Introduction to Literature: Poetry
GENRE OF LITERATURE: POETRY Meaning According to Williams Wordsworth, a poem is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings recollected in tranquility. It may also be defined as that part of literature that has rhythm and uses language in a strange way (figurative) to capture the feelings and experience of life. Another definition is that a poem is the arrangement of best words in best order using stanzas and verses/lines which is a structure of poetry. It is instructive to stress that a poem is written in stanzas and verses/lines. Additionally, the gap between one stanza and another is called a stanza break. TYPES OF POEMS Poems can be lyrical, dramatic or narrative in form. 1. 1. Lyrical poem: refers to a short poem, often with songlike qualities, that expresses the speaker’s personal emotions and feelings. Historically intended to be sung and ac...