What are literary
elements?
Literary elements are
the devices or tools that a poet uses to create a captivating poem. The literary
elements are used across the written art such as poetry, drama, plays or
novels. The presence of literary elements distinguishes a literary piece from
the day-to-day kind of writing.
How can you carefully study a poem?
As we have already
mentioned, poetry makes use of literary elements. The presence of literary
elements makes poetry to be a special kind of writing. To achieve this special
level of writing, the poet uses language in a special way that is different
from the ‘normal’ language use.
What kind of language is used in poetry?
To distinguish poetry
from other types of writing, poets uniquely use language. The unique use
of language in poetry is achieved through the following means:
Use of diction. The
use of diction in poetry is the poet’s use of distinct vocabulary and style
while expressing his/her thoughts in a poem. The poet makes very deliberate
choices on the words to use in a poem depending on their meaning and the
desired effect. The poet chooses the most meaningful words while writing a
poem.
Use of sounds. A poet chooses
and uses sounds in a poem deliberately to enhance the message of the
poem. Sounds in poems are created through the sound devices in poetry that
includes: assonance, consonance, alliteration, rhyme and rhythm. The function of
the sound devices in poetry is to enhance the rhythm (musicality) of the poem
as well as the message conveyed.
Note: A poet’s goal is
to pass a message across in the most intriguing and impactful way. The poet, therefore, uses the most suggestive, expressive and precise words according to
the intended purpose
What is the goal of the poet in writing a poem?
The goal of the poet
in writing a poem varies from one poet to the other. Common goals of poets
while writing a poem include:
- A poet may write a poem to express feelings and experiences
- A poet may write to represent objective facts
- A poet may write to warn or advise
- A poet may write to criticise or correct
Note: The poet condenses
the message to say more while talking less. This is achieved through
the use of poetic devices/figurative language
How can you study a poem?
Poetry can be highly
abstract rendering it difficult to understand. This calls for a tactful
response to the subject. You can effectively respond to a poem by:
Understanding the
special language and structure of the poem. The meaning of a poem is expressed
through the words used as well as the way the poem is structured on the paper. The
poem may be structured to resemble shapes or even objects such as trees, mountains,
fruits, roads, etc. Analysing the physical structure of the poem can give a
clue on the possible meanings implied in the poem.
Reading the poem several times: Reading a poem aloud several times to get its meaning is highly
recommended. Where it is not possible to read the poem aloud, imagine how you
would read it aloud.
Paraphrasing the poem.
Paraphrasing simply means trying to rewrite in your own words. Paraphrasing a
poem helps to clarify and simplify the poet’s language and ideas. This should
be done stanza by stanza before summarizing the message put across by the
entire poem.