'Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words' - Edgar Allan Poe.
The word 'poem' has Greek origins, meaning a 'thing made', ‘Poiema’, meaning 'a thing made.' The word 'poetry' was also derived from the Greek word 'poietes' which itself originated from 'poiein' which translated to 'to make.' The word 'poet' also has Sanskrit origins, 'cinoti', meaning "he gathers, heaps up." Poetry is a form of literature that evokes a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience or a specified emotional response through language arranged for its meaning, sound, and rhythm. It is an art form that predates written text.
The earliest form of poetry is believed to have been recited or sung, employed as a way of remembering oral history. In Poetry, words are strung together to form sounds, images and ideas. A rhythmic form makes the entire story easy to memorise. Unlike the other literary forms that we can date to precise texts and time periods, it's a Herculian task to pinpoint the timeframe to which the earliest work of poetry belongs to. Poetry has evolved differentially across the globe. It used different forms and conventions to evoke a response from the readers. The use of ambiguity, symbolism, irony and other forms of diction leaves the poem subjective to multiple interpretations.
The earliest examples of written literature in poetry is to have originated in ancient Mesopotamia. The Sumerian Civilisation first developed writing around the 3400 B.C, when they began making markings on clay structures in a script known as Cuneiform. By the 3rd millennium BC, Sumerian scribes we are also copying down essays, hymns, poetry and myths. The Epic of Gilgamesh started out as a series of Sumerian poems and tales dating back to the 2100 B.C. Enheduanna ( Sacred Poetry ) was a chatactersitic feature relating to the same time era. Around 800-500BC, Homer wrote about Iliad and Odyssey. Both of these works were related to the Greek mythology. while Sappho wrote some lyrical fragments. It is perhaps the oldest known poem. The most complete version was written in the 12th century by the Babylonians. It is the oldest known piece of poetry in the world and a rich literary text that explores themes of honour, glory and human mortality. Aristotle classified poems as: Epic Poetry, Lyric Poetry and Dramatic Poetry. The earliest and easiest forms of Poems were Ballads. Ballad is one of the ancient forms of poetry still used today. Written in common language and dialect. These are narrative in character. The Sonnets largely developed by Shakespeare. It is usually a love poem. Each group sets up a new idea and ideas going increasingly complex while the final couplet giving the answer. The Metaphysical poets dominated the world of poetry throughout the 17th-18th century. Their poems corresponded with the intellectual movement of that time, that is, Enlightenment. To name a few of them, John Dryden, Andrew Marvell and John Donne. The Romantics in England ( 1790- 1824 ) also contributed much to poetry. Blake, William Wordsworth, Lord Byron and John Keats are some of the famous Romantic poets. The American Transcendentalism dominated the poetic world from 1813-60, included Emerson, Whitman and Emily Dickinson. They believed that the individual is the key structure in all aspects of life. Walt Whitman was the most important American poet of the 19th century. He is also known as Father of 'Free Verse'. The Modernism in the poetry rose around 1940's with strong use of imagism and symbolists. The Beat Poets ( Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac ) came around 1950's and onward. They rejected the poetic standards along with materialism while giving explicit portyrals of human condition. The Slam Poets focussed on performance along with the blending of cultural traditions.
Poetry has been around for almost four thousand years and like other forms of literature, it is written to invent ideas, express emotions and create imagery. Reading and writing poetry allows one to see if to the soul of another person, see what is weighing on their minds and hearts and open doors for hidden feelings. Poetry can shine a light in the dark hidden corners of the heart and mind, once thought to have permanently closed off to the world.
Various types of poems are found such as soliloquy, lyrical poetry, ballad, villanelle, rhymed poetry and narrative poetry and sonnet.
Poetry has transformed from a narrative to a lyrical behaviour. Changes have been seen in performance, oral tradition and reading. Their has also been a transition from spoken word to page. In order to better understand the evolution of poetry, we must do a detailed analysis of form, formalism and free verse. Focus on music, sound and syllable also are of paramount importance.
Some of the greatest poets of all time include, William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Frost, Oscar Wilde, John Keats , William Wordsworth, Maya Angelou.
Poetry is a form of literary work which serves as a medium to enlighten ourselves in the harsh realities of this world. It has passed as a gloriful legacy from generation to generation. Poetry upholds the idea, 'Art for Art's Sake', which reminds us of 'We Are The Music Makers' by Shaughnessy.
Poetry is a significant part of human civilisation. Poetry is important because it helps us understand and appreciate the world around us. It's strength lies in it's ability to shed a light upon the world. Without doubt, Poetry teaches us to live.
'Poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world, and makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar.' - Percy Bysshe Shelley.
It is a bridge and immediate path to being a better person and the change in the world. Poetry remains an important part of art and culture. From the Shakespearean sonnets to Maya Angelou's relective compositions, poems are long lived, read and recited for generations. Poetry is language made special, so one wants to value and remember it. Poetry is a language talking to itself. Poetry can be a good substitute or an escape from reality. The process of writing poetry develops vocabulary and presents them various types of Figure of Speeches involved. It sparks creativity. It creates awareness and help people expand their views around the world. The poets can bring about a revolution in world. Poetry creates self-awareness and lends a way for everyone to discover themselves. It is a genre of literature in which abstraction and beauty of words are often celebrated. The core of the poetic ability is the same as it used to be, that is, the representation of human condition. Poetry acts as a counselor where we emphathize with one another. There's actually no limit to 'what' a poem can be all about. Poetry has a greater and wider space for interpretation. Come hay, fall in love with the adventures of the mesmerizing poetic world and find solace of mind and heart for eternity.