Poetry

Poetry is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, the prosaic ostensible meaning. Poetry has a long history, dating back to prehistorical times with the creation of hunting poetry in Africa, and panegyric and elegiac court poetry were developed extensively throughout the history of the empires of the Nile, Niger and Volta river valleys.

History

The oldest surviving epic poem is the Epic of Gilgamesh, from the 3rd millennium BC in Sumer (in Mesopotamia, now Iraq), which was written in cuneiform script on clay tablets and, later, papyrus. Other ancient epic poetry includes the Greek epics Iliad and Odyssey, the Old Iranian books the Avesta and the Gathas, and the Indian Sanskrit epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Forms

There are many different forms of poetry, including the sonnet, haiku, ballad, and epic. Each form has its own structure and rules, such as the number of lines, the number of syllables in each line, and the rhyme scheme.

Themes

Poetry can cover a wide range of themes, from love and death to nature and time. These themes can be explored in many different ways, depending on the poet's personal perspective and the cultural context in which the poem was written.

Techniques

Poetic techniques include the use of rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, assonance, and onomatopoeia. These techniques can be used to create a particular mood or atmosphere, to convey a particular meaning, or to create a particular effect.

Criticism

Poetry criticism is the discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of poetry. It can be conducted by professional literary critics, by poets themselves, or by amateur readers.

See also

• List of poets
• List of poetry collections
• List of poetry groups and movements
• List of poetry anthologies
• List of years in poetry

Poetry Resources
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