“5 Styles”

Poems are really odd,

And sometimes don't have meaning,

Like most of haikus.

But thats quite an alright thing to do,

There are many styles to choose and who-

Knows it may be a,

Limerick type day,

And they will try out that pattern too.

If all else fails,

As far as pattern and rhythm go

You can always try and write in free verse

Which is even better than blank verse

Since not only do you not need to rhyme—

But you don't follow any meter pattern either.

That seems,

Like such an easy way

to live then

Again there

Are some classic

Style 's worth mentioning.

In sonnets—

A poet has to make old things unique

He must conform also to rules and guide-

Lines which are set to teach—the key

Is open if poets only try not to hide

Behind the fake, reality can then

Be open'd up to all our senses but

Provide him first with tools, important: ten

Syllables needed. Sonnets also cut

Poetic lines off in to iambic.

Also needed: certain number, fourteen

to be exact, lines needed for this trick

The lines must also follow a rhyme scheme,

In order, first with third, second and fourth,

The poet follows that on each stanza.

But, most vital to all poets in expression and style is the simple couplet form,

Two lines, that rhyme—maybe this is where the first poetry was born.

Artist Statement on “5 Styles”

          The specific medium of art expression that I chose to examine for this project was poetry. I decided to analyze and display several different types and styles of poetry—primarily: haikus, limericks, free verse, sonnets and basic heroic couplets. I decided to use the specific rules regarding syllable count and rhyme scheme as a frame work for the poetry to talk about itself. In short, I combined five meta-poetry examples, one from each of these poetic forms, and used their meter and rhyme guidelines to discuss the elements of poetry. This was a unique experience that allowed me to understand the different ways art forms can both restrict and allow us to express ideas.

          

            In dealing with form and content, the rules for these different types of poetry each helped set the stage for the different ideas I wanted to express regarding poetry. The content for each separate poem was—in some part—restricted by its form. For example, opening up the list was a vague haiku, about vague haikus/poetry. The idea I wanted to express was tied into the haiku form: short, specific syllable count for each line; and the limit of information allowed in these three simple lines. Other examples of when content and form were tied together are seen in the sonnet, where the actual words used were restricted by a noteworthy attempt to appeal to iambic pentameter. This caused each individual poem to have a specific language about the same topic: poetry.

            I related this activity to this week's by following a similar pattern as McCloud. For example, in his short comic McCloud dove into what comics are, and where they originated from. He also spent some time trying to articulate a clear definition of 'comics.' However, his ideas were restricted by the comic book form; he couldn't skip over to a movie montage of old comics, or explain in an essay format with bullet points. Similarly, I had to use the tools within poetry (rhyme, rhythm and meter, or in the case of free verse, the flow of line breaks) to talk about rhyme, rhythm and meter. This assignment also correlates with the poem "Arte Poetica" by Vicente Huidobro. In his poem Vicente asks his audience to allow 'verse' (or poetry) to be like a key to open millions of doors. He also calls the poet, "a little god," since he is able to use poetry to express an infinite amount of ideas.

            Although many of the poetic restrictions limited what I could say, this assignment also served as a celebration to poetry because it guided the way I could express ideas, and gave them more force. The power and beauty of poetry is that it isn't a simple written statement, but rather, through its aesthetic qualities, it resonates in a more powerful way. So, although I could not say everything I wanted, that which I was able to 'fit' into each poem's structure, came across with more depth than my own original choice words would have.