GEC 13
LITERATURE OF THE PHILIPPINES
Lecture 3
Poetry and Its Elements
DEFINITION OF POETRY
Poetry is one of the genres of literature. Its
existence has already gone too far, as far as
human civilization has gone through. From
oral recitation down to written poems, there
are already so many innovations that occur
which are preferred to be used and practiced
by both amateur and veteran poets.
There is no clear record about when it really
started to take form. Holman (1992) said that
no literary historian presumes to point out the
beginnings of poetry, though the first
conscious literary expression took the form of
primitive verse. Then, it is also difficult to
define because of its complex nature.
Dimalanta said that regarding poetry,
definitions can only be general and tentative,
oversimplified, personal,and at times,
ambiguous. Attribute to this the essential
ineffable nature of poetry. (Guile, 2003, p. 10)
Meanwhile, the simplest definition according
to Ang (2012) is, it is derived from a Greek
word poesis meaning “making or creating.”
To easily understand poetry, Baritugo et al
(2007) gave five things to remember about
poetry.
1. Poetry is a concentrated thought. Poems
use few words to express the emotions, and
thoughts of poets. In understanding poetry,
one must know the use of its language.
According to Abad, poetry is a special use of
language by which language transcends itself.
(Guile, 2003, p. 11)
2. Poetry is a kind of word-music. To fully
enjoy poetry, one must read it aloud. In this
way, the reader will be able to hear the use of
words as it creates music. Also, the use of
rhythm in poetry lets its meaning more
comprehensible. Lacia and Gonong (2003)
said that for the poet to convey ideas, he
chooses and organizes his words into a
pattern of sound that is part of the total
meaning.
3. Poetry expresses all the senses. With use of
language, poets help readers to use their
sense. They let readers smell the fragrant
flower, see the blue skies, hear the singing
birds, feel the cold wind and taste the sweet
mangoes. The poet, as someone has said,
does not speak the accurate language of
science, does not, for example, refer to water
as H2O but as “rippling,” a “mirror,” or “blue,”
using not elements which compose water but
the effect which water creates in his
imaginative mind and wanting the reader to
respond to “water” as physical fact rather
than abstract concept. (Holman, 1992, p. 405)
4. Poetry answers our demand for rhythm.
Rhythm in poetry is essential for readers to
fully enjoy. In reading aloud, rhythm makes
the poem more pleasing to the ears. Also,
Baritugo said that a poem beats time simply
and strongly; therefore, we need only
respond to it with our own natural rhythm.
5. Poetry is observation plus imagination.
Abad said that the poem after all, for poet and
reader, is work of imagination. (Gulle, 2003,
p.11) There are other readers find poetry
difficult. The moment that the reader fails to
imagine the images in the poem then it will
hard for him to understand it. According to
Lewis (1961) the image is a picture in words
which one must serve a purpose in a poem. In
addition, Dimalanta explained that effective
imagery radiating from a given metaphorical
center that is the core of the poem’s body.
(Gulle, 2003, p. 15)
These are the other things that you need to
know in reading poetry
according to Tan (2001) First, a poem differs
from prose work in that it is to be read
slowly, carefully, and attentively. You need to
read poems slowly, carefully and attentively
because you will not read it as it is but as a
reader you have to go beyond what it is.
Reading a poem takes a lot of hard work
because it requires the reader to think
critically, to imagine the images
comprehensively, to analyze and to interpret
the theme connotatively.
Second is, a poem recreates an experience.
Every time the reader will read the poem
several times. The reader is also recreating
the poem by means of extracting the different
emotions, experiences, thoughts, ideas, etc.
Reading the poem once is not enough
because as the reader reads it form the
second time, he or she will certainly unveil
revelations from the poem that she happen to
oversee on the first reading. So, the moment
the reader reads the poem over and over
again becomes more meaningful and sensible.
Third, the subject matter of poetry can be
found in everything that interests the human
mind. It is very evident that subject matter
adds sparks to a poem because without it
5 things to remember about poetry
1. Poetry is a concentrated thoughts
2. Poetry is a kind a word-music
3. Poetry expresses all the senses
4. Poetry answer our demand for rhythm
5. Poetry is observation plus imagination
Things to remember in Reading the
poetry
1. A poem differs from prose work in that it is
to be read slowly, carefully, and attentively.
2. A poem recreates an experience.
3. The subject matter of poetry can be found
in everything that interests the human mind.
4. A poem presents a dramatic situation.
nothing will be talked about on the poem.
Although it is “only a part of the meaning” still
it plays a vital role in understanding a poem.
The subject matter in a poem depends on the
writer’s choice (variety of subjects).
Fourth, a poem presents a dramatic
situation. In every poem there is always a
speaker that will give the reader the
background of the poem. There is a peculiar
effect in reading the poem in either for
private or for public audience because of the
presence of the sound effects devices,
figurative languages, and other elements of
poetry that are not present from prose and
drama. Also, the conciseness and brevity of
the language used in poetry takes greater
advantage as it is read. The dramatic effect in
reading poetry is either intentionally or not
because as a reader the responsibility is solely
on his/her shoulders. Most especially if the
poem is intended to be read publicly whether
the reader likes it or he has to read it
dramatically because, the listeners will not
thoroughly understand the poem unless there
is an element of art as the poem is being read.
Lastly, it is an act of speech that takes place in
a particular setting on a particular occasion.
Types of poetry Lyric poetry
✓ Its meant to be sung to the
accompaniment of a lyre
✓ But now, it applies to any type of poetry
that expresses emotions and feeling of the
poet
✓ Short ; simple ; easy to understand
✓ Descriptive or expository in nature
✓ Brief subjective poem; imagination,
melody and emotion and creating for the
reader a single unified impression
Kinds of Lyric Poetry
A. Song A lyric porm in a regular metrical
pattern set to music. These have twelve
syllables (dodecasyllabic) and slowly sung
to the accompaniment of a guitar or
banduria. (Ang, 2012, p. 11) A lyric poem
adapted to musical expression. Song lyrics
are usually short, simple sensuous,
emotional - perhaps the most spontaneous
lyric form. (Holman, 1992, p. 503)
G. Idyll Pastoral and descriptive elements
are usually the first requisites of the idyll,
although the pastoral element is usually
presented in a conscious literary manner.
(Holman, 1992, p. 263)

