For definitions, examples in context, and review of the literary devices analyzed in the poems presented, please refer to this website:
http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Shape Poems, Example 1
Often disregarded as childish, and hokey, quite the opposite is true of sophisticated shape poems. Shape poems are what they sound like, poems created in the shape of something that adds meaning to the piece. The shape of the poem is often integral to the poem and its meaning. Shape poems are also called concrete poems.
Acrobats by Ian Hamilton Finlay
This poem by Ian Hamilton Finlay displays not only elements of concrete poetry, as the shape of the piece and layout of the typography is integral to the piece, but also elements of dada poetry. The poem is meant to convey acrobats, and the motion and fluidity, as well as uncertainty in their profession. There is strong motion as well as confusion conveyed in the poem, all adding to the meaning of the piece. The black and white bold text and strong geometric values add to the piece as well. In many ways, Hamilton's poem is as much an art piece as it is a literary work. There is repitition of letters in the piece, but the most prevalent and powerful device in the piece is the typography.
Acrobats by Ian Hamilton Finlay
This poem by Ian Hamilton Finlay displays not only elements of concrete poetry, as the shape of the piece and layout of the typography is integral to the piece, but also elements of dada poetry. The poem is meant to convey acrobats, and the motion and fluidity, as well as uncertainty in their profession. There is strong motion as well as confusion conveyed in the poem, all adding to the meaning of the piece. The black and white bold text and strong geometric values add to the piece as well. In many ways, Hamilton's poem is as much an art piece as it is a literary work. There is repitition of letters in the piece, but the most prevalent and powerful device in the piece is the typography.
Sestina Example 2
Analyze this one!
Sestina
by Algernon Charles Swinburne
I saw my soul at rest upon a day
As a bird sleeping in the nest of night,
Among soft leaves that give the starlight way
To touch its wings but not its eyes with light;
So that it knew as one in visions may,
And knew not as men waking, of delight.
This was the measure of my soul’s delight;
It had no power of joy to fly by day,
Nor part in the large lordship of the light;
But in a secret moon-beholden way
Had all its will of dreams and pleasant night,
And all the love and life that sleepers may.
But such life’s triumph as men waking may
It might not have to feed its faint delight
Between the stars by night and sun by day,
Shut up with green leaves and a little light;
Because its way was as a lost star’s way,
A world’s not wholly known of day or night.
All loves and dreams and sounds and gleams of night
Made it all music that such minstrels may,
And all they had they gave it of delight;
But in the full face of the fire of day
What place shall be for any starry light,
What part of heaven in all the wide sun’s way?
Yet the soul woke not, sleeping by the way,
Watched as a nursling of the large-eyed night,
And sought no strength nor knowledge of the day,
Nor closer touch conclusive of delight,
Nor mightier joy nor truer than dreamers may,
Nor more of song than they, nor more of light.
For who sleeps once and sees the secret light
Whereby sleep shows the soul a fairer way
Between the rise and rest of day and night,
Shall care no more to fare as all men may,
But be his place of pain or of delight,
There shall he dwell, beholding night as day.
Song, have thy day and take thy fill of light
Before the night be fallen across thy way;
Sing while he may, man hath no long delight.
Sestina
by Algernon Charles Swinburne
I saw my soul at rest upon a day
As a bird sleeping in the nest of night,
Among soft leaves that give the starlight way
To touch its wings but not its eyes with light;
So that it knew as one in visions may,
And knew not as men waking, of delight.
This was the measure of my soul’s delight;
It had no power of joy to fly by day,
Nor part in the large lordship of the light;
But in a secret moon-beholden way
Had all its will of dreams and pleasant night,
And all the love and life that sleepers may.
But such life’s triumph as men waking may
It might not have to feed its faint delight
Between the stars by night and sun by day,
Shut up with green leaves and a little light;
Because its way was as a lost star’s way,
A world’s not wholly known of day or night.
