressed because you really took the time to write something special.

If you want to write poems to get your boyfriend back, here are a few tips to remember.

1. Be expressive but not needy

You want to express your feelings but at the same time you don’t want to come across as needy or desperate. Even in a letter or a poem, being needy is not very attractive. Be sure that you’re not begging him to come back to you because this will only push him away. Remember that you can’t force someone to love you and come back to you even if it is written in a poem. The best you can do is try to express your true feelings and hope that he appreciates your efforts.

2. Avoid anger and accusations

You’re feeling hurt and betrayed but it’s not something you should write in your poem. Don’t blame him for the things he did eons ago just because he refuses to forgive you at once. Instead, include how sorry you are in your poem and tell him you understand and agree with the breakup. Let him know that you accept his decision to part ways. Being accepting is more impressive and appealing than being desperate.

3. It doesn’t have to rhyme

If you’re practically pulling your hair out because you can’t make it rhyme, don’t worry. Rhyming is optional when you are writing your poem to your ex boyfriend. Did you know that a lot of modern poems have very little rhyming? What you can focus on instead is write what you feel and use comparisons to give him a picture on your feelings and thoughts.

4. Think about your mistakes

If you’re going to write a sorry poem to your ex then you need to sit down and think about what you’ve done to push him away. Let him know that you’re aware of your mistakes and don’t make excuses for them. He’s going to be more impressed and feel touched because you took the time to write your apology in a poem.

5. Find a quiet place

Poems can take time and effort so to help clear your mind try to find a quiet place and jot down ideas if you’re having difficulty starting. Or just writing about what comes to mind can also work because it can be liberating. Just be sure that your poem doesn’t portray your anger and bitterness. After all, you want to get him back, not push him away.

Writing poems to get your boyfriend back is a romantic gesture and one that he might appreciate. It’s a lot better than looking at an email or a common text message. If you write him a poem then he’s not just going to throw it away. He’s going to keep it and appreciate your efforts.

Take a look at some of the classic Hindi poems for kids and the things your child can learn from them.

• Mahadevi Verma’s- Kahan Rahegi Chidiya

Kahan Rahegi Chidiya talks about a bird the kind of helplessness it experiences during a rainstorm her nest and offspring are destroyed. It is a wonderful classic written by Mahadevi Verma. She is an exemplary poetess of the Chhayavadi genre of Indian poetry who has written scores of poems for children. A lot of her writings include animals for she wishes to help children comprehend the trail they often suffer.

Reading Kahan Rahegi Chidiya propagates social and emotional expansion of the child with a better understanding of animals and emotions of other beings. Moreover, a child’s imagination gets a boost while visualizing the sequence in the rhymes upon hearing the poem read out.

• Manohar Lal ‘Ratnam”s- Keel Purani Hai

The esteemed poet Manohar Lal ‘Ratnam’ makes a great effort to explain the significance of an old nail as a new calendar hands on it. It challenges the tradition of out with the old and in with the new and explains to kids the ways of the world by using the metaphor of an aged peg on the wall. Since this uses a figure of speech, your child can learn a lot more than just the rhyme as the poem has a deeper meaning to it.

Furthermore, noticing the rhyming scheme in poetry entails understanding that there are lines ending with a rhyme. They become competent in identifying patterns when is saying a great deal about their cognitive progress.

• Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s Aa Rahi Ravi Ki Savari

Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s contribution to Hindi poetry has been noteworthy. His poem, Aa Rahi Ravi Ki Savari is an excellent choice for young children who wish to learn about the manner in which the day dawns. The poet has explained the stars and moon rushing away as they sun rides up in his chariot each morning. Kids better comprehend daily phenomenon while exploring the whimsical, yet rhythmical arrangement of stanzas written by the famed poet.

