WHAT
IS POETRY?
Dr. C. Jacob
Poetry
is not merely the opposite of prose.
Sheer arrangement of words in an order or maintaining a particular
number of lines for a specific lenght is not poetry. It is not even expression of thoughts or feelings by observing
some rules by reason of which a pictorial appearance is brought out or similar
sounds are produced. No doubt poetry
presupposes selection of words and arranging them in an order to produce sounds
that are sweet to hear. So also
maintaining a definite number of feet for each line with accented and
unaccented syllables that are capable of proceeding at a regular beat. It may contain rhyme. The rhyme may be internal rhyme or end rhyme
or both. But is it enough to call
something as poetry that possesses the aforesaid characteristics? Certainly not. Then what is poetry?
Primarily poetry is an intense
feeling expressed in a rhythmic manner.
Rhythm brings out music. Music
will be sweet and pleasant.
Poetry moves, inspires and elevates the spirits in
man. It activates the mind and animates
the slumbering thoughts. In such a state imagination becomes highly
logical and vibrates the heart. It
shakes, thrills and excites the entire organism. Poetry, in fact is the
bliss of thought and the song of the heart.
We may say that what is sweet to the ear and pleasant to the heart is
poetry.
Dr.
Karl G. Jung, a great psychologist has crisply said, “A poem is a dream audible”. If a dream is a bundle of wishes, desires
and longings fulfilled in sleep, then a poem is a fulfilment of such wishes,
desires and longings in wakeful state.
Thought expanding itself in imagination and manifesting itself in a
concrete form, namely, dream is emphasised
by Dr. Jung.
Shakespeare
has his own views on poetry. He expresses
his views most typically through poetry itself. According to him a poet, a
lover and a lunatic are basically equal in their imagination. In his own words:
The
lunatic, the lover and the poet
Are
of imagination all compact
The
poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling,
Doth
glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven.
And
as imagination bodies forth,
The
forms of things unknown, the poet's pen
Turns
them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing.
A
local habitation and a name.
Though
Shakespeare has said this in a particular context, one aspect is clear that
poetry comes out of high imagination in different ways but in many other poets
expressed their views on poetry essence they convey the same meaning. William Wordsworth's view on poetry is well
known. Wordsworth says, “Poetry is the spontanious outflow of
powerful feelings, it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility”.
The poet, Shelley, observes, “A poet is a
nightingale who sits in darkness and sings to cheer its own solitude with sweet
sounds”. An equally beautiful
expression of his on poetry is : “Our
sweetest songs are those that tell our saddest thought”.
Samuel
Taylor Coleridge, a contemporary of William Wordsworth, distinguishes prose
from poetry and tells as follows :
“Prose,
words in their best order,
Poetry,
the best words in the best order”
But
the angle in which John Keats views poetry is somewhat different. In his words,
“If poetry comes not as naturally as
leaves to a tree it had better not come at all”. That is to say that
spontainiety and naturalness are the essential characteristics of poetry. Poetry is essentially an expression of
thought which is natural, sweet and beautiful. If prose appeals to the mind, poetry
appeals to the heart. Perhaps that is the reason why deeds of great men are
often set to song and are sung. Poetry has definitely a greater impact than
prose on the mind of man. The musical element in poetry captivates the mind and
sublimates the thought. The poetic thought coupled with music leads to ecstasy
of the past. Recollection of the moments of ecstacy produces the same effect.
That is the reason why Keats says that ‘a thing of beauty is a joy for ever’.
Poetry
possesses two more qualities. First, it
is fit to be sung and enjoyed. Second,
it relieves the burden of the mind. The
poet who expreses his feelings through poetry feels as if he is relieved from a
prison of thoughts hanging heavily in his mind. The heart that the has been
burning all the time feels its pain removed.
The intense feelings of happiness or sorrow find their way out through
poetry. The stormy mind becomes calm.
The poet sings out again and again till all the heaviness of heart
disappears. In fact the entire burden
of thought is shifted to the poem and the poet feels happy. Beethoven, the great symphonist adds another
dimension to the element of music in poetry. He says, “Music becomes a higher
revelation than philosophy”.
Poetry
is a powerful media to convey one’s views or message to the external
world. Above all, all things said in
the form of poetry can be easily remembered. Poetry can be used as a powerful
weapon to change the minds of people from one direction to another.
Poetry is a song melodiously sung in
concordance with the universal song of man. Lastly it can be said that what that moves the heart is
truth. Poetry moves the heart. Hence poetry is truth. Truth is beauty. That
is why Keats sings,
“Truth
is beauty, beauty is truth,
That
is all ye know on earth
And
all ye need to know”.
Is
it not a great revelation?
Is
it not the highest of all philosophy?