What Criteria Make Up A Poem - 1225 Words

What criteria make up a poem? According to Terry Eagleton’s book How to Read a Poem, it suggests that a â€Å"poem is a fictional, verbally inventive moral statement in which it is the author, rather than the printer or word processor, who decides where the lines should end† (25). Terry Eagleton uses his own opinion to characterize what aspects he believes make up a poem. Eagleton argues that form and content are two different terms in regards to poetry; however, the form of a poem helps relate to the content of a poem. Some people think poetry is similar to prose, but according to Terry Eagleton that is not accurate. Eagleton states poetry is different than prose in the way poetry is structured and the way it uses language. Maya Angelou’s†¦show more content†¦For instance, the lack of freedom and treatment endured by African Americans could have influenced the form and content Angelou chooses. In the first stanza the poem reads: You may write me down in history/ With your bitter, twisted lies/ You may trod me in the very dirt/ But still, like dust, I ll rise (Angelou 1-4). Angelou is saying that no matter what people said or how they treated her in the past, she will rise above it. This can link to the unfair treatment of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement or possibly even ancestors who may have experienced slavery. Angelou’s change in form relates to the powerful meaning of the content, which is no matter what happens or what is thrown at Maya Angelou she will always rise. In Terry Eagleton’s book How to Read a Poem, he states that poetry is different than prose and it is the author who decides where the line should end. It might be difficult to tell if the language in â€Å"Still I Rise† were poetry or prose simply by just reading it. The language could be similar to ordinary speech, since Angelou uses enjambment. However, the way the language is broken up shows that it is Angelou in complete control over where the lines should end. In the sixth stanza the poem reads: â€Å"But still, like air, I’ll rise† (Angelou 24). However, in the last stanza, the phase â€Å"I Rise† (Angelou 30, 32, 36, 38), is given its own line. Angelou decided to give that specific phase its own line rather than continue it on the