Poetry is something we all know, be it the mystic flow of Tolkien’s imagination, or, well, my own wacky lines. Now, I’d like to introduce to you some basics of poetry. For illuminating examples of poetic devices, I have used Minas Tirith’s invaluable and (I hope) willing people.

Poetry is, in simple terms, literature. But to different people it means different things – figments of our imagination, a way to express ourselves, a pouring out of our souls. Most people – in fact everybody – can write poetry, just try! To help you, I have included some poetic devices below:

Rhyme
This is the simplest and most commonly used poetic device – and we all know what it is. Rhyme is basically a repetition of the same group of sounds at the end of each line of a poem.

Mormegil was an eagle,
More irritating than a beagle.
He liked to womanize,
And never picked on anyone his own size.

From the above, I have used an a-a-b-b meter, which means the first two lines rhyme, and so do the third and fourth (basically, a with a, b with b). –gle and –ize are the sounds which rhyme. Rhyme gives a poem much more flow and smoothness.

Rhythm
Rhythm is achieved when there are a same number of syllables in each line of a poem – or when there is a certain arrangement of stressed or unstressed syllables.

Elwing is our Lady King,
Who never washes her hair.
One fine day she was found out,
Which caused her to sulk and pout.

Notice each line has 7 syllables. I have also used rhyme, which complements rhythm.

Onomatopoeia
Seemingly unused, onomatopoeia is the usage of sound words, or words which sound like, well, sounds, such as swish, crack, thud etc.

Morme fluttered around Cair Loriatha last time,
Looking for Elwing, whom he couldn’t find.
He didn’t look where he was going, and in a flash,
He fell into the ornamental pool with a splash…

Strictly, I only have used one onomatopoeic word – splash – in that poem. Onomatopoeia in fact is not easily applied, and is easily overshadowed by the effect of rhyming, as seen above.
Repetition
Repetition is the device of repeating certain words or phrases, to emphasize a point.

Laielinwen is always everywhere,
Torturing people without a care,
Laielinwen is always everywhere,
Whenever you see her, beware…

Basically my main point in that poem is that Laielinwen, is always around, and you can’t escape her (which is true anyway).

Metaphors
Metaphors are phrases that are used to liken something to something else, without the use of words such as “like” and “as”.

Gwaihir (the Queen) is an eagle,
Flying and playing with seagulls.
She has weird sigs,
And eats cakes, such a pig…

In the above, “an eagle” and “pig” are the metaphors. Metaphors are good for descriptions of places, people or objects.

Similes
Similes are phrases which liken something to something else with the use of words such as “like” or ‘as”.

Nienna is like a whip,
Vicious, yet like a drink you could sip.
She is like a bird-keeper,
Plucking feathers and making them neater.

”Like a whip”, “like a drink you could sip”, and “like a bird-keeper” are the similes. Similes are invaluable in descriptions too, and are often mixed together with metaphors.

Contrast
Contrast is the device of putting an object next to another object that is the direct opposite of the other. There can be contrast between many things: movement, size, shape, colour…

Thorongil usually wears black uniforms,
Yet nowadays pink tights are his norm.
He used to be very lonely,
But now girls chase after him endlessly.

There is a contrast between the colour of Thorongil’s clothes, and how he is completely opposite from his once lonely self.
Alliteration
Alliteration is the device of putting words that begin with the same letter or group of letters together, to produce a rather interesting effect.

Arteris ate an angry apple,
And argued about an injured ankle.
All evening he ate and argued,
And caused all around to be amused.

That is a bit of an extreme example – poets don’t normally begin every word with the same letter, because it will make a silly poem, like the above.

Personification
Personification is giving an inanimate or non-human thing human characteristics.

The Sun rises and the White City wakes,
And not long does it take.
A beautiful lady ascends in glory,
To continue telling its story.

A beautiful lady waking up and telling stories are all personifications of Minas Tirith. Sometimes, metaphors are examples of personification too.

For glossaries of poetic devices -

http://www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/brisas/sunda/poets/poetry2.htm

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~greebie/Criticism/glossary.html

Secondly, I’d like to introduce you to some different types of poems:

Limerick – A limerick is a short, humorous five-line poem, in which the first, second and fifth lines rhyme together, and the third and fourth rhyme too. (Meter would be a-a-b-b-a)

There was once a Captain Huan,
Who used to go out in the Sun,
He went out of his mind,
Sunlight he couldn’t find,
And everyone laughed at him for fun.

Sonnet – A sonnet is a poem in which each line has ten syllables.

Heron is a seller of bombaweed,
Climbs rock walls and gets chosen for practice.
No wonder, she’s always such a menace,
Can’t even choose good clothes, makes people bleed.

Haiku – Traditionally Japanese in origin, a haiku is a poem which has three lines, the first and third lines having five syllables, the second, seven. Haikus usually have very subtle, below-the-surface meanings, if not, then they’re very direct. Allow me to lift one of Braganil’s haikus, which is simple and direct:

In Arda’s south lies
A city so fair and pure
Called Minas Tirith.

Ann-thennath – Invented by Tolkien, and used by the Elves. Seemingly it is eight syllables per line, eight lines per stanza, and has an a-b-a-c-b-a-b-c meter. This is from The Fellowship of the Ring:

The leaves were long, the grass was green,
The hemlock-umbels tall and fair,
And in the glade a light was seen
Of stars in shadow shimmering.
Tinúviel was dancing there
To music of a pipe unseen,
And light of stars was in her hair,
And in her raiment glimmering.

Alliterative verse – Used in medieval tales and lays. It makes use of alliteration to achieve a certain effect. Tolkien used it:

Wilt thou learn the lore.        That was long secret
of the Five that came        from a far country?
One only returned.        Others never again
under Men’s dominion        Middle-earth shall seek
until Dagor Dagorath        and the Doom cometh.
How hast thou heard it:        the hidden counsel
of the Lords of the West        in the land of Aman?    

Of course, this is only a guide, and you need not really use all, if not any, of the devices to make your poem a good one. Remember, it’s always your feelings that matter. Fare thee well, and happy writing! 






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