Poetry

Explore the diverse elements of poetry, from personae and nature to sociological themes and romantic expressions, while learning about innovative techniques, the use of metaphor, and the art of avoiding clichés to enhance your poetic skills.

Poetry

1 Presonae

  1. Personae through voices and figures
  2. Personae through images and symbols
  3. Personae through language and rhythm
  4. Personae and structure

2 Nature/Landscape

  1. The aspiring Nature Poet
  2. Why some poets choose nature as their theme
  3. Characteristics of nature poetry
  4. Use of diction
  5. Use of metaphor

3 Sociological

  1. Range of sociological themes
  2. Public themes
  3. Sociological poetry and philosophical planes
  4. Moral aims in sociological themes

4 Romantic

  1. The term ‘romantic’
  2. What is undesirably romantic
  3. The romantic in essence
  4. The handling of romantic themes—memories of childhood
  5. Nature as a romantic theme
  6. The theme of love

5 Where to begin, and How

  1. The question of where and how to begin
  2. Direct opening
  3. Disguised opening
  4. Casual, conversational opening
  5. Structuring of a poem
  6. Dramatic opening
  7. Beginning a poem with an image
  8. Composition of a poem
  9. Choice of line for the beginning of a poem — short or long

6 Development of theme

  1. A single metaphor as the basis of thematic development
  2. Use of diverse images in a thematic progression
  3. Language as a means of developing theme
  4. Summing up

7 Climax

  1. Composition of poetry — neither preplanned nor spontaneous entirely
  2. Unity of the poem — ‘Unity of impression’
  3. Structure and incrementality
  4. Climax : different approaches
  5. Climax and denouement
  6. Lyric and its distinctiveness
  7. Summing up

8 End of a Poem

  1. Lyrical poetry : form related to length
  2. Rounded ending
  3. Open ending
  4. Ending : the role of ‘tone’
  5. Ending : its importance and effect
  6. Summing up

9 Symbols

  1. Language of Emotions
  2. Symbol and Image
  3. Symbolic Mode and Symbolism
  4. Symbolists: Search for Symbols
  5. Symbolism and Imagism
  6. Beauty’ and the ‘Rasa’ Theory
  7. Summing Up

10 Images

  1. Different uses of images
  2. Differences between prose and poetry in the use of images
  3. Images: symbol, simile and metaphor
  4. Imagery and structure
  5. Images and themes
  6. Imagery and language
  7. Summing up

11 The Use of Metaphor in Poetry

  1. Traditional definition of metaphor
  2. Distinction between simile and metaphor
  3. Simile and metaphor in a chain
  4. Varieties of metaphor
  5. Image as metaphor
  6. Analogical and contextual notions of metaphor
  7. Summing up

12 Avoiding Cliches

  1. What is a cliche?
  2. Cliche in poetry
  3. Poetic use of cliche
  4. Avoiding cliches should not become an obsession
  5. Summing up

13 Diction

  1. Use of language in poetry
  2. Words in poetry
  3. Composition of poetry
  4. Organisation of language
  5. Some don’ts and do’s
  6. Maintaining a scrap-book

14 Colloquialisms – their usage and abusage

  1. The nature of poetic expression
  2. The use of the colloquial in modern poetry
  3. The abuse of colloquialism

15 Metrical Structures

  1. Prose rhythms and verse rhythms
  2. Function of meter
  3. The English meter
  4. Rhyme
  5. Speech rhythms
  6. Free verse

16 Innovations

  1. Innovations in poetry: causes
  2. Three generative principles
  3. Innovations in Indian poetry in English
  4. Prose poem
  5. Movement from abstract to concrete expression