Appreciating poetry
What is the inherent purpose of poems? (Part-2)

The English Literature class in school is enjoyed by most students because it does not weigh very heavily on their minds. Is this then the inherent purpose of literature? To lull you into enjoying a piece which is solely the creation of somebody’s mind? Poetry, to me, is a rendering of the inner mind in words. It’s comparable with an artist painting something which has touched his soul or his mind. Like the artist, the poet uses various devices to convey his message or his feelings across.

So, once you have understood the meaning of the poem broadly and have identified the purpose of the poet, you can go on to understanding the finer aspects to understanding poetry. While studying poetry in school we are taught about some basic devices like the kinds of verses, alliteration, rhythm, metaphor, simile and irony. (There are of course many more that exist and can be taken up in detail by the poetry buff). We can think of these devices as props. They help the poet to accomplish the musical and the incantatory effect.

Shelley in his famous ‘Ode’ series has vested the object of his devotion, with various powers. In fact the very words ‘Ode to …’ should make us think about the intensity of the subject. Imagine having an entire poem dedicated to you! So, how does the poet achieve his goal? S/He compares it with something equally magnificent.

The Ode to the West Wind makes a wonderful study of similes and metaphors. The West Wind is called a ‘Wild Spirit’, a destroyer and a preserver, takes on almost godlike qualities. The poet goes on to use imagery and compares the spread of the wind to the locks of Maenad. What happens when the poet uses such an image? It helps us to visualise the scene in our minds. This facilitates the understanding of the meaning; and also virtually transports us to the scene of the event. Personification is another frequently used device.

The Ode is an excellent example of this tool. Here the West Wind is given an independent character and is addressed directly. It is interesting to note that this poem has nearly nine similes and 22 metaphors and four instances of alliteration.

Some poems are openly didactic, some flights of fancy, some are based on deep emotions like love, hatred, patriotism etc and may or may not have a message for us. Also, some poets get typified. Like Wordsworth classically falls into the category of Romantic poets as his poetry is about nature and love with an emphasis on the personal experience. John Donne is known for his love sonnets. It’s important to remember that poets write all kinds of poetry but they are remembered for the memorable ones and those may be of a particular kind.

There are types of poetry in existence and can be segregated on the basis of the subject and the style. We have a type called the ABC poem which runs something like this: "A lthough things are not perfect, B ecause of trial or pain, C ontinue in thanksgiving … —author unknown.

The other standard types are ballads, which narrate a story, the burlesque that treats a serious subject humourously, the cinquain which is poetry with five lines, the elegy which is a sad poem about the passing away of a person, the epic which an extensive serious poem about a heroic figure for example the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer.

The pastoral and the idyll depict a peaceful country life. The sonnet consists of 14 lines. There are nearly 51 forms of poetry available and at least half of them are sure to come your way in life.