This week you are asked to read about and study the two general forms of poetry, Closed Form and Open Form. For much of its written history, which is quite extensive, poetry was composed using closed forms. One important reason for this approach was that the stories could be told from memory, and it’s easier to memorize words that have a recognizable pattern or structure. Think about Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey (dactylic hexameter) or the Old English epic Beowulf (Alliterative verse). Today, however, much of the emphasis is placed on open form (free verse), which may or may not be due to our modern abilities to duplicate human storytelling. No longer do human beings need to memorize the stories of their experiences, they can now print them, photograph them, videotape them, post them and then distribute them widely. Today, everything is recorded, whether we like it or not. Memory for storytelling has become almost obsolete. Think about how many times you’ve heard the same song or watched the same movie but might not be able to repeat but a few lines. How many of you can sing your favorite songs word for word? In many profound ways the need to memorize has been deemed unnecessary. I hope not. Oral tradition is too valuable a human commodity to lose. There’s a power to memorizing poems and stories, or memorizing anything for that matter and retelling it to another person. Think about the stories your grandparents tell you or your parents or your friends. Think about how many times you’ve said to someone, Listen to this…. But how many of us actually tell a good story? Think of the word “memory” itself. What would life be like without our ability to remember? Have any of you ever memorized a poem that touched you? If not, I challenge you to memorize a few lines that you find remarkable. Happy reading and writing this week.
After reading chapters 22 & 23, make a case for the advantages and disadvantages of reading both Closed Form poetry and Open Form poetry. In other words, I want you to explore the strengths and weaknesses of both forms through compare and contrast. Note well: I do not want you to summarize the similarities and differences between closed form and open form poetry. I want you to write what you as the reader of poetry think are the advantages and disadvantages of reading (not writing) Closed Form and Open Form poetry. Make every effort to reference specific authors, poems and lines of poetry to make your points and support your claims. You are welcome to use any of the poems in our entire
textbook. This is not a like or dislike assignment. I want you to study the inherent qualities of both forms with some objectivity. Of course your subjective tastes will determine your analysis, but that is a given.
the readings are
Chapter 22: “Closed Form,”
Chapter 23: “Open Form,”
from the book literature an introduction to fiction, poetry, dram and writing.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR PROMOTIONAL DISCOUNT DISPLAYED ON THE WEBSITE AND GET A DISCOUNT FOR YOUR PAPER NOW!