• Manohar Lal ‘Ratnam”s- Ganga Jal

Ganga Jal is all about the cleansing of sins that people believe happens when they bathe in the holy Ganga. The poet makes an attempt to talk to children about repenting for follies and taking responsibility for their actions. It is a great way to help children understand the importance of owning up for even the most trivial of misdeeds, which can be a valuable life lesson on honesty.

Since a lot of these poems use a few new words that the kids may not be accustomed to, they can learn them in the process to better understand the rhyme.

Learning chapters and theory by rote creates a sense of pressure in your child. This can be alleviated by listening to familiar poems that can impart knowledge through repetition easily enough with the help of the interesting rhyme.

Two students were sitting in the play ground. One said to the other “Hippopotamus is a Long Word. How Do You Spell IT with Two Letters?” The other said, “I don’t know.” The first said “IT”.

This is an old joke I remember from school days. It is a twist on using the English language. Did you get IT? The way to spell the word IT is with the letter I and T. The first part of the sentence on Hippopotamus is as we say in Australian, a Furphy (pronounced ferfee). In other words it has nothing what so ever to do with the real question.  

Why did this joke arise? It was because Hippopotamus is such a long word and can be difficult to spell. If you look at it you may see a Hippo in your mind. Why did I use the word Hippo? We have a tendency to shorten words when they are too long to either say or spell. Every now knows that a Hippo and Hippopotamus is the same.  

So how can you remember how to spell Hippopotamus? Well the way I was taught at school for long words was through rhyme. Rhyme is used to help us flow through the different letters by just remembering the first letter. The rhyme I was taught was to follow a tune for the letters. So I would effectively sing the letters like I was singing a song.   

The down side with learning this way is that I can only remember how to spell it now using the rhyme. Also I cannot spell the word backwards because I have linked the letters to sound rather than picturing the actual letters.   If I use my spelling technique, then I can learn the word and spell it forwards, backwards and even from the middle. This means that I can see the letters and spell the word rather than sing it and still not really be able to spell the word.  

By the way…do you want to learn how to spell so that you have the confidence in your life to learn and develop?   Download a free chapter of my ebook: 9 Steps to improve spelling by going to my website.

Writing poetry can be as simple as a few well placed words that rhyme or it can be a complex arrangement of lines, stanzas, and rhyming patterns.

Poetry opens up an unlimited world of creative possibilities, and once you have a good understanding of the wide range of techniques and styles available, you can craft your own unique expression of life – a poem that will engage your reader.

An Overview of Poetry.

The history of poetry is as complex as the art form itself, and there have been many debates over the centuries over what constitutes a poem. The origins of poetry stem back to oral tradition, where a poem was used primarily for didactic and entertainment purposes in the form of a ballad. Shakespeare made the Sonnet famous – a poetic form that fuses together a delicate balance of both narrative and lyrical qualities. With the arrival of the printing press and the book, poetry became a highly respected literary style.

So what constitutes a poem?

Is a poem just a static literary form that must adhere to a particular rhyming pattern, a specific use of language and a rigid structural format? The traditionalist would argue that a poem should adhere to a strict rhyming pattern and its appearance on the page must not divert from four-lined stanzas that run down the page. The rebellious modernist would argue that rules are meant to be broken and writing a poem is a free and unfettered craft that is subject only to the artistic whim of the poet.

I think the answer to what constitutes a poem lies in this statement: a poem is the perfect form of creative expression. What is your view? Does a poem allow a writer to express their feelings, thoughts and experiences of the world better than a short story?

The 19th century classical poet and critic Mathew Arnold defined a poem as the ‘most beautiful, impressive, and most widely effective mode of saying things, and hence its importance… ‘ (Knickerbocker 1925, p. 446). But as grand as this quote sounds, the art of writing a poem is so much more.

A poem enables the poet to reveal their thoughts or life experiences to the reader through a heightened use of language that appeals to the emotions. It is an invitation from the poet to the reader to undertake a journey of the exploration of ideas. Overall, the poet designs their perfect form of creative expression to engage their reader and to provoke a response.

