Poetry Newsletter - January 19, 2005

         First, I owe pcombs an apology: I ignorantly called him a her in the last issue I edited. I'm sorry, Dom. Please forgive me.

         Last issue I said I would start a series about how we can use poetic language and devices to create emotion when writing poetry.

         I decided to do a newsletter issue on emotion in poetry then one on a form of poetry. Then the next issue on emotion in poetry again, and the one following on a poetry form.

         Bianca Boonstra, who was a member on Writing.Com for a long time, shared her extensive file on the different forms of poetry with me and gave me permission to use her research. Therefore, the two series of editorials will "take turns" being highlighted.

Viv

Using Alliteration to Create Emotion

         Poetic devices, when used with imaginative language, help create emotion in poetry. Let's look at alliteration first.

         "What in the world is alliteration?" the student of poetry asks. "It sounds like something that would make me itch or something."

          Not at all, but it might tickle your ears. Alliteration, generally, is the repetition of a beginning sound (a constanant beginning sound usually} that occur close enough to each other to catch the eye and ear.

Little boy blue, come blow your horn. from Mother Goose is an excellent example of alliteration, all those lovely b's close together.

         "Fine and dandy," the student asks, "but where is any emotion in that?"

          Just give me time, and I'll get there. Ish, some people are so impatient.

         Now if we take some alliteration and mix it together with language portraying the mood or emotion we want, voila!

Like gaudily wrapped gifts
gathering dust in the back of my mind,
memories tease me mercilessly.

         The lines above invoke a sense of playfulness, maybe a bit of happiness, by using the words gaudily wrapped gifts and tease. But they also leave a lingering sense of sadness with the words gathering dust. Both emotions, though, are strengthened and joined with the use of alliteration: gaudily, gifts, gathering; mind, memories, me, mercilessly.

         Let's look at some other examples.

Dull, drab day, you dump piles
Of sorrow on seemingly somnolent life.

         The emotion created by those two lines is depression or sadness. Again the alliteration makes the emotion stronger.

         "Okay, I think I'm beginning to get the picture," the student admits.

         Then let's look at one more example, shall we?

Gaily, giggling girls cluster together
as if birds tweetering on branches of trees.

         Here we have happiness showing through the alliteration.

         To help know more about this poetic device and others, as well as some ideas about using poetic language, you might take a peek at the following items:

Poetry Terms and Devices  (E) Identifying major poetry terms and devices #662052 by Vivian

Sensory Words  (E) Addressing the need to use sensory words in poetry #662095 by Vivian

Sensory Emotion Poem  (E) Using sensory words to create poetry #664584 by Vivian

Mood in Poetry  (E) Setting the mood in poetry by the use of appropriate imagery #665030 by Vivian

Using the Right Word  (E) Using the right word is necessary for precise, exact writing and imagery #665056 by Vivian

Highlited Items for Your Enjoyment

         The following writer uses alliteration to help create emotion in their poems:

STATIC

Silence  (ASR) Exploring silence through alliteration... #343321 by Fictiøn Ðiva the Wørd Weava

         I know there have to be many more poems that use alliteration to help create emotion. If you have one, please send me the bitem link.

Poetry Contests I discovered: (only one is still valid)

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #513897 by Not Available.

Wonderful Feedback

Submitted By: cisplatin


Hi Viv!
I don´t know why, but I didn´t start subscribing to the Poetry NL until a couple of weeks ago...so stupid!...this means I missed your NL on the pantoum and virelay, and I´d love to see it.Is there any chance you could mail it to me??
The NL´s are wonderful; I´m really looking forward to the next one on poetic language and devices - it´s so crucial to poetry!
Happy New Year
Mims

I hope you enjoyed that newsletter, which I forwarded to you. Thanks for subscribing. Now, if we can get find some more people to subscribe. ~~ Viv

Until next time, read and write beautiful poetry.