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Cultural Background
About Poetry
1. History of Poetry
? Some of the earliest poetry is believed to have been orally recited or sung, closely related to musical traditions, and much of it can be attributed to religious movements: rhythm, rhyme, compression, intensity of feeling, the use of refrains. ? Following the development of writing, poetry has since developed into increasingly
structured forms.
Written composition meant poets began to compose for an absent reader.
? Much poetry since the late 20th century has moved away from traditional forms
towards the more vaguely defined free verse and prose poem formats.
2. Classification Three major genres:
? Epic poetry: a long story about brave actions and exciting events; ? Lyric poetry: more personal, shorter poems intended to be sung; ? Dramatic poetry: comedy and tragedy as subgenres.
Text I
How to Write a Rotten Poem with Almost No Effort
Richard Howey
Global Reading
I. Text Analysis
Modern life is more about material and tangible goods than about spirit pursuit. We set clear targets for our future, neglecting that we are gradually losing one joy that human kind usually have: the fun of spontaneity. The writer of this essay reminds us that poetry, especially creating poems, can provide us such pleasure. Though the writer of this essay writes in a half-mocking tone, and the method he introduces will not ensure us to create a wonderful, or even presentable poem, his real purpose is to make the creation of a poem less difficult than we may imagine and to induce amateurs to set their first steps on their journey to a more aesthetic life.
II. Structural Analysis
1. In terms of organization, the article clearly falls into three main parts:
The first part (Paragraphs 1-3) introduces the problem with poetry and the significance of the writer’s solution.
The second part (Paragraphs 4-9) introduces in detail how people can create a poem of
their own.
The third part (Paragraphs10-12) serves as the ending of the essay. In this part, the writer reiterates his intention and make s kit clear he is just joking by presenting such a method of creating a poem..
2. The mocking tone of the author is mingled with some fairly emotional statements
which reveal his real love of poetry, e.g.
“Once a person has written a poem, of whatever quality, he will feel comradeship with fellow poets and, hopefully, read their works. Ideally, there would evolve a veritable society of poet-citizens, which would elevate the quality of life worldwide. Not only that, good poets could make a living for a change.” (Paragraph 3)
“But at least it’s a poem and you’ve written it, which is an accomplishment that relatively few people can claim.” (Paragraph 10)
“Chances are, you’ll find their offerings stimulating and refreshing. You might even try writing some more of your own poems, now that you’ve broken the ice. Observe others’ emotions and experience your own — that’s what poetry is all about. (Paragraph 11)