Poem : Elements of Poetry

WHAT MAKES A GOOD POEM? 

A good poet.
No doubt, a good poet makes a good poem. However, there are certain recipes that contribute to a poem.
I learned :
That a poem has a theme - usually talks about something/gives a gist of the message that the poet wants to convey to the readers. It can sometimes tell us a story or sometimes leaves us fogbound. Word association may not seem logical to you, thus it's not necessary for you to understand all of its content completely.


Poems meant to be heard. There are some interesting sound devices :-
Rhyme
Repetition
Alliteration
Onomatopoeia

• Rhyme - certain words/syllables/sounds of the lines may match each other is some forms. 

Example :

Sometimes I know the way	a
You walk, up over the bay;	a
It is a wind from that far sea	b
That blows the fragrance of your hair to me.	b

• Repetition - poets repeat words, phrases or sentences to emphasize the idea and to strengthen feelings and mood in a poem.

• Alliteration -  the repetition of initial sounds (consonant) on the same line or stanza. Example : "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers".

• Onomatopoeia - words that sound like that which poet describes. (actual sound)
  Example : Boom! Quack! Moo! Tick Tock!

Imagery - the use of words that stimulates reader's imagination. Details about smells, sounds and colours that appeals to the five senses.
[smell, sight, hearing, taste, touch]

• Figure of speech :-

1. Similes
2. Metaphors
3. Personification

• Similes - mostly introduced by "like" & "as".
  Example : My love is like a red rose.
                 An emerald is as green as grass.

• Metaphors - compares two things without using words "like" or "as".Example : Her voice is music to his ears.             
                 Time is a thief.

• Personification - gives human traits and feelings to describe objects or non-living things.
  Example : Wind whispered many truths to me.
                  The thunder grumbled like an old man.

• Lines & Stanzas - smaller units or groups of lines and acts as a paragraph.

• Voice - poet/human character/object/animal as a speaker.