All loves and dreams and sounds and gleams of night
Made it all music that such minstrels may,
And all they had they gave it of delight;
But in the full face of the fire of day
What place shall be for any starry light,
What part of heaven in all the wide sun’s way?
Yet the soul woke not, sleeping by the way,
Watched as a nursling of the large-eyed night,
And sought no strength nor knowledge of the day,
Nor closer touch conclusive of delight,
Nor mightier joy nor truer than dreamers may,
Nor more of song than they, nor more of light.
For who sleeps once and sees the secret light
Whereby sleep shows the soul a fairer way
Between the rise and rest of day and night,
Shall care no more to fare as all men may,
But be his place of pain or of delight,
There shall he dwell, beholding night as day.
Song, have thy day and take thy fill of light
Before the night be fallen across thy way;
Sing while he may, man hath no long delight.
Sestina, Example 1
Sestina: Altaforte
by Ezra PoundLoquitur: En Bertrans de Born. Dante Alighieri put this man in hell for that he was a stirrer-up of strife. Eccovi! Judge ye! Have I dug him up again? The scene is at his castle, Altaforte.
"Papiols" is his jouleur. "The Leopard," the device of Richard (Coeur de Lion).
I
Damn it all! all this our South stinks peace.
You whoreson dog, Papiols, come! Let¹s to music!
I have no life save when swords clash.
But ah! when I see the standards gold, vair,purple,opposing
And the broad fields beneath them turn crimson,
Then howel I my heart nigh mad rejoying.
II
In hot summer have I great rejoicing
When tempests kill the earth¹s foul peace,
And the light¹nings from black heav¹n flash crimson,
And the fierce thunders roar me their music
And the winds shriek through the clouds mad, opposing,
And through all the riven God¹s swords clash.
III
Hell grant soon we hear again the swords clash!
And the shrill neighs of destriers in battle rejoicing,
Spiked breast to spiked breast opposing!
Better one hour¹s stour than a year¹s peace
With fat boards, bawds, wine and frail music!
Bah! there¹s no wine like the blood¹s crimson!
IV
And I love to see the sun rise blood-crimson.
And I watch his spears throught he dark clash
and it fills my heart with rejoycing
And pries wide my mouth with fast music
When I see him so scorn and defy peace,
His lone might Œgainst all darkmess opposing.
V
The man who fears war and squats opposing
My words for stour, hath no blood of crimson
But it is fit only to rotin womanish peace
Far from where worth¹s won and the swords clash
For the death of sluts I go rejoicing;
Yea, I fill all the air with my music.
VI
Papiols, Papiols, to the music!
There¹s no sound like to swords swords opposing,
No cry like the battle¹s rejoicing
When our elbows and swords drip the crimson
And our charges Œgainst "The Leopard's" rush clash.
May God damn for ever all who cry "Peace!"
VII
And let the music of the swords make them crimson!
Hell grant soon we hear again the swords clash!
Hell blot black for always the thought "Peace"!
Sestina: Altaforte is a poem filled with masculine energy. The speaker regards peace as "womanish," and each time he refers to the idea of peace, it is in a negative context: "May God damn for ever all who cry 'Peace!'" "earth's foul peace," etc. Also intriguing is his use of "music," another repeated word. To the speaker, "music," is not the sweet harmonious sounds one might associate with the word, but the clanging sounds of war. Repition is incredibly important in sestina's, as the last word of each line is repeated in each stanza, in a different order. Here, the words all relate to the theme of war and peace, especially in the context they are in. The imagery of "crimson," a vivid color, brings to mind bloodiness. There is also cacophany found in words like "clash," "crimson," "destoryers," "breast," and others in the piece. Alliteration is seen in the piece, with pairings such as "blot black," "where worth's won," and "boards, bawds." Elision is also notable in the poem, as seen in stanza six, against is turned to "'gainst." There is also an allusion in the beggining of the poem to Dante's Inferno which is regarded as one of the most concrete literary suggestions of hell.