Here are seven techniques or tools that can help you write a poem that will engage your reader:

You have access to a toolbox that is full of different techniques or poetic devices that will allow you to aptly convey your thoughts, feelings and experiences of the world such as:

1. An arrangement of sound (a clever combination of alliteration and assonance – the repetition of consonant and vowel sounds), which create an internal rhyme and evoke music in our mind when we read the poem out aloud. For example: assonance can create an internal rhyme like this line of poetry by Theodore Roethke “I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow… “

2. Enjambment (strategic line breaks that determine meter and rhythm, which can highlight a certain phrase).

3. Imagery: drawing upon the vivid description of an image to create a word picture. You can use concrete images, which are images that we can see or feel like cat, house, sun, rain. Abstract images denote concepts we understand but we cannot see or feel like knowledge, freedom or justice. An abstract image can be both conceptual and also emotional.

4. Metaphor/Simile – figures of speech that reveal hidden similarities and compare two ideas for poetic effect.

5. Rhyme: Rhyming words or lines that end in identical sounds. “Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though… ” Robert Frost.

6. Tone: A particular use of voice like melancholy, happy, pensive, which is determined by specific word choice. This is an excerpt from Departure by Edna St. Vincent Millay.

I wish I could walk till my blood should spout,

And drop me, never to stir again,

On a shore that is wide, for the tide is out,

And the weedy rocks are bare to the rain.

But dump or dock, where the path I take

Brings up, it’s little enough I care,

And it’s little I’d mind the fuss they’ll make,

Huddled dead in a ditch somewhere.

7. A poem is a vibrant and versatile art form. There are many composition styles available – Free verse (which does not conform to traditional rhyming stanzas or regular meter or rhythm), or an Elegy (a poem that be used as a lament or as a moving remembrance for a person or an event).

Of course, these techniques are just a few of the tools that a poet can utilise, and some of these techniques can be used in writing stories, but they belong specifically to the world of poetry.

Poetry teaches us about the beauty and power of language and the richness of the written word. By using a combination of the available poetic techniques, a writer can find complete freedom in the expression of thoughts, ideas and feelings.

John Redmond defines a poem as not so much a structure of words, which has to conform to a set of rules and a particular form, but an experiment with being, that has a personality and value of its own; and “… any good poem should make us feel like explorers of a new planet, setting out on a momentous adventure… [a] good poem will try to maintain the openness, the sense of possibility, which every reader feels when they open a book for the first time”(2006, p. 2).

To maintain the openness and the sense of possibility, the poet needs to keep the reader in mind when they are writing a poem, by using language and images that the reader can engage with and therefore feel that they can join the poet in the journey of exploration.

Ultimately, the role of a poem not only serves the purpose of self-expression, but it can teach us something new, and also capture our imaginations and emotions.

References:

Knickerbocker, William S 1925. ‘Matthew Arnold’s Theory of Poetry’. The Sewanee Review 33 (4). Johns Hopkins University Press: 440-50, via Jstor.

Redmond, John 2006, How to write a poem, Blackwell Publishing, USA. p. 2.

As you learn to love poetry as a beginner, and then write as an amateur you soon or later discover that your love for writing might be something more. The feedback from your peers raises questions, should you publish? How do you go about getting noticed on a local, then a global stage? Is there money in it? If so, how much? As you may or may not know, there are thousands of scams out there concerning poetry, more specifically, your work. These sites or individuals tell you exactly what you want to hear, things like; “Your poetry is one of a kind”, “You should look into publication” or “If you win this contest, your poetry will appear in a book”, something along these lines. So, how do you know who to trust, that’s if you could trust any of them. Honestly, I am not published, nor am I looking to publish my work, but I have been asked how to get it done. When I was younger, I also was interested in having my poetry published, so I did do some research; I’ll discuss what I found out, pros and cons.

