Term #21 - TYPES OF POETRY

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~NARRATIVE POEM~

definition

narrative poems are somehow similar to narrative essay. they are poems which have plot, tell stories

example

When I see birches bend to left and right
Across the lines of straighter darker trees,
I like to think some boy's been swinging them.
But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay.
Ice-storms do that. Often you must have seen them
Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning
After a rain. They click upon themselves
As the breeze rises, and turn many-coloured
As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.
Soon the sun's warmth makes them shed crystal shells
Shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust
Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away
You'd think the inner dome of heaven had fallen.
They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load,
And they seem not to break; though once they are bowed
So low for long, they never right themselves:
You may see their trunks arching in the woods
Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground,
Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair
Before them over their heads to dry in the sun.
But I was going to say when Truth broke in
With all her matter-of-fact about the ice-storm,
I should prefer to have some boy bend them
As he went out and in to fetch the cows--
Some boy too far from town to learn baseball,
Whose only play was what he found himself,
Summer or winter, and could play alone.
One by one he subdued his father's trees
By riding them down over and over again
Until he took the stiffness out of them,
And not one but hung limp, not one was left
For him to conquer. He learned all there was
To learn about not launching out too soon
And so not carrying the tree away
Clear to the ground. He always kept his poise
To the top branches, climbing carefully
With the same pains you use to fill a cup
Up to the brim, and even above the brim.
Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish,
Kicking his way down through the air to the ground.
So was I once myself a swinger of birches.
And so I dream of going back to be.
It's when I'm weary of considerations,
And life is too much like a pathless wood
Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs
Broken across it, and one eye is weeping
From a twig's having lashed across it open.
I'd like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.
May no fate wilfully misunderstand me
And half grant what I wish and snatch me away
Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:
I don't know where it's likely to go better.
I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree~
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.
Robert Frost

~ballads~

definition

a poem that tells a short story, about love, betrayal, friendship... it brings music to the readers by its rhythm.  

example

the dying cowboy

As I rode out by Tom Sherman's bar-room,

As I rode out so early one day,

'Twas there I espied a handsome young cowboy,

All dressed in white linen, all clothed for the grave.

'I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy,'

These words he did say as I boldly stepped by,

'Come sit down beside me and hear my sad story,

For I'm shot in the breast and I know I must die.

'Then beat your drum slowly and play your fife lowly,

And play the dead march as you carry me along,

And take me to the graveyard and throw the sod o'er me,

For i'm a young cowboy and I know I've done wrong.

''Twas once in the saddle I used to go dashing,

'Twas once in the saddle I used to go gay,

But I first took to drinking and then to card-playing,

Got shot in the body and I'm dying today.

'Let sixteen gamblers come handle my coffin,

Let sixteen young cowboys come sing me a song,

Take me to the green valley and lay a sod o'er me,

For I'm a poor cowboy and I know I've done wrong.

'Go bring me back a cup of cool water

To cool my parched lips,' this cowboy then said.

Before I returned, his soul had departed

And gone to his Maker - the cowboy lay dead.

We swung our ropes slowly and rattled our spurs lowly,

And gave a wild whoop as we carried him on,

For we all loved our comrade, so brave, young and handsome,

We all loved our comrade, although he'd done wrong. 

~epic~

definition

long poems about heroes and their story of journeys

example

Beowulf

LO, praise of the prowess of people-kings
of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped,
we have heard, and what honor the athelings won!
Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes,
from many a tribe, the mead-bench tore,
awing the earls. Since erst he lay
friendless, a foundling, fate repaid him:
for he waxed under welkin, in wealth he throve,
till before him the folk, both far and near,
who house by the whale-path, heard his mandate,
gave him gifts: a good king he!
To him an heir was afterward born,
a son in his halls, whom heaven sent
to favor the folk, feeling their woe
that erst they had lacked an earl for leader
so long a while; the Lord endowed him,
the Wielder of Wonder, with world's renown.
Famed was this Beowulf: far flew the boast of him,
son of Scyld, in the Scandian lands.
So becomes it a youth to quit him well
with his father's friends, by fee and gift,
that to aid him, aged, in after days,
come warriors willing, should war draw nigh,
liegemen loyal: by lauded deeds
shall an earl have honor in every clan.
Forth he fared at the fated moment,

sturdy Scyld to the shelter of God.

