What is a poem? They way a particular poem appears on the page is commonly refered to as the lay-out, and the way the speaker of the poem sounds is commonly referred to as the tone quality. Any excellent poetic piece makes intense usage of semantics, or the use of specific language/words to convey a particular meaning which results in a far more intense understanding commonly found in a poem, or prose.
As we dive in to poetry, ask yourself these questions:
- What is the poem about?
- Who is the voice speaking in the poem?
- To whom is the poem addressed?
- How is the poem written?
- Why has the poem been written?
Here is a good poem to start with:
The Weaver
My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me,
I cannot choose the colors He worketh steadily.
Oft times He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride
forget He sees the upper but I the under side.
Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly,
shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needed in the Weaver's skillful hand,
as threads of gold and silver in the pattern life has planned.
Author Unknown