Firstly, if you’re an amateur poet, just like I consider myself; you’ve probably asked, “If i post my work on the internet on a few forums, can someone take it and publish it?”. In other words, steal your work. The answer is yes, but the likeliness is not, unless you write like an expert, and it’s a born talent; if your work was to be taken for publishing, it would go through some drastic changes, basically, it would be re-written. Real critics are particular when it comes to literary works; it’s like being graded on a school paper, did you ever get 100%? If you’re just starting out with poetry, you probably just write it, without knowledge of style, form, flow, etc. It sounds like a poem, it is a poem, but it’s not ‘publication’ worthy; grammar and punctuation corrections can probably be made (this is of course including my work, as I learn something almost everyday to improve the quality of my work).

Also, as a warning to everyone that posts in forums, if your work is stolen and you find out you can take legal action, but you will probably lose. The reason behind that is, yes, your work is copy-written when you post, BUT it is not registered under any published author. To win an infringement regarding your poetry, you must be a registered author, to become one is a daunting task on its own.

To become a registered author you must find a publishing company to submit your work to. DO NOT submit one or a few poems, or your work will be ignored. Think of it like an interview, you need to have a portfolio or ‘anthology’, which will be explained a little later. When submitting your work to these companies, make sure that the one you choose is a trust worthy one, with a good reputation. Searching on the internet will pull up thousands of sites that can promise to publish your work, some will ask for money to just look at your work, I wouldn’t bother with these because most of them are scams just to get your money. You might even find sites that offer to proofread your work before your submission to an ‘editor’ for a small fee, it could sound something like “We only charge 40 cents a line, or 7 cents a word, or $9 per poem, which ever is cheaper for you”. Sounds great and cheap doesn’t it? Still, a scam, at least in most cases. I find that the best sites to submit your work to are the sites that don’t ask for money at all, you still have to do your research, but at least you don’t loose anything, at the most, they got your work.

When you have found the publication company that you would like to submit your work to, make sure to build an anthology; this is a collection of your work, make sure to break it down into themes as well, sad poems, darkness poems, spiritual poems, haiku, sonnet and so on and so forth. It does not have to be all of your work, but make sure to submit enough ‘to quench their hunger’, so to say. After submitting your work, you will probably find yourself waiting a few weeks maybe even months for a response; and when you finally receive that response, it probably won’t be something you will like, you’re declined. This maybe frustrating to you, but the things you should take away from it is that 1) you know your work can be improved (they will probably give you feed back as to why your work was not approved for publication and how it can be improved) 2)Before you get praise, you will always receive criticism (it’s just how the world works) and 3) at least you were not scammed.

Although I am not looking to publish my work, I am always looking for legitimate criticism to get better, which should always be your first goal (“The day we stop learning, is the day we die” -Anonymous). If you or I get discovered for our work, this is the best way, it may be the long way to getting what you want, but it’s also safer; not scam free, but safer.

Now that the publishing portion is out of the way, there are other ‘MUST KNOWS’ to poetry. Below is a list, and I will discuss each of them:

Rhythm and rhyming; Long and short poetry; Writing in clichés; Titles; Writers biography

Rhythm and rhyming

Typically, writers with an interest in poetry generally start off with a poem that rhymes. Although it seems to be the easiest to write, it can actually turn out to be very difficult; you must find words that rhyme with each other, but also don’t stray away from the topic of the poem. Aside from that, the sound of the poem when read needs to have ‘flow’, in other words, it has to be smoothly read. The syllables in every line is important to help with the flow; for example, you wouldn’t write a poem that has line syllables like – 10, 12, 8, 13. There would be no ‘smoothness’ therefore, it wouldn’t sound appealing, no matter how good the topic. Poetry that has line syllables like – 8, 10, 8, 10, 9, 12, 9, 12 will usually get more recognition because it sounds smoother when read. When you get better with rhyme poetry, make sure to expand your talents to other styles, like haiku’s or sonnets. Rhyming poetry is taken as outdated and naive, more for new or amateur poets.