Here is a dramatic reading of Sestina: Altaforte
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEhgX3e8b4M
by Ezra PoundLoquitur: En Bertrans de Born. Dante Alighieri put this man in hell for that he was a stirrer-up of strife. Eccovi! Judge ye! Have I dug him up again? The scene is at his castle, Altaforte.
"Papiols" is his jouleur. "The Leopard," the device of Richard (Coeur de Lion).
I
Damn it all! all this our South stinks peace.
You whoreson dog, Papiols, come! Let¹s to music!
I have no life save when swords clash.
But ah! when I see the standards gold, vair,purple,opposing
And the broad fields beneath them turn crimson,
Then howel I my heart nigh mad rejoying.
II
In hot summer have I great rejoicing
When tempests kill the earth¹s foul peace,
And the light¹nings from black heav¹n flash crimson,
And the fierce thunders roar me their music
And the winds shriek through the clouds mad, opposing,
And through all the riven God¹s swords clash.
III
Hell grant soon we hear again the swords clash!
And the shrill neighs of destriers in battle rejoicing,
Spiked breast to spiked breast opposing!
Better one hour¹s stour than a year¹s peace
With fat boards, bawds, wine and frail music!
Bah! there¹s no wine like the blood¹s crimson!
IV
And I love to see the sun rise blood-crimson.
And I watch his spears throught he dark clash
and it fills my heart with rejoycing
And pries wide my mouth with fast music
When I see him so scorn and defy peace,
His lone might Œgainst all darkmess opposing.
V
The man who fears war and squats opposing
My words for stour, hath no blood of crimson
But it is fit only to rotin womanish peace
Far from where worth¹s won and the swords clash
For the death of sluts I go rejoicing;
Yea, I fill all the air with my music.
VI
Papiols, Papiols, to the music!
There¹s no sound like to swords swords opposing,
No cry like the battle¹s rejoicing
When our elbows and swords drip the crimson
And our charges Œgainst "The Leopard's" rush clash.
May God damn for ever all who cry "Peace!"
VII
And let the music of the swords make them crimson!
Hell grant soon we hear again the swords clash!
Hell blot black for always the thought "Peace"!
Sestina: Altaforte is a poem filled with masculine energy. The speaker regards peace as "womanish," and each time he refers to the idea of peace, it is in a negative context: "May God damn for ever all who cry 'Peace!'" "earth's foul peace," etc. Also intriguing is his use of "music," another repeated word. To the speaker, "music," is not the sweet harmonious sounds one might associate with the word, but the clanging sounds of war. Repition is incredibly important in sestina's, as the last word of each line is repeated in each stanza, in a different order. Here, the words all relate to the theme of war and peace, especially in the context they are in. The imagery of "crimson," a vivid color, brings to mind bloodiness. There is also cacophany found in words like "clash," "crimson," "destoryers," "breast," and others in the piece. Alliteration is seen in the piece, with pairings such as "blot black," "where worth's won," and "boards, bawds." Elision is also notable in the poem, as seen in stanza six, against is turned to "'gainst." There is also an allusion in the beggining of the poem to Dante's Inferno which is regarded as one of the most concrete literary suggestions of hell.
Here is a dramatic reading of Sestina: Altaforte
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEhgX3e8b4M
Sestina
Sestina's consist of six, six line stanzas followed by a tercet (three lines). From Wikipedia: " The same set of six words ends the lines of each of the six-line stanzas, but in a different order each time; if we number the first stanza's lines 123456, then the words ending the second stanza's lines appear in the order 615243, then 364125, then 532614, then 451362, and finally 246531. This organization is referred to as retrogradatio cruciata ("retrograde cross"). These six words then appear in the tercet as well, with the tercet's first line usually containing 6 and 2, its second 1 and 4, and its third 5 and 3 (but other versions exist, described below"
The chart below is useful in understanding the structure of sestinas.
The chart below is useful in understanding the structure of sestinas.
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