These definitions apply to words and phrases we use to create poetry.
Alliteration: A repetition of the same sound at the beginning of words placed closely to one another.
Assonance: A type of rhyme in which the vowels are stressed, but not the consonants of the rhyme words. (example-hat and cap)
Cacophony: A harsh or unpleasand sound deliberately using rough meter or clashing vowels.
Consonance: A form of rhyme in which the consonants are stressed, but the vowels are not (example-ride and raid)
Euphemism: A word or term used because it is less offensive than the more direct or candid alternative (he passed away instead of he dropped dead)
Hyperbole: Deliberate exaggeration not intended to be taken seriously.
Internal Rhyme: Rhyme that occurs within a line or lines instead of at the end.
Metaphor: Use of a word or phrase to represent another concept, idea or object (example-the bird was a wailing siren or the train was a speeding bullet). Metaphors differ from similies in that the writer does not soften the parallel by using the words 'like' or 'as', etc.
Metonymy: Use of substitue word to stand for the actual name of a thing or person.
Onomatopoeia: Use of words that imitate the sound of the thing they refer too.
Periphrasis: Very indirect way of saying something.
Personification: Attributing human qualities to an animal, plant, object or another inhuman thing.
Simile: Comparing two words, terms or concepts with use of the words 'like' or 'as'. These are similiar to metaphors but the comparison is made much more clearly.
Trope: Any figure of speech in which a word or phrase is used in an improper, unusual or unexpected sense (a metaphor, simile, hyperbole or metonymy could be trope)
Labels: language, tools, writing
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Villanelle: A poem with six stanzas. The first five stanzas have three lines with a rhyme scheme of aba and the final stanza has four lines with a rhyme scheme of abaa.
Sonnet: A poem which contains 14 lines each of which contains 10 syllables. A Sonnet is usually written in a particular meter (iambic pentameter) and have a rhyme scheme of abab cded efef gg.
Ode: An elaborate lyric poem celebrating or praising an object or concept.
Limerick: A five line poem with structure and meter that lines 1, 2 and 5 have three beats and a rhyme scheme of aa bb a and lines 3 and 4 contain two beats that rhyme.
Haiku: A poem that presents an image, usually something in nature consisting of 17 syllables and made up of three lines. Counting the syllables five in the the first line, seven in the second line and 5 in the third line.
Free Verse: A poem that the verse can not be described in terms of meter, and may be irregular or sporadic.
Epitaph: A poem written to be inscribed on a tomb stone or grave marker.
Epistle: A poem in the form of a letter that addresses a specific person but extends its message to the world in general.
Epic: A long narrative poem usually on a mythological, historical or religious topic.
Elegy: A solemn dignified poem usually on a mythological, historical or religious topic.
Concrete: A way of structuring words so that they form a visual representation of their meaning.
Cinquain: A poem with five lines structured in such a way that the first line contain 2 syllables, the second line contains 4 syllables, the third line contains 6 syllables, the fourth line contains 8 syllables, and the fifth line contains 2 syllables. (Can be multiple sets of five lines done this way.)
Ballad: A brief narrative poem that is constructed in four line stanzas and has a rhyme pattern of the second and fourth lines.
Acrostic: A poem in which the letters of the subject word are written vertically down and the thoughts on the subject are written horizontally next to each letter so that each phrase or sentence begins with a letter of the subject word.
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These definitions apply to the point of view from which we write our words.
Apostrophe: A voice that addresses something that can not answer.
Dramatic Voice: Manner of speaking in which the writer pretends to be other people, animals, plants, or objects and presents their thoughts, feelings or actions.
Conversation: A piece that is presented as a dialogue between two people or objects.
Lyrical Voice: Originally the term 'lyric' simply referred to a poem that was intended to be sung. The lyric voice is seperated from the dramatic and narrative voices by the notion that the poem expresses the actual feelings of personal observations of the writer who is generally speaking in the first-person.
Narrative Voice: Manner of speaking which relays a story without any specific reference to the writer's feelings or personal observations.
Personna: A mask or alternate identity assumed by the writer. The writer will speak in the first-person for some other person or character.
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These definitions apply to the way in which we put words, phrases and lines together to create sections of a poem.
Canto: Major division of a long poem.
Chiasmus: Inversion or reversal of regular word order in successive phrases.
Couplet: Two adjacent lines of poetry that from a complete unit due to end rhyme, rhyme or meaning.
Enjambent: The sense or meaning of one line running over into the next line.
Line: The basic unit of a poem that a line ends when its momentum ends, not necessarily where a sentence or grammatical structure would end.
Parataxis: A way of placing words or phrases so that two images are merely stuck next to one another without any connective or explanation (like-my wrinkled hand or the bark of an old oak).
Quatrain: Four lines of poetry that form a complete unit through end rhyme, rhyme or meaning.
Refrain: A line or lines repeated at the end of several successive stanzas.
Stanza: Any distinct grouping of lines in a poem, usually occurring in the same number (couplets, tercets and quatrains are all types of stanzas).
