By Helene Norris
A person may read a Mormon poem in order to pass a poetry exam or just for pleasure. Whatever is the case, below are some helpful tips to allow a reader get to grip of what a poet is trying to tell. For those puzzling over Mormon poems, following these tips will make them discuss the poetry with a lot of confidence.
The first trick is to read the poems until the end. Stopping and puzzling over a tricky bit may be tempting. However, by reading a poem all the way, one should be able to figure out the overall idea that the poet is attempting to convey. The reader should consider the subject matter, which is literary what the poem is all about, together with any emerging themes. These happen to be the ideas that a poet wishes the reader to think about after reading it.
A reader should also consider what the poems mood is. He or she should think about what the poet wishes them to feel in the end. The tones in general can either leaver a reader feeling sad or it can be uplifting. Some Mormon poems can have a deliberate change of mood in them whereby an apparently downbeat poem ends in a joyful manner, or the other way round. Another thing to consider is its structure. The poet will have its structure carefully planned; underlining the importance of finding out how many stanzas or verses it is structured into. Each new structure probably explores a new idea or mood, or can be made up of just one stanza to give the impression of a brief and rapid event.
It is a good idea to listen to sounds of the words. Since poems are written to be read out loud, it should not be any embarrassing at all for someone to recite the poem by themselves. Doing so will not only help the reader to know if a regular rhythm or rhyme exists, but also assist in figuring out any words that the author selected due to the way they sound.
For instance, the author may use alliteration in order to draw the readers attention to a certain image or line, or even use assonance. Other aural techniques to watch out for are onomatopoeia, whereby words are used to echo the sound word itself, as well as sibilance.
Any other stylistic technique the poet uses is another factor worth putting into consideration. For instance, the way imagery is utilized in a poem is something the reader should check. In simple terms, it is the manner in which use of language helps get an image of the events happening in the poem. Metaphors or similes can be used by the poet to help achieve this, whereby ideas are compared by whoever reads the poem.
A simile uses particular words to draw attention to a comparison aspect. On the other hand, metaphors use direct comparison, and can be more difficult since the reader is told a single thing is actually something else. Considering why a poet opted to use a particular comparison over the other is of great importance.
A reader should not fail to seek help if the above tips do not work. Mormon poems are after all composed to be enjoyed. Therefore, the more a person reads, the less the need to seek reference to these tips.
The first trick is to read the poems until the end. Stopping and puzzling over a tricky bit may be tempting. However, by reading a poem all the way, one should be able to figure out the overall idea that the poet is attempting to convey. The reader should consider the subject matter, which is literary what the poem is all about, together with any emerging themes. These happen to be the ideas that a poet wishes the reader to think about after reading it.
A reader should also consider what the poems mood is. He or she should think about what the poet wishes them to feel in the end. The tones in general can either leaver a reader feeling sad or it can be uplifting. Some Mormon poems can have a deliberate change of mood in them whereby an apparently downbeat poem ends in a joyful manner, or the other way round. Another thing to consider is its structure. The poet will have its structure carefully planned; underlining the importance of finding out how many stanzas or verses it is structured into. Each new structure probably explores a new idea or mood, or can be made up of just one stanza to give the impression of a brief and rapid event.
It is a good idea to listen to sounds of the words. Since poems are written to be read out loud, it should not be any embarrassing at all for someone to recite the poem by themselves. Doing so will not only help the reader to know if a regular rhythm or rhyme exists, but also assist in figuring out any words that the author selected due to the way they sound.
For instance, the author may use alliteration in order to draw the readers attention to a certain image or line, or even use assonance. Other aural techniques to watch out for are onomatopoeia, whereby words are used to echo the sound word itself, as well as sibilance.
Any other stylistic technique the poet uses is another factor worth putting into consideration. For instance, the way imagery is utilized in a poem is something the reader should check. In simple terms, it is the manner in which use of language helps get an image of the events happening in the poem. Metaphors or similes can be used by the poet to help achieve this, whereby ideas are compared by whoever reads the poem.
A simile uses particular words to draw attention to a comparison aspect. On the other hand, metaphors use direct comparison, and can be more difficult since the reader is told a single thing is actually something else. Considering why a poet opted to use a particular comparison over the other is of great importance.
A reader should not fail to seek help if the above tips do not work. Mormon poems are after all composed to be enjoyed. Therefore, the more a person reads, the less the need to seek reference to these tips.