B. Elegy This is a lyric poem which Narrative Poetry

expresses feelings of grief and melancholy,
and whose theme is death. (Kahayon and ● Tells a story in verse
Zulueta, 2009, p. 13) A poem written on the
● Nondramatic poem ;
death of a friend or the poet. The ostensible
purpose is to praise the friend but the death ● simple or complex
prompts the writer to ask, “If death can
intervene, so cruelly in life, what is the point ● Long or short
of living?” By the end of the poem, however,
we can expect that the poet will have come ● Describes important events in life either
to terms with his grief. (Ang, 2012, p.10) A real and imaginary
sustained and formal poem setting forth the
poet’s meditations upon death or another Kinds of Narrative Poetry
solemn theme. (Holman, 1992, p. 183)
Epic
C. Sonnet A lyric poem of fourteen lines, ❖ Long narrative poem
highly arbitrary in form and following one
or another of several set rhyme-schemes. ❖ Centers about the heroic deed
(Holman, 1992, p. 503) A lyric poem concerning the beginning until the end.
containing fourteen iambic lines, and a
complicated rhyme. (Ang, 2012, p. 11) Biag ni Lam-Ang Ilokano epic

Rhyme schemes in Sonnets Metrical romance

ababcdcdefefgg - Shakesperian sonnet ❖ Tells story of adventure, love and

abbaabba (cde,cde) - Italian or Petrarchan chivalry
Sonnet (cdc,cdc) (cd,cd,cd)
❖ Hero is a knight on a quest.
D. Ode In manner, the ode is an elaborate
lyric, expressed in language dignified, Metrical tale
sincere, and imaginative and intellectual in
❖ Single series of connective events
tone. (Holman, 1992, p. 363) A lyric poem of
some length serious in subject in dignified ❖ Simple idylls or home tale
style. It is most majestic of the lyric poems.
It is written in a spirit of praise of some ❖ Love tales
persons or things. (Ang, 2012, p.10) This is
a poem of a noble feeling, expressed with ❖ Tales of supernatural or tales
dignify, with no definite syllables or definite
number of lines in a stanza. (Kahayon and Ballad
Zulueta, 2009, p. 14) ❖ Simplest type of narrative poetry
E. Psalm This is a song praising God or the ❖ Telling single incident in similar meter
Virgin Mary and containing a philosophy of and stanzas
life. (Kahayon and Zulueta, 2009, p. 14)
❖ intended to be sung
F. Hymn A lyric poem expressing religious
emotion and generally intended to be sung Dramatic Poetry
by a chorus. (Holman, 1992, p. 260)
It is a poem where a story is told through
the verse dialogue of the characters and a
narrator. (Sialogo, et al., p. 15) A term that,
logically, should be restricted to poetry
which employs form or some element or
elements of dramatic technique as a means
of achieving poetic ends. (Holman, 1992, p.
172) The drama in verse is an artistic
production involving real living people in a
performance. It is a story in poetic form
revealed through speech and action. In
genera, there are only two kinds of drama:
the tragedy and comedy. Modern dramatists
however made them four: tragedy, comedy,
melodrama and farce.

❖ Poem where a story is told through the

verse dialogue of the characters and a
narrator

❖ Artistic production involving real living

people in a performance

❖ Tragedy

❖ Comedy

❖ Melodrama

❖ farse