What is Poetry
It is very difficult to have a sole definition of poetry that fits all of its different structures, styles, and subject matters. Is it a way of thinking or a formal versification? Does it consist solely of words, or are there visual and/or performance aspects to it? What should and shouldn't be included? A typical dictionary might define poetry as literary composition written in verse with meaning. This simple definition only characterizes poetry on the surface, but there is so much more to poetry than just words. People can never define poetry; however they are able to attempt to describe its properties, functions, and characteristics as clearly as possible. The most distinctive feature of poetry is the presence of line breaks. Poetry has a new line begin even though the sentence or paragraph is not over and there is still room on the page. Poetry is not easily demarcated, rather it’s a continuum. Poetry is an old mode of expression; among the variety of forms of human expression, poetry has always had an important place. It has always stood apart from all other forms of literature. It is the basis of every branch of literary and artistic expression. Poetry is why paintings, films, novels, and musical compositions
Something that makes Hughes’ poem so poetic is his reference to the play A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry. Hughes’ reference to the play is very important because one theme in the play is the importance of dreams each member of the Younger family is driven by . Mama longs to have her own home in a nice part of town, away from South Chicago she does not want her grandchildren to grow up in a place where rats fester. Beneatha dreams of getting a good education, becoming a doctor, and marrying a nice man. Walter wants to have a successful business so that he can rise above the poverty he has always known. Through out the poem Hughes asks a number of questions, which perform a part in the play. The first of Hughes questions is: “What happens to a dream deferred?” In the play the character Walter has many dreams for greatness in his life, but these dreams seem to be causing him a great heartache due to the fact that he has little opportunity to make them reality. There a big struggle with Walter because he knows what he wants, but the only way for him to achieve this is after his father’s death, with the issuance of the insurance check. Hughes also asks the question: “Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun?” At one point, the characters Ruth and Walter had passion towards each other. Their lives were built around each other depending on both material things and emotional satisfaction, though this may be declining to contempt. In Act II, Scene I of the play, one can see the extent to which their dreams for happiness of being together began to “dry up.” Their lives had become a very repetitious and difficult struggle to survive. Since both of their needs are satisfied by each other, the resolution seems to come from there insurance check that will be coming in the mail. This money would fulfill Ruth's long awaited dream of owning a home and not living in that apartment of hers; Walter would use the money to satisfy his dream of owning his own business and not working for another person, while giving comfort to his family. The effect of not having there dreams realized, has left them despising each other. After analyzing both Langston Hughes’ poem and Lorraine Hansberry’s play it give me a better understanding of what exactly poetry is. Poetry is a literary composition written in verse with meaning. Poetry is a way of sharing, and a way to help ourselves cope with an often bewilde
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Approximate Word count = 1645
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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