Answer to Question #162574 in English for Kasandra

Question

Evaluate the characteristics of poetry which mark it off from other genres of literature

Answer 1

Poetry is a genre of literature that is used to express emotions, share ideas and create imagery; just like other forms of literature. Poetry has distinctive characteristics which mark it off from other forms of literature. These include:

·  Rhythm – it is the beat of a poem. Poets create rhythm by using a pattern of language marked by stressed and unstressed syllables in words. It distinguishes poetry from normal speech and sets the tone of a poem. Rhythm involves qualities of language patter, repetition and movement.

·  Rhyme – it refers to repetition of identical or similar concluding syllables of different words. Some poets use rhyme to create a certain satisfying effect among readers. Though there are different forms of rhyme schemes, rhyme often occurs at the end of a poetic line. There are poems without the rhyme feature called free verse poems. The sound effect of rhyme together with the rhythm creates a musical feature for poems.

·  Appearance – poetry is visibly unique because it has a distinct and recognizable look. Many poems conform to a prescribed structure such as haiku, sonnet etc. Poems can also be in freeform where they lack a structure. The building block for poetry is stanza, analogous to verse in music and paragraph in prose. Stanzas are built by lines, which more often than not don’t run out to margins and are not full sentences.  There is also a noticeable space between stanzas in a poem.