Rhetorical Forms 1
the shape of a poem’s argument, logic, rhetoric, or reason for being
Love Elegy -TJ
Definition: "Love elegy is a poetic as well as a lifestyle choice that signals opposition to public life, warfare, and writing long-winded epics. This remains true even if Propertius’s beloved Cynthia (pseudonym) is merely a literary construct, as feminist scholars now assert. The focus in elegy is always on the speaker, his emotions, his wishes and dreams."
History: "The Roman form of love elegy may be traced back to Catullus who was among a group of poets who had emerged from the patriotic epic and dramatic tradition to write poetry on topics of personal significance. Catullus was one of the neoteric poets -- a group of young people whom Cicero criticized."
www.thoughtco.com/poets-of-latin-love-elegy-119657
Example: "John Milton's 17th century poem 'Lycidas,' of which an excerpt appears below, is generally regarded as the greatest example of pastoral elegy in English literature. This passage, which comes from the end of the poem, embodies the elegiac tradition of turning to consolation after lamentation; Milton implies that the drowned Lycidas (who represents a friend of Milton's who was shipwrecked) will find new life in Heaven."
"Weep no more, woeful shepherds, weep no more,
For Lycidas, your sorrow, is not dead,
Sunk though he be beneath the wat'ry floor;
So sinks the day-star in the ocean bed,
And yet anon repairs his drooping head,
And tricks his beams, and with new spangled ore
Flames in the forehead of the morning sky:
So Lycidas sunk low, but mounted high..."
https://www.litcharts.com/literary-devices-and-terms/elegy
Praise Poem (VA)
Far from anything our beloved colleague Ethan would enjoy, a praise poem is "A poem of effusive praise. Its origins are Greek, and it is closely related to the eulogy and the ode.
A fantastic example of such a device is seen through Anne Bradstreet's "In Honour of That High and Mighty Princess, Queen Elizabeth"
Although great Queen, thou now in silence lie,
Yet thy loud Herald Fame, doth to the sky
Thy wondrous worth proclaim, in every clime,
And so has vow’d, whilst there is world or time.
So great’s thy glory, and thine excellence,
The sound thereof raps every human sense
That men account it no impiety
To say thou wert a fleshly Deity.
Thousands bring off’rings (though out of date)
Thy world of honours to accumulate.
‘Mongst hundred Hecatombs of roaring Verse,
‘Mine bleating stands before thy royal Hearse.
Thou never didst, nor canst thou now disdain,
T’ accept the tribute of a loyal Brain.
Thy clemency did yerst esteem as much
The acclamations of the poor, as rich,
Which makes me deem, my rudeness is no wrong,
Though I resound thy greatness ‘mongst the throng.
Complaint Poem / Jeremiad (EB)
Definition: A poem which complains, typically, about ill-fated love, but also satirical attacks on social institutions, humanity, or what have you. For a better definition see The Poetry Foundation. The jeremiad seems to be basically the same thing, but in prose.
Tips: I don't know what to tell you, just complain. And if you don't like my definition, history, or examples, write a complaint poem.
History and Examples: I can’t find a clear history. It seems that people just complain sometimes. But it seems that one of the most famous in modern English is Wordsworth’s “A Complaint.” We aslo Discussed Allen Ginsberg’s “America '' as a Complaint Poem. Below is W.C.Williams’s “Complaint:”
They call me and I go.
It is a frozen road
past midnight, a dust
of snow caught
in the rigid wheeltracks.
The door opens.
I smile, enter and
shake off the cold.
Here is a great woman
on her side in the bed.
She is sick,
perhaps vomiting,
perhaps laboring
to give birth to
a tenth child. Joy! Joy!
Night is a room
darkened for lovers,
through the jalousies the sun
has sent one golden needle!
I pick the hair from her eyes
and watch her misery
with compassion.
Epithalamium (TN)
Definition: A poem written specifically for the bride to be voiced or sung at a wedding. The poetic form is not strictly bound by form, but is typically written in the form of a lyric poem, due to its tendency to be sung, rather than spoken.