Long and short poetry

Longer poetry usually does not have a long-lasting impression on its readers; mainly because its long (longer than a page). Also, for publishing purposes, shorter poems with smaller lines are more likely to be excepted. The most accepted length for poetry is about the length of a page; this leaves enough room to be descriptive and short enough to leave some sort of impression on the reader.

Writing in Cliches

Writing poetry in cliches is a common thing for new writers, money, love and death are said to be the most common topics of poetry. If you choose to write on these topics, it still needs to be original and extraordinary; if you think about it, it’s actually a tough task. A way to make sure you are not ‘caught’ in these cliches, you can read poetry; you will be amazed at how many different things you can related to and write about. It will also widen your ‘vocabulary’ in poetry so your not re-using the same words in all your poetry.

Titles

The title is just as, if not more important as the poem itself; the title encourages the reader to read your poem, it needs to be ‘eye-catching’ and intriguing, but of course, still relevant to your work. Publishers say to stay away from one-word titles because it does not give much description of what will be read, unless it is truly a unique title. In other words, stay away from titles like – Friendship, Love, Hate, Death, etc. because they are too simple and spark no interest.

Writers biography

When submitting your work to an editor/publisher or even just a blog/forum on the internet, make sure that your bio is strong. Be descriptive, tell a story as to how you became a fan of poetry; what made you decide to write? Basically, the more information you give about yourself will help the reader understand why you write poetry, and the topics you choose to write about. It almost makes it seem like the reader has a better connection to you and your work.

Lastly, if you are searching for a publisher, or you just write as a hobby; don’t forget the reason why you started writing in the first place. It’s because you loved it, for whatever reason; poetry should be something that you enjoy to write or read before it becomes anything more.

Ghazal (pronounced guzzle), is a mono-rhymed and lyrical-styled poem with a minimum of five couplets. Normally, it does not have more than fifteen. The first rhyming couplet of the ghazal introduces a poetic scheme which is made with a rhyme followed by a refrain. Thereafter, the couplets follow the same scheme in the second line only. It rhymes the second line with both lines of the first stanza. This poetic form has a rhyming scheme of aa, ba, ca, da, etc.

Ghazals are often sung by Iranian, Indian, and Pakistani musicians. The form has roots in seventh-century Arabia, and gained prominence in the thirteenth and fourteenth-century thanks to such Persian poets as Rumi and Hafiz. Normally, the final couplet may include the poet’s signature, referring to the author in the first or third person, which frequently include the poet’s own name or a derivation of its meaning. The following is an example:

My Dearest Love-Relieve This Pain!

My dearest love your presence erases my pain

Stay with me until my last breath- relieve this pain!

Your loving charm touches my soul from days of old

Now I will need your charming kiss-relieve this pain!

Your elegant grace has filled this place from the start

Charms from your heart will be with me-relieve this pain!

The touch of your fingers I always remember

Touch my face once more; as it rains-relieve this pain!

The beauty of your smile has set my mind wild

Once more whisper words in my ears-relieve this pain!

Like a butterfly release me from this cocoon

I will await you one noon day-relieve this pain!

Alas, the bliss of your kiss I will surely miss

Your love Joseph, your kiss will miss-relieve this pain!

Since you were in grade school, you were already taught that stanzas refer to the set of lines in a poem separated from other lines by space. However, it is also possible that you are one of those learners who believed that stanzas should always be coupled with rhyme. This is not always necessary. The succeeding discussion will help you understand the fundamental concepts of stanzas, particularly their structural demands. Comprehensive examples of stanzas will be provided to help you grasp every structure.

Examples of Stanzas Based on Particular Structures

You are most likely familiar with unrhymed verse, the easiest way to form stanzas. This structure comes with a continuous form. Often, when poets are using this structure, they normally employ the so-called blank verse trick to highlight a verse paragraph. One good example of this is Hamlet’s soliloquy of Shakespeare, Act lll specifically.

