What Is Poetry?

When we begin analyzing the basic elements of poetry, we should first know what poetry is all about in the first place. Poetry can be defined as ‘literature in a metrical form’ or ‘a composition forming rhythmic lines’. In short, a poem is something that follows a particular flow of rhythm and meter. Compared to prose, where there is no such restriction, and the content of the piece flows according to story, a poem may or may not have a story, but definitely has a structured method of writing.

Elements of poetry

1.       Rhythm

 This is the music made by the statements of the poem, which includes the syllables in the lines. The best method of understanding this is to read the poem aloud. Listen for the sounds and the music made when we hear the lines spoken aloud.

2.       Meter

 This is the basic structural make-up of the poem. Do the syllables match with each other? Every line in the poem must adhere to this structure.

3.       Rhyme

 A poem may or may not have a rhyme. When you write poetry that has rhyme, it means that the last words of the lines match with each other in some form.

4.       Alliteration

         This is also used in several poems for sound effect. Several words in the sentence may begin  with the same alphabet or syllable sound.

5.       Simile

        A simile is a method of comparison using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’.

6.       Metaphor

         A metaphor is a method of comparison where the words ‘like’ and ‘as’ are not used.

7.       Theme

        This is what the poem is all about. The theme of the poem is the central idea that the poet wants to convey. It can be a story, or a thought, or a description of something or someone – anything which is what the poem is all about.

8.       Symbolism

        Often poems will convey ideas and thoughts using symbols. A symbol can stand for many things at one time and leads the reader out of a systematic and structured method of looking at things.

9.       Conclusion
        These are the basic elements of poetry. They are an essential part of what any good poem is all about, structurally.