Emotion underlies all poetry, and there are poems of emotion about almost every major event in human history. From origin stories to tales of great victories and idealized accounts of love and bravery, every human race seems compelled to celebrate and define themselves in song, story, and pictures. Poetry takes elements from all these forms of expression and elevates them to another art form.
The Bible is full of poetry, as are other books of religious instruction and inspiration. The creation story, with its reiteration of the evenings and the mornings of each succeeding day, sets the tone. The Song of Moses celebrates God's victory at the Red Sea. The Song of Solomon celebrates human love, both physical and spiritual, within the framework of God's p;ans and purposes. David cries out to the Lord in the psalms, which are full of heartfelt praise, repentance, thanksgiving, and promise.
Epic poems were passed orally from one generation to the next. Many were eventually recorded in writing, but more were undoubtedly lost. All people groups have origin stories, tales of heroic deeds, and stories of extraordinary events from their past, and more often than not these are poetic in nature.
Poetry is memorable. Even those who never want to quote from the world's great poets recognize some famous elements. Who doesn't know, 'No man is an island', or 'A rose by any other name...'. 'To be or not to be' may be all some know of Shakespeare, but how many other great men or women of history have even this much place in our memories?
This memorable aspect of poetry helps us remember great events and people when dry history lessons have long been forgotten. Paul Revere's ride is a historic event, but the dramatic poem containing the immortal line 'One if by land and two if by sea' is probably what most of us think of first when his name is mentioned. We know he was 'booted and spurred and ready to ride' even if we can't remember the date of that action-filled night.
Love poems have special significance because almost everyone has his or her own love story. Poets have always known that new love, tragically unrequited love, enduring love, and even love between man and his best friend the dog make popular subjects. The best poetry brings love alive to its readers in a way that they may never have seen it before. The perfect expression of emotion is one of the poet's highest gifts to mankind.
For most of human history, man had leisure hours (maybe only because it was too dark or too inclement to work) and poetry helped to pass the time around the fire or on long journeys. Today much of that down time is occupied by television or the internet. Poetry is still being read and written, however, and hopefully it always will be. We need this affirmation and exposition of our emotional nature to be complete.
Poems of emotion - the only kind there are, actually - bring out the best of mankind or help us deal with the worst.
The Bible is full of poetry, as are other books of religious instruction and inspiration. The creation story, with its reiteration of the evenings and the mornings of each succeeding day, sets the tone. The Song of Moses celebrates God's victory at the Red Sea. The Song of Solomon celebrates human love, both physical and spiritual, within the framework of God's p;ans and purposes. David cries out to the Lord in the psalms, which are full of heartfelt praise, repentance, thanksgiving, and promise.
Epic poems were passed orally from one generation to the next. Many were eventually recorded in writing, but more were undoubtedly lost. All people groups have origin stories, tales of heroic deeds, and stories of extraordinary events from their past, and more often than not these are poetic in nature.
Poetry is memorable. Even those who never want to quote from the world's great poets recognize some famous elements. Who doesn't know, 'No man is an island', or 'A rose by any other name...'. 'To be or not to be' may be all some know of Shakespeare, but how many other great men or women of history have even this much place in our memories?
This memorable aspect of poetry helps us remember great events and people when dry history lessons have long been forgotten. Paul Revere's ride is a historic event, but the dramatic poem containing the immortal line 'One if by land and two if by sea' is probably what most of us think of first when his name is mentioned. We know he was 'booted and spurred and ready to ride' even if we can't remember the date of that action-filled night.
Love poems have special significance because almost everyone has his or her own love story. Poets have always known that new love, tragically unrequited love, enduring love, and even love between man and his best friend the dog make popular subjects. The best poetry brings love alive to its readers in a way that they may never have seen it before. The perfect expression of emotion is one of the poet's highest gifts to mankind.
For most of human history, man had leisure hours (maybe only because it was too dark or too inclement to work) and poetry helped to pass the time around the fire or on long journeys. Today much of that down time is occupied by television or the internet. Poetry is still being read and written, however, and hopefully it always will be. We need this affirmation and exposition of our emotional nature to be complete.
Poems of emotion - the only kind there are, actually - bring out the best of mankind or help us deal with the worst.
About the Author:
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