A couple weeks ago, I posted a useful link to a PDF document that covers a whole bunch of poetic devices... the things you might study in a literature course.
There's lots of useful stuff there... especially if you want to write an essay analyzing the prosody of Shelley and/or Byron. However, sometimes when I'm trying to express my love of poetry, the academic lexicon isn't enough.
For me, excellent poetry contains some of these elements:
Puzzle-Treasures: Lines of poetry / song lyrics which are difficult to decode but oh-so worth the effort. With insight and context Puzzle-Treasure poems are clever and delightful.
Phrase Bombs: Words / ideas that evoke surprise and command attention.
Vicariocity: The level of empathy created by the lines. Poetry with high vicariocity transcends the reader so that they feel they are within the world of the poem.
Philoseeds: Embeds themes/beliefs into the text in subtle yet persuasive ways.
Eargasms: We might have no idea what the poem means, but the sound of the word combinations provides pleasure to the listener.
What do you crave in poetry?
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