Poetry

This post is for my C1.2 students. As you know, we have already ventured into what I deem to be uncharted territory for most of you: poetry. Indeed, your textbook offers a high-minded approach to its C2 part. However, I fear that poetry is not many people’s cup of tea and yet it is part of every language. Lots of expressions you use now had a lyrical taste to them centuries ago. Not only that. We happen to be surrounded by different kinds of lyrical expression. Whether you like it or not the truth is that present day rap is actually a form of poetry and, just last year, Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for the texts he wrote for his songs.

Anyway, let’s be as objective as possible. According to my trusty Merriam Webster Dictionary poetry is any kind of writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound and rhythm. In other words, a poetic text should make use of imagination, have some rhythm, and convey an interesting meaning in order to elicit an emotional response in the reader/listener. Do you think all that has little to do with you? Think twice.

Firstly, many everyday mainstream expressions came into existence out of poems or lyrical compositions. The poetry in the King James Bible and the works written by William Shakespeare are two obvious cases. Secondly, the poetic germ exists even in extremely modest utterances. It is undoubtedly true that appreciation of poetry requires a certain degree of sensitivity. A speaker who only concerns themselves with meaning is obviously ill-equipped to deal with poetry because poetry goes well beyond the meaning of words. Expressions such as I feel good or I feel as free as a bird are clearly not poetic at all.

In a way understanding the power of language is not unlike appreciating a good car. Some people may just need a vehicle that takes them from A to B. They don’t really care if they drive a secondhand clunker or a sleek high-performance car, but then again some people don’t care for elaborate dishes because a cheeseburger is enough for them.

For those of you that aspire to something beyond cheeseburgers let’s start from the bottom. Before you write or enjoy a poem you should consider the evocative power of a simple collocation. Just check out the differences between these three phrases:

a) the grim truth     b) the naked truth    c) the unvarnished truth

Strictly speaking, no adjectives are exactly necessary to convey the idea. You can, for instance, “go B2”, as it were, and just say The truth is…. People will get the message, but, of course, you can already say that. So, let’s now try and take it up a notch.

Suppose you feel the need to emphasize the fact you’re about to reveal "the truth of the matter" without any kind of flourishes or euphemisms. The most elegant option might well be the unvarnished truth. It alludes to a metaphoric varnish. It is evocative. Take a different approach. The expression “a sugar-coated version” (of the truth) also paints a picture, even it is not very lyrical. But it contains another metaphor: the notion that facts can be wrapped in some type of coating. I you feel the difference you're already on the right track.

Anyhow, at this point in your learning process nobody expects you to come up with poetic language, but it is not a bad idea for you to try and learn to admire poems. That’s why I recommend that you take a listen to The Slowdown, the podcast published daily by U.S. Poet Laurate Tracy K. Smith. In her (downloadable) podcasts she shares other writers’ interesting poetic texts and never fails to include an insightful introduction. That's the part you may find endlessly useful. Make the most of it. I assure you it's worth it.