Black Voice News Online

Poetry Genre

Wednesday, 11 July 2007

Joseph A. Bailey, II, M.D.

Poetry is the art of expressing in oral or written metrical form specific far-vision thoughts, lofty feelings, and inspired passions. It is often checkered with an exaltative, imaginatively concrete, or an emotionally charged content. All of these types of poetry are under the canopy of the word "Genre" (a type of category of form or writing-from Latin genus, race). Poets of African and subsequent cultures-- by creating new forms, new combinations, or new arrangements for thinking, feeling, and perceiving--led people throughout the ages to enjoy, adjust to, and cope with the changing world. What Poets had in common was to do special things to elevate the human spirit; to impart a sense of beauty; to share; to inform; to persuade; to entertain; to express; to teach, instruct, educate; or serve as a call to action. Whereas Ancient African poetry was secular but mainly focused on supernatural and spiritual realms, early genres of Western culture were only secular (non-sacred). Early Egyptian secular poetry was represented by Lyrics-a spontaneous expression of feelings and emotions (e.g. love songs). Their off-shoots became odes, sonnets, sacred and secular songs, elergy, and simple lyrics. These are usually composed anonymously for some specific occasion-e.g. marriage, birth, a victory, or digging a new well. Some poems were long (e.g. Epics); others, short (Epitaphs).

Dramatic Poetry included Tragedy, Comedy, Farce, Opera, Melodrama, Mask, and Interlude. Narrative Poetry speaks to metrical romances, metrical tales, ballads, pastorals, and idylls. Epic Poetry recites some great and heroic enterprise, as is seen in Pentaur's works at the age of Rameses II (1304-1237 BC). Egyptian literature in particular formed the background for the biblical writings and especially for the OT (Old Testament)-one of the greatest of all poetic books. Despite the translation forms, the poetic passages of the Bible revealed God to man and expressed man's love and adoration toward God. The book of Psalms contains the great devotional poetry of the OT. Didactic Poetry concerns practical moral reflections (e.g. Ecclesiastes). Satiric Poetry appeals persuasively to the emotions (e.g. Proverbs and Job). Many say Job is the greatest poem in the OT and one of the greatest in literature. It includes lyric, dramatic, and didactic poetry. Prophetic Rhetoric (poetry that alternates with prose in the prophetic books) is impassioned protests (e. g. of invading armies).

Meanwhile, the derivative and younger rival of Poetry was termed Prose-a distinction, like that between Poetry and Verse, remaining in conflict from olden times to the present. Today, Prose embraces Fiction (e.g. novels, stories of imaginary people or events), Non-fiction (e.g. biographies, history), Narration (the art of telling a story or about an event), and Exposition (the art of conveying information). By being at a lower sophistication level than Poetry, Verse is often contrasted with Prose. Verse is rhythmical and often rhymed composition but silent on the merits of the composition. In general, if the substance is lacking, it is called Verse. Free Verse is Poems having no rhyme, no regular stanzas, or no regular rhythm-- but consisting of a unified series of precise images. If the form is lacking to the substance, it is called Poetic Prose. Yet, poetry often uses some of the same patterns typical of Verse (e.g. meter and rhyme). However, these terms are elastic in that they "stretch" and overlap. Nevertheless, despite different ways of identifying genres, the lines between them, their time of origin, and who originated them are either hazy or unknown.

website: www.jablifeskills.com

Joseph A. Bailey, II, M.D.