As I began doing research on the pantoum I quickly noticed the uniqueness of this form when compared to others. Unlike many others, the pantoum is a form that is greatly influenced by the culture in which it originated from. In this essay, I will be discussing several qualities that make the pantoum such a unique poetic form. By examining both the history of the form and the way in which it has evolved over time, we can better understand the impact that this form has on art of poetry.
The pantoum, originally called a “pantun,” originated in Malaysia during the Fifteenth Century. Some of the earliest recorded pantuns were written in Jawi script, an Arabic script used predominantly in the Malay language. The short, folk poems were generally no more than three to four stanzas and were always written in couplets with a strong emphasis placed on the rhyme pattern (ABAB). Though it might seem difficult to find a specific connection between these couplets, in most cases it is assonance or the repetition of similar vowel sounds that connects the couplets. Another characteristic of early pantuns is rhythm. Traditionally these pantuns were recited with a certain rhythm or beat, it could even be thought of as rhythmic chanting. Therefore, each line usually contained between 8-12 syllables in order to maintain a rhythmic feel. Most notably the pantoum is very repetitive. The second and fourth line of each stanza becomes the first and third line of the following stanza. This kind of repetition only intensifies the “chanting” or rhythm of the piece. This repetition can also be used to emphasize a certain feeling, thought or experience the author trying to convey, we will touch on this again when discussing the impact of the pantoum. Though ...
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The two poems that I have selected for the Analytic Paper are “Blue Light Lounge Sutra For The Performance Poets At Harold Park Hotel” and “Thanks” by Yusef Komunyakaa. The former was read and analyzed as part of a class discussion early on in the quarter while the latter is a piece never analyzed, but closely related to another that was examined for its content and stylistic techniques (“Facing It”, Penguin Anthology, page 441). Though both were written by the same author, there are specific discrepancies in rhythm and wording that create artistic differences that suit the subject of each piece.
Have you ever marveled at the powerful stories a poem can tell with just words? I will be analyzing the similarities and differences in figurative language and the elements of Chinese poetry in the Chinese poems “I Beg of You, Chung Tzu” and “Thick Grow the Rush Leaves.”
Galens, David. The. " Vol. 41" x.75" x.75" Poetry Criticism. Detroit: Gale, 2003, p691-696.
69. Print. Strand, Mark, and Eavan Boland. The Making of a Poem: a Norton Anthology of Poetic
Greenblatt, Stephen, and M. H. Abrams. The Norton anthology of English literature. 9th ed., A, New York, W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. Pp
Poems, Poets, Poetry: An Introduction and Anthology. 3rd ed. Ed. Helen Vendler. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s,
Packed "with enough poetic dynamite in it to shake young writers and critics for a decade"(Treece ix), 18 Poems supplies an excellent exhibition of Thomas’ struggle with reality. Its works are full of twisting and turning images that present the conflicts of the world. In "The Force That through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower," Thomas comments on the role of nature as both the creator and the assassin. As the creator, nature is "The force ...
Poemhunter Inc., n.d. Web. The Web. The Web. 4 Dec. 2013. Davis, Arthur P. “Hughes.”
Greenblatt, Stephen, and M. H. Abrams. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 9th ed. Vol. A. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. Print
Strand, Mark and Evan Boland. The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms. New
Poetry and Drama. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 9nd ed. New York: Longman, 2005. Pgs 389-392
Ramazani, Jahan, Richard Ellmann, and Robert O 'Clair. The Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry. New York: W.W. Norton, 2003. Print.
By using onomatopoeia, description, and dialogue each poet argues their subject or theme. Although each poet does not write about the same subject or theme they each use the literary device effectively to help support their poem. By using each literary device in different context the poets show the many different styles when writing poetry. Each poet uses the literary devices efficiently to help their overall message in each poem.
Kennedy, X. J., and Dana Gioia, eds. An Introduction to Poetry. 13th ed. New York: Longman, 2010. 21. Print.
The natural yet chaotic process of destruction is vividly depicted with contrasting images of destruction and purity throughout the poem, beginning with Pan entering the river in a disorderly