An Anthology . The Language of Poetry Poetic language often differs from prose or even colloquial language. We will discuss the various aspects of poetic language, how poets emply them and their ultimate affect upon the reader. We will examine how poems create meanng, and oftentimes, an ambivalence of meaning, thrugh a variety of methods. The language of poetry is a language of images.
Every poem follows a pattern and has a form.
A poem may be patterned arund a central theme providing an essential form. Or a poem might utilize rhyme scheme, meter, stanza length, and graphic representation on the page as elements of formal construction. A poem's origin lies in song. We will examine the musicality of a poem, and consequently, the emphasis it places upon voice. We will continue our discussion of poem as song.