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Base XP: 45
Base XP: 45
BEING THE POEM'S INSTRUMENT
BEING THE POEM'S INSTRUMENT
For most of human history, poetry has been an oral art. Even long poems that told epic stories grew out of an oral tradition. We think of Homer, of Ancient Greece. In West Africa, griots were the official musicians, passing down stories of their culture through song. The scops, oral poets of Anglo-Saxon Britain, were sometimes accompanied by a harp. Mediaeval Chinese poets recited their ballads. Only certain members of the church, or in Ancient Greece - the very rich, had access to written language. The oral poets' sole form of publication was a public recital. Now, we call our oral poets "spoken word artists."
Sometimes the origins of poetry in the oral tradition is hard for us to recall, living as we do in such a literate culture. But the best poets have always recognized the oral nature of their media. Poet W.B. Yeats once wrote of one of his poems, "I made it out of a mouthful of air." This suggests that the sounds are something to be physically experienced, that words are brought into the mouth, and that the speaker is the poet's instrument.
The oral nature of poetry meant the poet needed a few tricks to remember the poems, especially longer ones. Mnemonics, or memory devices, such as rhyme helped. Rhyme lets you anticipate the word if you know what it will sound like.
Some poets used a descriptive word or phrase that would stand for a person or thing. This word or phrase, called an epithet, acted like a ready-made image from a toolbox that the poet could pull out any time it was needed. Homer used "the wine-dark sea" over and over in his poetry. He refers to the goddess Hera as "white-armed Hera." His epithets are so well known, they're referred to as "Homeric epithets."
Alliteration helps with memory the way rhyme does, when two words begin with the same consonant.
Rhythm, too, or the metrical beat of the poem, helped poets to remember their lines.
Sight is an important sense in poetry, because poems are composed of word pictures. But the use of all the senses adds greater depth to description. If the reader or listeners can "feel," or "smell" or "taste" something, their experience of the poem is more intense.
But poets pay particular attention to the sensuality of sounds when they write. Reading a poem out loud can bring it to life. You might find that reading one particular poem out loud is just more enjoyable than another. Some poems may be more effective if they are read out loud. Why is this? The techniques used by these poets may include more sound devices.
Read the poem "Red Pepper " by Sue Sinclair. It is enjoyable to read out loud, particularly the first stanza. Notice the repetition of "o" sounds in the first stanza, starting with "globular convolutions." "O" sounds give you a sense of fullness in the mouth, like you're eating something yummy.
What else? The imagery in the poem makes it sensually enjoyable, too. When the poet writes that the red pepper is "thick and warped as melted plastic," you experience this image in your mind's eye with two senses. You can imagine it visually, and tangibly - because you can envision what the warped melted plastic feels like - and know that it feels just like the smooth lumpy exterior of the red pepper.
Reflect and respond in your Journal, being sure to address the major topics introduced here. This might also be a good time to go back to your Study section in Class Notebook and add terms/devices from the poems you've studied so far.
Keep track of the time you spend doing this, as it is all worth XP!
Submission
Click on the JOURNAL: Listening link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your Journal to your teacher for marking. Be sure to label your Journal: 'Sound & Sight'.
Assessment
Click here for the Journal Scoring Guide.
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