This article was written by Scout Pollack of Richard Montgomery High School
A poem, in concept, is simple and limitless: a piece of literary work that intensifies emotion and expression, with the incorporation of rhyme, rhythm and style. However, writing an epic or ode of any kind is much harder than it seems. Many talented writers have attempted the ever-eluding style. Here’s a look at the oldest, the strangest and the most notable poems throughout history.
It is thought that the basic style and structure of what we now consider a poem was seen first in a piece titled “Epic of Gilgamesh” which was written around the 18th century B.C. Though it is a simple four verses, “He who saw all, who was the foundation of the land, / Who knew everything, was wise in all matters. / Gilgamesh, who saw all, who was the foundation of the land. / Who knew everything, was wise in all matters," the rhyme of the last words on every other line is credited to this passage. This excerpt became part of a series of Sumerian poems that were finished by the Babylonians in the 12th century B.C.
Between this time and the start of the modern age, no epic poems stand out like the Iliad and the Odyssey, titles written by Homer in 8th century Greece. The tales of Odysseus and the Trojan War are recounted as epic sonnets in these books, and are still read and analyzed in classrooms globally. It was the first time a style like this had been used and widely accepted as a form of storytelling in the Western world; itled to poets such as Constantine P. Cavafy (1863) to tell similar stories through his poetry.
It is impossible to touch on poetry without mentioning arguably the most recognized poet in history: Shakespeare. Throughout the course of his life, he wrote around 154 sonnets and five narrative poems. They tell the stories of love, despair, loss and anger, a way for him to put his deepest emotions into words. Not only did he influence future poets, his work gave way to writers such as Charles Dickens and John Steinback. This one style of storytelling, through both iambic pentameter and freestyle, has not only grown the views of those in the field, but authors and artists working in every medium, as well as society as a whole.
If you compare a modern-day excerpt to one from 100 years ago, things may have changed. As society adapts, so does poetry. The use of Old English and Modern English is a major example; the words of Shakespeare do not align with those of a teen in the 21st century. Themes, however, have remained mostly constant. Love and other strong emotions such as sadness and loss are depicted as much as they were centuries ago. Though the typical Old English format had a rhyme scheme, many modern poets have thrown that concept away for more fluid and personalized techniques. This may be because authors find it easier to convey their own message if they are not locked into conventional methods and structures, or they simply want to try something new.
Poetry has played a significant role in not only the arts, but social and political injustice and celebration as well. Poets such as Langston Hughes and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper wrote about racial inequality as a result of slavery, in allegiance with the civil rights protests in the late 1950s and 60s. The words of Maya Angelou were spoken at the inauguration of Bill Clinton, and the sorrow of John McCrae made the poppy the flower of veterans. Every major turning point in history is accompanied by the beautiful words of carnage, acknowledgement or opposition of a poet who speaks from the heart and fights for what they believe in.
Though language and the artistic technique have differed throughout the centuries and across countries, one thing remains the same: poetry, in its purest form, can be whatever the author decides. A love story, a song of war, a declaration of freedom or a simple goodnight to the sun—it is meant to be shared and pondered, and it can be a tool of change and revolution. Poets tell their stories and dreams, and the world listens.
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