A Look at Traditional Poetry and Shape Poems

Traditionalists believe that poems give longevity and life to what was transitory and particular. It is through them, that the poet expresses his vision, real or imaginary, and he does so in forms which are understandable and enjoyable to others, and likely to stimulate emotions similar to his own. Poetry is an organized language for aesthetic reasons. Whatever it does, poetry must bear witness, must fulfill the saying: 'let not my heart forget what mine eyes have seen.' A poem is known by the feeling that dictates it and that which it conveys, by the economy and resonance of its language, and by the creative power that combines, intensifies and improves experience.

Poems bear a relationship to real life but are equally autonomous and independent forms that consist within themselves the purpose why they are so and not otherwise. Unlike discourse, which takes place by logical methods, poetry is intuited fully as a representation of thought or feeling. On the other hand, prose is an abbreviation of reality: poetry is its intensification. Poems are known to have a transcendental quality because there is a sudden transformation through which words assume a special importance. Traditional poetry is an embodiment of human values, not a kind of syntax.

Traditional poetry can either be verse or prose. Verse has a metrical element and an inner music is the core of poetry. Poetry without music real or imaginary will wither and die overtime. The tone of poetry is a fiction that doesn’t belong to the speaker or the audience. Though poetry without contrivance is possible but the quality is poorer. The meaning of slowly changes with the use of period but using layman’s words in poems will defeat the poet’s purpose.

Shape poetry on the one hand is a way of breaking up from the conventional or traditional poetry. The focus is on visual effects made by the words which replace the typical verse forms.

This type of poetry is inspired by surrealism as well as Dada in order to escape the limitations of the conventional verse and also to breathe a new range and fresh vitality into poetry through the blending of images and words. The use of semiotics in Shape poetry also provided more inspiration, this time poetry is not words but can be an object to be seen and read.

The word processors providing additional driving force to concrete poetry because now poets are free to find out more about the use of computer-generated images and poems. In Shape poems, the text should be read together with the shape in which it is embodied.

In shape poetry the words must be outlined to take the form of the topic. If the poem is about a star, the texts used are arranged in the form of a star. You are free to choose to write your poem in rhyming fashion or not. In the traditional poetry, Prose does not require a rhyming verse but the words must not be too ordinary or the spirit of poetry is lost.

Meanwhile, shape poems can be simply written without fear of losing its essence. Rhyming or not doesn’t affect anything at all. Using layman’s terms or words has no bearing in shape poems. These characteristics are the reasons why shape poetry is considered a breakaway from the traditional one. It is not limited by the constraints that are strongly present in conventional poetry.

As you can see, it would be difficult for any child to create a traditional poem because ordinary words cannot be used in this but in shape poems you are free to describe or express your thoughts in any manner you like.