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Emotion in Poetry through use of personification |
I have a folder full of articles/lesson plans that I wrote about poetry and some major poetic devices, "Writing Poetry Writing Tips"  [ASR]. Although I addressed using sensory words and using the right word, I didn't tie the devices with emotion. The series on Emotion in Poetry will attempt to tie them together.I have discussed how to strengthen the emotion in poetry through alliteration, metaphor and/or simile, and allusion. This issue, I want to try to show how personification can be an emotion enhancer. Viv   Next week's editor will be Becky Simpson   Personificaiton Personification is the giving of human traits to non-human things that cannot have those traits. Dogs can experience fear; therefore, writing about a fearful dog is not personification. Clouds cannot experience anger; therefore, "angry clouds" is personification. Writing a poem about a talking cat may have personification, but that doesn't mean the personification enhances the emotion of the poetry. Therefore, we need to go more in depth to understand how the use of this poetic device can and should aid the emotions found in the words. Writing about dark, towering clouds may create a feeling of dread, but look what happens when we use personfication: The dark, towering clouds rumbled their anger As they smothered the frightened sky in blackness. Now the emotion - stronger, more pronounced - catches our attention. Of course anger is an emotion, but having the clouds exhibit the anger enhances it. I often use personification in my poetry, almost subconsciously, because it does add to the intensity of emotion: sighing tree branches, whispering winds, sleeping flowers, frightened sky. "The Chapel" Like a chapel on a rugged crag, its steeple pointing upward, My life doesn’t huddle protected in the valley Beneath trees that keep the blistering sun at bay. Walls of stone slow not the power of pounding wind. No, my chapel fights to withstand the snarling gales, Baking heat, and freezing chill, unshielded from attack. Yet, as I gaze around me, eyes wide in wonder At the panorama spread where e‘er I survey, The view is worth the struggle, strife, and pain. Where else can I see what beauty can be found? Unless I live above the clutter, near the clouds, Despite the storms that shake life’s walls, I would miss the majesty that can abound. The path to my mountain top may be steep Over the jagged teeth of angry rocks. Yet the trip merits the difficulty, the distress Even if a towering tempest hides the sun, For a rainbow will follow the rain someday, Even if the storm wipes the chapel away. copyright 2005 by Vivian Gilbert Zabel In the preceeding poem we find a fighting chapel and angry rocks, both images providing a battle-type emotion. Highlighted Items
In this poem sand, sea, and sky rejoice.
In a children's poem, a meatball stares from the plate.
The sunlight bathing a cat leaves a touch of personification.
A heart has no ability to grow weary or to talk, yet it does in this poem.
Here a steele blade smiles, how chilling.
Petals lift praise.
Where but in poetry can dew drops kiss?
And no where else can Death dance. Answers and Comments Last newsletter I asked how many lines does a poem in the Rictameter form require and how much rhyme. The first group of comments include answers to the question. Each person with the correct answer will receive 1,000 gift points. Thank you for entering, and also thanks for the kind comments given. mousybrown The ricameter has nine lines and no rhyme is required. Janne ♫ Princess Robyn ♫ The rictameter has nine lines, and no rhyming is required. (Which is great for non-rhyming writers, but a headache for someone like me. ) As always, thanks for the info and enlightenment, Robyn monty Nine lines, No rhyme.. Great Newsletter ♥Flower♥ Rictameter is a scheme similar to Cinquain. Starting your first line with a two syllable word, you then consecutively increase the number of syllables per line by two. i.e. 2,4,6,8,10 Then down again, 8,6,4,2 Making the final line the same two syllable word you began with. No ryhme required. (cannot wait to try it) InkyShadows For Rictameter poems, no rhyme is required at all. There are nine lines. The first has two syllables, and the syllable count increases by two each line until the fifth line when there are ten syllables, then the process reverses by decreasing the number of syllables by two until the ninth line contains just two syllables, like the first line. Rictameter is a fun form to work in. Everyone should give it a try from time to time. Mothermouse--come visit me Dear Viv I do love your poems although I don't care for the rictameter form all that much. I prefer a freer form with a rhyme. Answer to the question--9 lines and no rhyme necessary. Mariposa 9 lines, and no rhyme required! Thanks for a great newsletter, as always. fyn  9 and none... The following comments include some goofs and some praise. I appreciate both. Margaret Hi! I really like the article on the Rictameter. I like having the challenge of a new (to me) form of poetry as it gets me thinking 'outside the box'. Thank you and I look forward to the next newsletter! Kamie Hi, I have a suggestion. Sometimes I don't always have time to re-read the previous issue of the newsletter before the current issue, and comments in the current newsletter aren't always clear as to what they are refering to. In any case, it would be nice to see the "week's question" referenced in the current newsletter before the comments are listed. BTW, great newsletter. Thanks. R, Kamie hdelphyne To this week's editor (couldn't find a reference to your name. Where should I be looking?) I'm new to the site and just getting my feet wet with all the offerings. Poetry is something I have been dabbling in without even knowing what forms there are. I enjoyed your article on rictameter and the sample poems. Looking forward to introductions to other forms of poetic writing. Thea I always put my name toward the end of the first section and then again at the end of the newsletter. My name is Vivian Zabel, but most everyone calls me Viv. Other editors put their names in various places, and occasionally, some forget to identify themselves at all. Brians Next Novel Almost Done! Rictameter, eh? Seems like new forms of poetry are popping up all the time these days...will wonders never cease? Great NL! hdelphyne Just a question before I clean out my email box. Are these newsletters archived? Can I return to them somehow? Just want to know if I need to print 'keepers' like the info. on the Rictameter or if it is still accessible somehow after it leaves my mailbox. Thea I have the original static item of each of my newsletters in my port. Also all newsletters are archived, but I'm not sure how often SMs updates them. The link for the archived newsletters is
John~Ashen  Nice form featured this month, though you should give your copy a good scan to get rid of the typos. Ooops, John, you discovered my secret - I'm human with failings. I'm sorry, but I was very much in a hurry to get my newsletter submitted before I left town. I noticed that The Writer's Cramp became The Writer's Crampa. Ish! Dr M C Gupta  As suggested, I have written three rictameters. ISLAM, US & UN: 3 rectameters-- Entry #352749 in "MISCELLANEA" M C Gupta I wish you had given us the bitem link to your Rictameter poetry. Hopefully some readers will take the time to visit your port and find them. billwilcox Great Rictameter newsletter, Viv. You really did a fabulous job on the poems you wrote in that style. Of course my fairy poem wasn't completely politically correct, but it was done with tongue-in-cheek and I hope I didn't offend any daiseys or momma's boys...lol One thing about you, Bill, you never allow anyone to have a dull moment. You do enliven the place. The contest for this issue is to write a short poem with personification enhancing the emotion of the writing. If the poem is no more than four lines, you may include it in the feedback text box below. |
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