Free The Everything Writing Poetry Book by Tina D. Eliopulos Page A
Authors: Tina D. Eliopulos
reversal of the word order of a pair of phrases
⢠Chiasmus: reversal of the structure of a pair of phrases
⢠Polyptoton: use of words taken from the same root
Here are some examples of these schemes in action:
⢠Anaphora: I am crazy about apple pie. I am crazy about baseball. I am crazy about this great, big country of ours.
⢠Epistrophe: My friends are happy my family is happy, and I am happy.
⢠Epanalepsis: Luck will always bring more luck; sorrow will always bring more sorrow.
⢠Anadiplosis: The drawer will go in the desk, the desk will go in the moving van, and the moving van will go to our new home.
⢠Antimetabole: One may fight to live but one should not live to fight.
⢠Chiasmus: He throws away his valuables but his garbage keeps.
⢠Polyptoton: She can dream the undreamable, and find the unfindable.
From this brief sampling, you should be able to sense the rhythm established by the repetitions. Some of that rhythm is reinforced by word order, too. Another way to think of these repetitions is to think of them as swings of a hammer tapping the nails of your sentences in place. Each blow secures the nails more firmly, and the construction of your poem takes shape with artful and solid design.
Figures of Speech
You also have at your disposal tools called figures of speech . Also known as tropes or conceits , these figures will add depth to the meaning of your poems and add originality to the images you summon. You are probably already familiar with the two most common figures, the metaphor and the simile , but many others can help you as well. Again, Corbett and Connors's book Style and Statement has a thorough list of these figures. Here is just a sample from the list:
⢠Metaphor: a comparison in which one word or phrase that normally designates one thing is used to designate another
⢠Simile: a comparison using the word âlikeâ or âasâ
⢠Synecdoche: a reference to something by naming one of its parts
⢠Metonymy: a reference to something by naming a closely related object
⢠Pun: a play on words
⢠Onomatopoeia: words that sound like what they mean
⢠Paradox: two statements that seem contradictory but may actually be true
Here are some examples of these figures:
⢠Metaphor: My mother is a saint.
⢠Simile: My mother is as giving as a saint.
⢠Synecdoche: All hands on deck!
⢠Metonymy: He always pays with plastic.
⢠Pun: The price of shingles is going through the roof.
⢠Onomatopoeia: The only sound was the twitter of a bird.
⢠Paradox: The silence was so loud it hurt my ears.
As beneficial as good figures of speech may be, you must be careful not to overuse these tools. When a writer overuses figures of speech and other methods of repetition it often takes away from the substance of the work. One common problem occurs when writers rely on clichés. Remember: They're called clichés for a reason. So, don't beat a dead horse! Use repetition wisely.
Using Contrasts
Another tool that is useful in poetry is contrast . When a poet uses contrasting images and moods in a poem, she is better able to underscore the poem's dominant purpose. As an exercise, read the following poem, âNeutral Tones,â by Thomas Hardy, and underline any sets of contrasting words or images. Additionally, next to the stanzas in which they appear, name the conflicts between the speaker and the object of his frustration found in these contrasts.
We stood by a pond that winter day,
And the sun was white, as though
chidden of God,
And a few leaves lay on the starving sod;
    âThey had fallen from an ash, and were gray .
Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove
Over tedious riddles of years ago;
And some words played between us to and fro
    On which lost the more by our love .
The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing
Alive enough to have strength to
⢠Chiasmus: reversal of the structure of a pair of phrases
⢠Polyptoton: use of words taken from the same root
Here are some examples of these schemes in action:
⢠Anaphora: I am crazy about apple pie. I am crazy about baseball. I am crazy about this great, big country of ours.
⢠Epistrophe: My friends are happy my family is happy, and I am happy.
⢠Epanalepsis: Luck will always bring more luck; sorrow will always bring more sorrow.
⢠Anadiplosis: The drawer will go in the desk, the desk will go in the moving van, and the moving van will go to our new home.
⢠Antimetabole: One may fight to live but one should not live to fight.
⢠Chiasmus: He throws away his valuables but his garbage keeps.
⢠Polyptoton: She can dream the undreamable, and find the unfindable.
From this brief sampling, you should be able to sense the rhythm established by the repetitions. Some of that rhythm is reinforced by word order, too. Another way to think of these repetitions is to think of them as swings of a hammer tapping the nails of your sentences in place. Each blow secures the nails more firmly, and the construction of your poem takes shape with artful and solid design.
Figures of Speech
You also have at your disposal tools called figures of speech . Also known as tropes or conceits , these figures will add depth to the meaning of your poems and add originality to the images you summon. You are probably already familiar with the two most common figures, the metaphor and the simile , but many others can help you as well. Again, Corbett and Connors's book Style and Statement has a thorough list of these figures. Here is just a sample from the list:
⢠Metaphor: a comparison in which one word or phrase that normally designates one thing is used to designate another
⢠Simile: a comparison using the word âlikeâ or âasâ
⢠Synecdoche: a reference to something by naming one of its parts
⢠Metonymy: a reference to something by naming a closely related object
⢠Pun: a play on words
⢠Onomatopoeia: words that sound like what they mean
⢠Paradox: two statements that seem contradictory but may actually be true
Here are some examples of these figures:
⢠Metaphor: My mother is a saint.
⢠Simile: My mother is as giving as a saint.
⢠Synecdoche: All hands on deck!
⢠Metonymy: He always pays with plastic.
⢠Pun: The price of shingles is going through the roof.
⢠Onomatopoeia: The only sound was the twitter of a bird.
⢠Paradox: The silence was so loud it hurt my ears.
As beneficial as good figures of speech may be, you must be careful not to overuse these tools. When a writer overuses figures of speech and other methods of repetition it often takes away from the substance of the work. One common problem occurs when writers rely on clichés. Remember: They're called clichés for a reason. So, don't beat a dead horse! Use repetition wisely.
Using Contrasts
Another tool that is useful in poetry is contrast . When a poet uses contrasting images and moods in a poem, she is better able to underscore the poem's dominant purpose. As an exercise, read the following poem, âNeutral Tones,â by Thomas Hardy, and underline any sets of contrasting words or images. Additionally, next to the stanzas in which they appear, name the conflicts between the speaker and the object of his frustration found in these contrasts.
We stood by a pond that winter day,
And the sun was white, as though
chidden of God,
And a few leaves lay on the starving sod;
    âThey had fallen from an ash, and were gray .
Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove
Over tedious riddles of years ago;
And some words played between us to and fro
    On which lost the more by our love .
The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing
Alive enough to have strength to
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