History: This poetic form originated with the Greeks, who would sing an epithalamium to the bride and bridegroom, typically after the guests of the wedding have left. These songs, although containing more predictable themes of love and happiness, would often talk about more explicit themes that would be much more taboo to speak of in a more modern wedding.
Tips and Tricks: Triumphant is the word for this type of poem. There is a musical side to this form of poetry, so although not required to abide by a particular form, it is recommended that you write it in a meter that interacts well with the general rules of music. Write boldly, speak proudly and happily, and don't be afraid to insert some sort of humor, even dirty humor, into this subgenre of poetry.
Famous Poets/Poems: Edmund Spencer, engineer of a previously mentioned style of poetry, the Spenserian stanza (see Line & Meter 1) also wrote an epithalamium during his reign of poetry, called simply "Epithalamion," which is not a typo, but simply an alternate spelling of the term:
"Ye learned sisters which have oftentimes
Beene to me ayding, others to adorne:
Whom ye thought worthy of your gracefull rymes,
That even the greatest did not greatly scorne
To heare theyr names sung in your simple layes,
But joyed in theyr prayse." (lines 1-6)
Ars Poetica (GC)
Definition: A poem that reflects on the very nature of the art of poetry.
History: This form dates back to 1st century BC in Roman times with Horace's "Ars Poetica."
Examples:
An excerpt of Horace's extensive Ars Poetica is:
As is painting, so is poetry: some pieces will strike you more if you stand near, and some, if you are at a greater distance: one loves the dark; another, which is not afraid of the critic’s subtle judgment, chooses to be seen in the light.
The entirety of Archibald Macleish's Ars Poetica is seen below. Take note to the last line of "A poem should not mean / but be," expressing a more recently ars poetica poets argue that poetry should be written for its own sake, rather than for an audience (opposed to Horace's articulation of delighting and instructing audiences).
A poem should be palpable and mute
As a globed fruit,
Dumb
As old medallions to the thumb,
Silent as the sleeve-worn stone
Of casement ledges where the moss has grown—
A poem should be wordless
As the flight of birds.
*
A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs,
Leaving, as the moon releases
Twig by twig the night-entangled trees,
Leaving, as the moon behind the winter leaves,
Memory by memory the mind—
A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs.
*
A poem should be equal to:
Not true.
For all the history of grief
An empty doorway and a maple leaf.
For love
The leaning grasses and two lights above the sea—
A poem should not mean
But be.
Check out the Poetry Foundation's succinct description.
(Written by Gabriel Cowley)
Georgic (AT)
DEFINITION: A poem dealing with rural or pastoral topics. It commonly glorifies country life and simple living.
HISTORY: “The Georgics” was written by Virgil, with the purpose of instructing readers on the proper care of one’s land and farm creatures. This was written around 38-32 BC.
EXAMPLE: “The Mustard Fields”
Golden and bright, the mustard fields stretch far and wide
Covering the land with a sea of shimmering yellow light
In rows that stretch to the horizon, the crops stand tall
A sight to behold, a true natural marvel
But these fields are more than just a pretty sight
They are a source of livelihood for many a farmer’s plight
For mustard seeds are in demand, both near and far
Used in cooking, in oils, and even in the production of tar
So the farmers tend to their fields with care and dedication
Planting, watering, and protecting from pests and erosion
They rise with the dawn and toil till the setting sun
For a successful harvest is their ultimate goal, one and one
But farming is not without its challenges, we all know
Drought, floods, and pests can cause a mighty blow
But these farmers face them head on, with grit and determination
For they know that their hard work will bring forth a bountiful creation
So let us pay tribute to the mustard fields of our land
And the farmers who work them, with a skilled and loving hand
For they are the backbone of our rural communities
Feeding us, providing for us, and caring for our ecology.
SOURCES:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/georgic
https://updivine.com/poetic-forms-and-devices/all-about-georgic-poetry-explanation-and-example/