Tercet: Three lines of poetry that form a complete unit due to end rhyme, rhyme or meaning.
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These definitions apply to the number of beats or syllables in a line or word and the way in which we stress certain sounds when we speak.
Accent: A regular recurring stress in a line of poetry.
Anapest: A foot consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable.
Cadence: A recurring rhythmical unit that does not have a strict meter.
Caesura: A natual pause in a line of poetry.
Daetyl: A foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables.
Ellision: A deliberate omission of a foot or syllablle to make a line conform to a certain meter.
Foot: A rhythmic unit in a line of poetry usually consisting of two or three syllables.
Lamb: A foot consisting of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one. This is the most common type of foot in poety.
Iambie Pentameter: A meter in which each line consists of five feet eah of which has an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one. This the most common meter in poetry.
Meter: A way of describing rhythm by finding patterns of stresses in words. The meter also measures the rhythm.
Spondee: A foot with two stressed syllables.
Stress: Emphases on a particular syllable of a word.
Trochee: A foot consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable.
Labels: Meterical, Rythmic, tools, writing
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Prose [Lat. prosa oratio=straightforward, or direct, speech]
meaningful and grammatical written or spoken language that does not utilize the metrical structure, word transposition, or rhyme characteristic of poetry or verse; it is, however, raised above the level of lifeless composition or commonplace conversation by the use of balance, rhythm, repetition, and antithesis. In literature, prose is the usual mode of expression in such forms as the novel, short story, essay, letter (epistle), history, biography, sermon, and oration. ~Answers.com
(My Example of a Prose)
Worn ...she was haggard taking a seat on the empty bench. There wouldn't be a bus by here again tonight. Swaying back and forth to the music that played in her mind. It mattered not if anyone approached or was near by watching, all that mattered to her was gone. There was nothing but the silence and a shell once called a body. Her gaunt, wrinkled fingers moved in the air, her boney wrists delicately floating, moving along the invisible keys. The old worn coat did its job in breaking the wind tonight but off with it and quickly removing the ribbon that held her long grey hair in place. Not another soul would hear what was making her stand, causing her to move, and twirl in her drawn, dingy yellow chiffon, with her messy hair tangling around her neck. She heard the sorrow that homed itself within. On she danced with tired, scuffed shoes and torn nylons rolled to her ankles. There was not a smile, there was not charm, she simply moved to be moving, she moved to forget until her mind was as blank as the picture being created with the non existing canvas, never really appearing, the visions, the notes simply flurried away. Copyrighted 2005 Cynthia E. Jones
My thoughts are that Prose is very different from Free Verse or Free Form. A Free Verse poem will still have some sort of structure and dynamic that will give the reader the idea they have been presented a poem. A prose may be poetically written without any structure, style or form in mind.
More thoughts ...Could it be possible the 'rules' are actually coming from the artist, or the artist is not writing with rules. This is often how I write before I even realize it and maybe most of my poems would be considered free verse. I do disagree with many writers that have stated too many 'poets' today are really writing prose and calling it a poem. A poem or poetry is just that and exactly what we make of it or intend it to be. I could certainly have a thought and write it poetically with only two simple lines. If it does not meet the rules of writing, is it not a poem to me?
What is art? I have always thought art is something that may strike controversy. If it has our attention and we are giving it our thought, perhaps it has done it's job, be it a poem or prose, it is something descriptive and artistically written.
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- Begin reading to our children when they are babies and keep reading to them. Encourage painting and drawing, this will lead to them making letters. Be a positive inspiration to children by showing them in good example with your own love for books. Give to them good literary habits.
- As a tutor encourage a check-list for capitals, punctuation and spelling. The writer should read their work out loud. Is the writing clear, comprehensive and understandable? Always proof read writen work more then once and ask someone else to read it too.
- Get a friend or join a support group to practice reading out loud. This is sometimes one of the most painful concepts when one has literary weaknesses. Reading out loud will surely strengthen reading, writing and social skills.
- Something that is very helpful and private is to have a diary or journal just for your thoughts. You can use this to perfect what you are working on and also a tutor can encourage note keeping to show visible growth and progress.
- A visit to the library can introduce an array of literary tools that far exceed books. Certainly there will be resource material for any one at any level or age group with limited literary skills.
- A book club introduces literature that perhaps would not be considered otherwise. There is also that encouragement to finish a book in its entirety and to understand what we have read so that we can participate in the discussion group. There are different reading levels and age groups to consider.
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Let's Get Kids Writing - Short stories by children reveal interesting
new ideas...
helps parents guide their children writing short stories to improve literacy and social skills. It includes tips on keyboarding, elements of a story, motivation and help for work-at-home moms and dads.When parents join their children in the typing or keyboarding of short stories, everybody wins.
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The Key: A Newspaper written for new readers. The Key provides reading material for adults with limited reading skills. These include adults who have not completed their high school educations, those learning English and those with learning disabilities.
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Between the Lions: A fun site directed rather to the Parent teaching their child to read. Many elements are made available to assist in building literary skills along with ideas on introducing words and books to new readers.
