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Creating Life Through Poetry

            Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales are timeless in the sense that more than 600 years have passed since their creation and their literary rewards are still being sown. A great author seems to rise above time when they have created a masterpiece; their work does not feel the effects of age. Time continues on and the bulk of the work remains unabashed. Certain aspects fade as the world changes, however, literary value is often enhanced. Chaucer did not write The Canterbury Tales strictly to comment on the Medieval times. The characters that he has infused with so much vitality and depth existed during this time where they occupied certain social roles, but that which makes them human also allows for their eternal existence as individuals. Chaucer's beautiful, flowing words and his unique character insight were great innovations relatively unattempted before his time and unmatched since. The fact that nothing like The Canterbury Tales has since come out of modern literature does not detract from its brilliance; it simply means modern literature has failed to match Chaucer's abilities in capturing the true essence of individuality and as a poet. That which has established The Canterbury Tales as the cornerstone of modern literature is undoubtedly Chaucer's ability to create his characters with more than a job and social rank, but with a spark of life. His efforts were more than mere criticisms against stereotypes he had encountered during his life. He wished to capture the essence of man. He wished to uncover the driving force behind human nature. He did so by establishing himself as a narrator recalling a pilgrimage underwent in his past. Chaucer begs the reader "in courtesy, Not to condemn [him] as unmannerly If [he] speak[s] plainly and with no concealings . . . Or else the tale he tells will be untrue." Therefore nothing he says can be pinned against him. Understanding The Canterbury Tales as a whole involves realizing what Chaucer is trying to say, seeing his obsession with the individual, and hearing Chaucer's own overtones.


Essays Related to Creating Life Through Poetry

1. Poetry

The word poetry itself derives from a Greek word "poesis" meaning "making" or "creating." ... Throughout poetry's long history it has relied on rules about what a poem is, with new kinds poetry building on an earlier kinds to create greater possibilities of expression. ... Walt spent the rest of his life striving to be a new kind of poet who was affectionate, brawny, and heroic lead by the force of his magnetic personality. ... Many poets have taught us great lessons and shown great emotions towards life, love, friendship, and lots of other things. ... During tough times and good times po...

  • Word Count: 882
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Life in Whitman's Poetry

Whitman made connections with the self and democracy in "Song of Myself" claiming that, through him, the voice of many will be heard. ... The poem tells a story that includes the phases of life from the creation of life after death. ... Life itself is never ending as the life cycle continues to go on whether it is through reincarnation or the next generation moving forward and passing on to the next generation. ... Much of his poetry is about himself as in lines one through four of "Song of Myself": "I celebrate myself, and sing myself And what I assume you shall assume, F...

  • Word Count: 1606
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

3. What poetry is

Poetry is created from several different key "ingredients" which feed the mind food for thought. ... I might conclude from the passage, however, that poetry is a natural form of language having been used in preliterate times in any form and because it helped create a way for people to remember stories even if they were frequently " the teasing possibilities of sense really come to nothing... Rhythm is key to the structural make-up of poetry and "a principle of all life and activity and is, of course, deeply involved in the experience of, and the expression of emotion... It could be considered ...

  • Word Count: 582
  • Approx Pages: 2

4. WHAT IS POETRY?

According to the "Dictionary of Literary Terms- poetry is: - metrical writing; - writing, that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through its meanings, sound and rhythm. ... It includes the full gamut of all human experiences, from war poems and epics, through psalms of worship, love sonnets, to nursery rhymes - anything people think about or sing about. ... Anna Kamieñska, for example, thinks that poetry is like "the magic of words-, "a game between intell...

  • Word Count: 799
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

5. What is Poetry

According to the "Dictionary of Literary Terms- poetry is: - metrical writing; - writing, that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through its meanings, sound and rhythm. ... It includes the full gamut of all human experiences, from war poems and epics, through psalms of worship, love sonnets, to nursery rhymes - anything people think about or sing about. ... Anna Kamieñska, for example, thinks that poetry is like "the magic of words-, "a game between intell...

  • Word Count: 752
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Metaphysical Poetry

Metaphysical poetry has been identified as being highly intellectual as it deals with metaphorical themes that compare dissimilar and abstract ideas. ... The idea of metaphysical poetry is depicted through the various techniques such as paradoxes, symbolism, figurative language and poetic techniques which he uses to represent his focus on the broader concepts of human (being) existence. ... The persona uses the thesis to convey to his mistress that "if" life wasn't so short he would spend an eternity of time courting her. ... The biblical allusion creates a visual image of the ...

  • Word Count: 1427
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

7. The lost art of lyrical poetry

Art can cause you to cry, smile, or think deeply about the values of life. Lyrical music is a form of art that always initiates emotional encounters in my life. ... The poetry that exists throughout most of music is seen through the words of a song. The meaning of music or the truth behind a song can only seen through the meaning of the lyrics. ... When both of those elements are combined into one form, some of the most beautiful pieces of art ever created evolve. ...

  • Word Count: 829
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

8. The Passion of Poetry

Our goals in life set us apart from one another in ways that cannot be comprehended. ... But yet still there are people who have a need to express themselves through art, such as poetry, for example. ... Vincent Millay, who wrote during the Jazz Age, created pieces that changed the way society approached literature. ... Despite her love for Boissevain, however, Millay still had difficulty showing him affection, and she continued writing poetry that reflected her strong, independent spirit that had carried her through life, including a piece entitled "The Concert". ... She poured her heart out ...

  • Word Count: 1063
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

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