Then they bore him over to ocean's billow,
loving clansmen, as late he charged them,
while wielded words the winsome Scyld,
the leader beloved who long had ruled….
In the roadstead rocked a ring-dight vessel,
ice-flecked, outbound, atheling's barge:
there laid they down their darling lord
on the breast of the boat, the breaker-of-rings,
by the mast the mighty one. Many a treasure
fetched from far was freighted with him.
No ship have I known so nobly dight
with weapons of war and weeds of battle,
with breastplate and blade: on his bosom lay
a heaped hoard that hence should go
far o'er the flood with him floating away.
No less these loaded the lordly gifts,
thanes' huge treasure, than those had done
who in former time forth had sent him
sole on the seas, a suckling child.
High o'er his head they hoist the standard,
a gold-wove banner; let billows take him,
gave him to ocean. Grave were their spirits,
mournful their mood. No man is able
to say in sooth, no son of the halls,
no hero 'neath heaven, - who harbored that freight! 

Charles Baudelaire

~lyric~

definition

form of poetry that rhyme, and express personal feelings of someone.

example

my heart sings

In the song of life, all lyrics need a melody.

You are the lyric and you are the melody.
You are the lyric of my heart and of my soul.

The beauty of the rose, speaks a lyric of love.
Love, speaks a lyric of you.
The silent lyric of goodness, echoes from within you.
My heart, speaks the lyric of love...to only you.

Let the words...the lyric...that bind, pass between us.
Let the lyric, of you...of me...be as one.

A million words I can speak of you and the lyrics
would be the same...I love you now. I always will

Joe Fazio

~sonnet~

definition

a poem contain fourteen lines, each line, there are 10 syllables.

example

A New Year's Sonnet

Wake up; Wake up, for a New Year is born!
Spring-time has come and the Oak has acorn;
Wake up; Wake up, for the sweet songs of Birds;
They twitter and chatter, flying in hordes.

Wake up; Wake up, for the meadow is green; 
The landscape is so bright, lively, serene; 
Wake up; Wake up, for the tall grass in dance,
To the tune of the Wind, marching perchance.

Wake up; Wake up, for the gorgeous flowers,
Have blossom'd after the Spring-time showers;
Wake up; Wake up, for the Sun has come out;
’Tis warm day indeed for running about.
Wake up; Wake up, for the weather is fine;
’Tis time you made peace with neighbours with wine 

~ode~

definition

a poem that celebrate something to show how grateful, thankful.

example

Ode to thanks

Thanks to the word
that says thanks!
Thanks to thanks,
word
that melts
iron and snow!
The world is a threatening place
until
thanks
makes the rounds
from one pair of lips to another,
soft as a bright
feather
and sweet as a petal of sugar,
filling the mouth with its sound
or else a mumbled
whisper.
Life becomes human again:
it’s no longer an open window.
A bit of brightness
strikes into the forest,
and we can sing again beneath the leaves.
Thanks, you’re the medicine we take
to save us from
the bite of scorn.
Your light brightens the altar of harshness.
Or maybe
a tapestry
known
to far distant peoples.
Travelers
fan out
into the wilds,
and in the jungle
of strangers,
merci
rings out
while the hustling train
changes countries,
sweeping away borders,
then spasibo
clinging to pointy
volcanoes, to fire and freezing cold,
or danke, yes! and gracias, and
the world turns into a table:
a single word has wiped it clean,
plates and glasses gleam,
silverware tinkles,
and the tablecloth is as broad as a plain.
Thank you, thanks,
for going out and returning,
for rising up
and settling down.
We know, thanks,
that you don’t fill every space-
you’re only a word-
but
where your little petal
appears
the daggers of pride take cover,

and there’s a penny’s worth of smiles.

~elegy~

definition

type of poem that written for the losts of someone, or about the sad past that is written in a sad and sorrow tone.

example

Joachim Du Bellay

"Elegy on His Cat"
I have not lost my rings, my purse,
My gold, my gems-my loss is worse,
One that the stoutest heart must move.
My pet, my joy, my little love,
My tiny kitten, my Belaud,
I lost, alas, three days ago.

~free verse~

definition

a poem that doesn't rhyme, break rules of poem. the writer just lets out the flow without tying into any poetry forms.

example

a song of myself
I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

I loafe and invite my soul,
I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass. 
My tongue, every atom of my blood, form'd from this soil, this air, 
Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their
parents the same,
I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,
Hoping to cease not till death. 

END OF TYPES OF POETRY

significance of types of poetry

in poetry world, there are many types of poetry, like above, and the importance of all types are making the poetry world more rich and plentiful with different kinds of types of poems. since poems are written in many types, the readers would enjoy poems more  because of each one's unique.