When you are studying the examples of stanzas shown in this particular Shakespeare piece, you are suggested to find the blank verse stanzas yourself and read them aloud. Notice the big emphasis. Take note that there are many lines in English for strong and weak emphasis in the sight of critics. So, you simply follow the most noticeable ones. Blank verse is used from the period of Shakespeare until today. In fact, you can observe it almost everywhere else.

Talk about common, the most usual stanzas in English start with couplets: aa, bb, cc. Basically, couplets can come in any length of line; however, this is best fitted in an accented language limited to five beats or less-three and five ideally. In English, the structure of 5-Iambic pentameter couplers is known as Heroic. One example of this is the Essay of Man by Alexander Pope.

When you view the examples of stanzas depicted in the Essay of Man, you can note the carefully accented tone of the Pope-insinuating high seriousness. Meanwhile, you can observe the difference in tone if you will look at the excerpts written by Richard Moore in The Mouse Whole. Moore’s piece is a trimester couplets that have a lively rhythm-improving the surreal and comic impact of his rhymes.

More Intricate Examples of Stanzas Based on Quatrains Structure

Quatrains are also very typical in English poetry. These come with rhyme forms of abab bcbc and others. If you will notice, Quatrains is commonly part of a larger stanza. One of the best Quatrains examples of stanzas are reflected in the piece of Robert Frost’s A Boy’s Will. Here, you will notice several line lengths, which appear to break up into different line segments if the line is composed of more than five beats. Specifically, Frost employed aabb quatrains in his piece, in commonly Iambic pentameter lines.

The examples of stanzas in The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy are also good examples of Quatrains. In his poem, he used the four beat also known as tetrameter lines. These days, you can use the combination of metrical method and rhyme lends to comedy and irony.

The Brummets began writing professionally back in 1999 and wanted to use this as a tool for sparking positive change and motivating readers to lead more proactive lives. ?According to Lillian: ??”?Poetry has the unique application of allowing the writer to express their own hopes, dreams or pain, and to explore creative use of words, rhythms, fantasy, truths and rhymes?”.

T?he couple? team?ed? up ?to share their poetry in ?the book Rhythm & Rhyme. Their different writing styles are at their best in this incredible? collection – celebrating nature, questioning society, expressing grief and embracing love.? ?Some of the poetry in this book reflects on the emotional turmoil of ailing parents, long-term caregiving, the gut-wrenching waiting period of knowing the end is coming, and eventual grief of their passing. Other poems speak about the strange emptiness that is left when old wounds are healed. You’ll also find poems that celebrate life, ?music, ?love, animals and nature.

Keep The Change? – by D Brummet?

Looking out my window at the silent park

Rain is streaming down through the misty dark

I’d sit and have a smoke

But I don’t have a light

Don’t even feel like

Going on the town tonight

Went back to my hometown nothing seemed the same

Had a look around but I knew no one by name

Fields have sprouted buildings

The roads have thickened up

With the flow of frantic traffic

That doesn’t seem to stop

Its not the same, as time moves on

Things will evolve, right or wrong

There is no choice for you to make

No other path for fate to take

But you can choose

To keep the change

You can keep the change

Try to do finances, but I can’t get it through my head

That if I don’t succeed I’ll have nothing when I’m dead

Keepin’ up with the Joneses

No time to stop and play

How can you be a kid again

If you have to grow up today

Looking out my porthole where there used to be a park

The nozzles spray some moisture, the lights go out at dark

If I go out they’ll find me

And try to make me right

So I stay here in my cubicle

And hide throughout the night

Camping Holiday? – By L Brummet?

Showering sounds of

Rippling

Laughing

Pouring water

Moving ’round rocks and branches

Like flames ’round logs

Knocking boulders

Pound

Drowning out all other sound

Except rustling wind

Through boughs where

Birds shout and play

And the echoing response

Rings

Like chimes in my heart?.?

Find Rhythm & Rhyme via:

AMAZON USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1495478890

AMAZON CANADA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1495478890