“A poem…begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a home sickness, a love sickness….It is a reaching – out toward expression; an effort to find fulfillment. A complete poem is one where an emotion has found its thought and thought has found the words.” Robert Frost An Introduction to Poetry

If you asked six people what a poem is, you’d get six different answers. Poetry is as varied as people’s reactions to it, but all poetry has this much in common: it is arranged in relatively short line length, and it says a lot in a few words. Poetry has been around almost longer than any other form of writing. Poetry is one of the oldest art forms in the world. It seems that as soon as people learned to communicate verbally, they wanted to recite or write poems.

You’re probably aware that you listen to poetry every day in the form of song lyrics. Not all lyrics have poetic qualities, but many do. The ones that are most like poetry are probably the ones easiest to memorize.

One of the great strengths of poetry is that it helps readers see things in a new way. Figurative language is one such literary device that aids a writer in the delivery of his or her poem. Figurative language suggests more than it states. Figurative comparisons show relationships between things that are unlike in nature.

A simile is a comparison of two things using like or as. Similes create word pictures or images. Examples: Her lovely hair cascaded down like a flowing waterfall. "My love's LIKE a red, red rose." "He was AS cold AS ice."

SENSES Sadness is as happy as laughter. You might cry because it hurts. You might laugh because it hurts. But I know one thing, laughter is laughter and sadness is sadness. They can show the same things like hurting and gladness.

The term “metaphor” is an implied comparison. A metaphor is a comparison between two unlike things. It does not use the word like or as. Metaphors can be an effective way to create vivid impressions because it requires readers to participate in making the comparison by mentally associating one image with another. Examples: The sea is a wilderness of waves, a desert of water. Your insincere apology just added fuel to the fire. After the argument, Dave was smoldering for days. No man is an island. The pen is mightier than the sword. The teacher descended upon the exams, sank his talons into their pages, ripped the answers to shreds, and then, perching in his chair, began to digest.

Metaphor by Eva Merriam Morning is a new sheet of paper for you to write on Whatever you want to say, all day, until night folds it up and files it away The bright words and the dark words are gone until dawn and a new day to write on

Hyperbole, or exaggeration, is the obvious stretching of the truth to emphasize strong feeling or create a humorous effect. Often we stretch the truth in our everyday speech to make a point or to inject a little humour. When you say you’re starving just before lunchtime, you don’t really mean it. You might be hungry, but “starving” is an exaggeration. An Example: This rug is so beautiful that it will make you believe in magic carpets again. Here's another example: "I had so much homework, I needed a pickup truck to carry all my books home!" Hyperbole is supposed to evoke a ridiculous picture in your mind,... and in the process, make the point effectively. (You must have had a lot of homework!)

"My history teacher's so old, he lived through everything we've learned about ancient Greece" Ryan, CFS, Willingboro, USA "I think of you a million times a day" Vern Sal, the Philippines "Saskatchewan is so flat, you can see your dog run away for 4 days!" Jenna, from Olympic Heights School, Calgary "It was so cold, even the polar bears were wearing jackets." Elizabeth, from Covington, USA "Our library is so old, its book pages are numbered with roman numerals... written by the Romans!" Bobby W. "That boy's eyes are so big, they look like they're going to jump out and grab you! Ashley Clarke "My best friend is so forgetful, I sometimes have to remind her what her name is!" Katie Holmes More examples of hyperbole

Personification is a figure of speech in which poets give an animal, object, or idea human qualities, such as the ability to love, sing, cry, feel, talk, and make decisions. In personification, the non-human is identified with the human or given human characteristics. Examples: The river dozed in the afternoon sun. The New Zealand dollar had a quiet month. Life dealt him a heavy blow.

More examples of personification 1. The wind sang her mournful song through the falling leaves. 2. The microwave timer told me it was time to turn my TV dinner. 3. The video camera observed the whole scene. 4. The strawberries seemed to sing, "Eat me first!" 5. The rain kissed my cheeks as it fell. 6. The daffodils nodded their yellow heads at the walkers. 7. The water beckoned invitingly to the hot swimmers. 8. The snow whispered as it fell to the ground during the early morning hours. 9. The china danced on the shelves during the earthquake. 10. The car engine coughed and sputtered when it started during the blizzard.

Symbolism

A symbol is something that represents something else, either by association or by resemblance. It can be a material object or a written sign used to represent something invisible. In writing, symbolism is the use of a word, a phrase, or a description, which represents a deeper meaning than the words themselves. This kind of extension of meaning can transform the written word into a very powerful instrument.

Imagery

Poems reflect vivid images of who we are as individuals and of our surroundings. While the images may be crystal clear, their true or real significance is often just suggested. It is the reader’s responsibility to reflect upon one’s own experiences and live to better understand what the poet is trying to create.