A Treatise on Poetry for Beginners

By Dr A.V. Koshy

This small book A Treatise on Poetry for Beginners is an attempt to encourage a beginner to take more interest in reading and writing poetry, at a deeper level that is the usual practice. With this aim in mind, the reader is introduced to the elements of poetry with examples in a light, humorous and interesting manner. The contents page shows that what is included are sections on some general thoughts on poetry including a via negative definition, two asides, Mnemonics, Rhyme, Rhyme Schemes, Sound and Imagery, Figurative Language, Form, Voice, Style, some more general thoughts on poetry and the contemporary scene, especially the exciting and avant-garde subculture of poetry on facebook. As a critic, the author aims to stand as a bridge to his readership between the old and the new, the good and the better and the real and the virtual in the world of poetry writing.

Although the book is experimental in a sight way including wall post times and dates and days as well as slight and controlled use of chat and sms lingo, icons etc., having been written first on fb on a daily basis, making it perhaps the first of its kind and unique, it is basically of a scholarly bent. It is strength is the apparent ease with which it formulates and passes on the knowledge of poetry, in the kind of lyrical and simple writing that can actually only be done by a master of the subject or discipline. For each section well known and impeccable examples are quoted along with a judicious mix of not so famous but equally significant quotes that can be found here and there. The poets quoted include Dylan Thomas, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Samuel Beckett, Dante and others. The quotes are not random but accurate, and tellingly illustrate in a highly competent degree the points under discussion. A few of the poet’s own amusing doggerel verse is scattered here and there through the book, again to make some point clearer and even this is effectively done. Sociologists may one day find value in the thread uniting many of the sections throughout that casts light n the emerging subculture of the fb poetry scene in the contemporary poetry scenario of bleakness with many writing and no one reading, and Dr Koshy cites the interesting examples of the rise of a new wave with anthologies by people like Brian Wrixon, Barry Mowles and huge poetry event organisers like Michel Rothenberg. The book is truly international in its coverage of literature and poetry and at the same time unflinchingly Indian and so touches also on new and upcoming writers like Vasudev Murthy and Yaseen Anwer to make its point. IN a very small packed canvas of a space, the book offers so much that it needs repeated readings and is a worthy minimalist gem for such a low price.

What is it if not the worst of times if one can't rhyme rhyme with rosemary and thyme?! If that passage doesn’t make you want to buy it and read it nothing else will. The book is a Horatian delight of fine instruction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Speak Up Publishing
• Release date: Aug 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476283531

Dr A.V. Koshy

Dr A.V. Koshy is an established author and writer who is a poet, critic and artist. He has a doctorate in Samuel Beckett's Poems in English from the University of Kerala. He has published a monograph of essays called Wrighteings: In Media Res and has several, published research papers to his credit. He has also published poems in India, UK, America and Canada in poetry journals, magazines, e-zines and anthologies. He has two certificates, one in entrepreneurship from the World Bank, and a diploma in education, partly from the USA, besides his expertise in teaching English Language and Literature in different premier institutions and parts of the world like KSA, India and Libya. His greatest desire is to build a village for people having autism where all their needs are met and he runs an NGO called Autism for Help Village Project with his wife for this dream to come true. He can be contacted at [e-mail] Wrighteings: In Media Res is a book for intellectuals on theory and an experiment as to whether anyone is left in the world who can still differentiate between wheat and chaff. Is the reading worth it? Yes, if you are interested in Psychology, Design by Development, Art, Politics, Creativity, Creative Writing, Sexuality, English, Literature, Education, Critical Theory, History, India past and present, philosophy, intertextuality, transdisciplinarity and a host of other things. In other words, if you are interested in eclecticism, serious thought, hermeticism, esoteric writing, auto-didacticism and hermeneutics, this is the book for you. Read carefully to get the most out of this enjoyable but densely written book.

Book preview

A TREATISE ON POETRY FOR BEGINNERS

By

Dr A.V. Koshy

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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PUBLISHED BY:

Speak Up Publishing on Smashwords

A Treatise on Poetry for Beginners

Copyright © 2012 by Dr A.V. Koshy

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

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Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Some General Thoughts on Poetry

Two asides

Mnemonics

Rhyme

From Rhyme to Rhyme Schemes

Sound and Imagery 1

Sound and Imagery 2

Sound and Imagery 3

Figurative Language

Form and Structure

Form and Voice

Voice and Style

Back to Poetry

Poetry Today and on FB

Addendum

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FOREWORD

This little book wrote itself. I typed it straight into my fb wall posts, hence the dates, days and times given, and it came largely out of a life-long love and fascination for and addiction to poetry and last year's teaching.

Hope every reader enjoys reading it as much as I loved writing it. The aim is to amuse, entertain, delight, instruct, educate and hopefully provoke good poetry reading and writing habits.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Dedicated to my Dad, the best of men in my opinion.

Thanks are in order to James Joyce - fb name - (K.V.K. Murthy), first and foremost, for inspiring me, Michele Baron in advance for helping, and my six faithful readers who kept me going namely Dr Madhumita Ghosh, Reena Prasad, Zeenath Ibrahim, Rukhaya MK, Gopali Ghosh and Payal Pasha. Thanks also to Shyama Edtl (fb name), Bindu Nair Varma, Panjami Anand, Khushrav J Writer, Sangeeta Suneja, Oindrila Ghosh, Dr Sayantan Gupta, Prathap Kamath, Ravi Shanker, Vasudev Murthy, Nancygail Katzin- Nystrom, Chris Glover,Yagni Brat, Gary Robinson, Bharat Ravikumar, Mritunjoy Medhi, Jagdish Keshav and Mary Jane (fb name) for love, support and encouragement. Thanks, last but not least, to Rehmat Jamal who promised to come all the way to KSA to kick my butt if I don't bring this out in book form, to Prodipta Banerjee (fb name) for her constantly helpful or critical giggles and to Bina Biswas for everything...not only clicking like on some 'parts' of the treatise, but also - especially -for believing in me and wanting the book to see the light, even before reading it. :) Finally, thanks Gorakhnath Gangane - for putting up with my unique brand of insanity. :)

I thank my readers Pratapaditya N Deb, Erronius Nomenclature, Harish Srinivasan, Harish Bhatia, Gargi Dutta Kundu, Gerda Casier, Taseer Gujral, Alhassan Albin Korem Jacob, Priyanka Dey and Susma Sharma Gurumayum. Thanks to Mahesh Dattani, Archna Pant, Anamika Silwal, Pravin Lama, Angel Meredith, Sudam Panigrahi, Yaash Gaur, Yaseeen Anwer and Poulome Mitra Shaw for always being an encouragement. Thanks to Anu, Reu, Joe, Abi, Mol, all my beloved nieces and nephews, Chachan, Chris and all the others in the family for everything. I wish to mention and mention Atindriyo Chakraborty, Binodan Sharma and Sumeet Panigrahi for giving me some hope regarding the younger generation of Indian poets. I also thank Anilkumar Paypappilly Vijayan, Sudeesh Kalashakkaran, Mohandas C.B., Sreepriya Warrier and Shamna Narayanan for various philosophical, psychological, literary and critical theory inputs, keeping me abreast of latest developments in the field.

Note: The book is not a-s-exciting as the posts were, because the best part was the dialogues/ fights/conversations we had underneath or around each post! (puns intended.)

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