Labels: literacy, literature, reading, writing
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Creative Writing?
Authored by Cynthia Jones
The distinction rather a piece of writing is indeed creative or not can be argued and is a controversial issue in literary circles. Often times, leaving the proclamation up to the reader if a piece is to be considered creative or not.
The above is a good example of how someone can without deliberation hinder a writer from continuing on and perhaps growing more creatively. Too much emphasis is then put on the quality and not enough is directed toward the effort, and in a nut shell can be a determining factor of literacy and literary maturity.
In my opinion, when one writes they are certain to use a form of creativity. Creative writing does cover a large spectrum of forms. When writing fiction, drama, poetry, prose, screenwriting, autobiographies, one is using creative writing.
The list does go on. It can be the two paragraph caption that you add to your photo in your gallery. Perhaps you have written a one page story about all that has gone into the restoration of your 1968 Mustang. You might even have a complete website detailing the 'how to' and 'how not to' win awards. It is the creativity in the technique that will give audience or not, and bestow a voice upon the words. Finding the right word to say what you want takes imagination, thought and flare. In essence, your artistry is involved in creating a piece of writing. Now you are writing creatively.
There are other forms of writing that are considered separate from creative writing. While I tend to believe there is always room for the creative side, once explained I think you will agree to the need of creative absence when using one of the following examples to write.
Take for instance technical writing, a form of writing that is used when writing instructions or assembly directions, hardware and software documentation, online help, technical definitions and technical product descriptions on Web sites. Most often with little time and preparation, the needed writing is completed and therefore referred to as technical. There is little room to deviate from the subject. The author does not have time to develop a persona or voice to his words, nor should he as it is crucial the work he/she is creating must be void of manipulation but clearly understood by the mass.
As with professional writing, used for reports, position papers, policy statements and academic or scientific journals. One can easily understand why professionalism is an absolute necessity in these types of documentation. Should the author approach personal opinion the document may not serve its purpose.
Journalistic writing is clearly based on facts. It is the presentation that has been described as an artistic expression. We are also reminded of the wordage 'Just the facts Mam'. Although journalism does deal with facts and stays true to the subject, how that subject is presented to the public is what makes creativity. That is the art of the personality that is actually doing the reporting or reading of the piece that is written.
The argument here may begin when someone is blogging a fact. If it was written with facts only, it may not be that interesting and would lack a certain appeal to be read. That is why the author will most likely decide to add their opinion or take on the matter with some extra flare.
It may be creative with their thoughts involved and we might really enjoy reading what is written, however it is clearly marked then as creative writing and can not be considered true journalism. Most are already familiar with the rule, when writing the news, only write the news and not how you feel about it. Describing how you feel about it is using your thoughts, your imagination and flare, making it creative.
I found the following definition on line and I love it!
Creative writing is a term used to distinguish certain types of writing from writing in general. The lack of specificity of the term is partly intentional, designed to make the process of writing accessible to everyone and to ensure that non-traditional, or traditionally low-status writing (for example, writing by marginalized social groups, experimental writing, genre fiction) is not excluded from academic consideration or dismissed as trivial.
Labels: article, creative, writing
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-LitKorner-
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In Writing November, 2004 literary reads from yesterdays to lift us, to inspire us, to improve upon and grace our minds for tomorrow...> My daughter Ashley, a junior in high school, had to deliver 'The Gettysburg Address' both vigilantly and accurately. It was her assignment that brought this piece of literature to light for me again after all these years. It touched me greatly that the words written so very long ago could be the very words written today for our own comfort and solace. The Gettysburg AddressNov. 19, 1863
Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Yet, after all, though the problems are new, though the tasks set before us differ from the tasks set before our fathers who founded and preserved this Republic, the spirit in which these tasks must be undertaken and these problems faced, if our duty is to be well done, remains essentially unchanged. We know that self-government is difficult. We know that no people needs such high traits of character as that people which seeks to govern its affairs aright through the freely expressed will of the freemen who compose it. But we have faith that we shall not prove false to the memories of the men of the mighty past. They did their work, they left us the splendid heritage we now enjoy. We in our turn have an assured confidence that we shall be able to leave this heritage unwasted and enlarged to our children and our children's children. To do so we must show, not merely in great crises, but in the everyday affairs of life, the qualities of practical intelligence, of courage, of hardihood, and endurance, and above all the power of devotion to a lofty ideal, which made great the men who founded this Republic in the days of Washington, which made great the men who preserved this Republic in the days of Abraham Lincoln.
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Labels: article, litkorner2004, writing
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Personal Poetry
Whispers.. Darkness.. Purple Moon.. Military Woman.. Red, White, and Blue..
He
Lives.. She.. Undead Chant.. Time.. Life Storms.. How's
Mine?..
My
River.. Leading Light.. A Father's Love.. Our Moon.. When Autumn Fades.. And
I Weep..
My Love Letter.. Untold.. Perverse... Unclean.. My Sanctuary.. In The Spring..
Writing Tools Defined
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LitKorner Articles
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