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Why Is It Poetry?
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From: AAngel at aol.com <AAngel>
Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2003 22:05:49 EDT
Jackie Woodson's Locomotion incorporates a series of sonnets and other poetic forms to tell a young boy's story. Helen Frost uses sestinas and sonnets in many voices to tell the story of a safe house for kids in Keesha's House. And Ron Koertge uses poetic forms that include sonnets in Shakespeare Bats Cleanup. Each of these novels tells a personal story using poetic forms in such a way as to create a universal experience. These are three of the strongest poetry novels I reviewed for The English Journal.
I agree there are some poetic novels that were written in multiple voices relying upon free verse lack some of the rhythmic motion of traditional poetry. Some rely upon metaphor and meter to create a pattern, but not all would be considered strong poetic forms.
For instance, I saw that Angela Johnson's work was mentioned as poetry. Her work is often mistaken for poetry in novel form. She actually writes spare prose that relies on metaphor and simile to make a point. It isn't poetry and she doesn't claim it is. Her prose, while poetic and visually rich, stands on its own as literary prose, not as poetry.
Ann Angel
Received on Sun 06 Apr 2003 09:05:49 PM CDT
Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2003 22:05:49 EDT
Jackie Woodson's Locomotion incorporates a series of sonnets and other poetic forms to tell a young boy's story. Helen Frost uses sestinas and sonnets in many voices to tell the story of a safe house for kids in Keesha's House. And Ron Koertge uses poetic forms that include sonnets in Shakespeare Bats Cleanup. Each of these novels tells a personal story using poetic forms in such a way as to create a universal experience. These are three of the strongest poetry novels I reviewed for The English Journal.
I agree there are some poetic novels that were written in multiple voices relying upon free verse lack some of the rhythmic motion of traditional poetry. Some rely upon metaphor and meter to create a pattern, but not all would be considered strong poetic forms.
For instance, I saw that Angela Johnson's work was mentioned as poetry. Her work is often mistaken for poetry in novel form. She actually writes spare prose that relies on metaphor and simile to make a point. It isn't poetry and she doesn't claim it is. Her prose, while poetic and visually rich, stands on its own as literary prose, not as poetry.
Ann Angel
Received on Sun 06 Apr 2003 09:05:49 PM CDT
