Friday, July 17, 2015

The Four Elements of Great Poetry

   Tonight, I pause from politics to tell you how to become the world's best poet.
   First, the obvious, for to be poetry, it needs to rhyme, or have rhythm, or cadence or some such. To a large extent, how successful you are will depend on how well you master this.
   Second, the wording needs to be clever. Turn a new phrase, or say something quotable.
   Now, we can't stop just with these two elements, for the greatness of a poem comes not just in how beautiful the wording is, or the lilt with which it is written. No, a great poem is one that is understood, quickly, each line being self-evident in meaning, not requiring reading it time and time again to figure out what is meant. So, the third element of good poetry is clarity.
   Finally, a message needs to be delivered. You can write a well-cadenced poem about a dog or a field or a canyon, but if it simply says that the dog or field or canyon exists, it won't be as wonderful a poem as it will if it delivers a truth about that dog, field, or canyon. So, offer an observation, an insight. The greater the insight, the greater the poem. Sometimes, a story is told. If so, the greater the story line, the greater the poem.
   And, there you have it, the four elements of great poetry: cadence, wording, clarity, and message.
 

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