Poetic devices 17: Antithesis

An antithesis is the opposite to a thesis. A thesis is an idea, a theory, a concept - something that explains your world to you. The anthesis of good is evil. They are opposed. They are in opposition to each other. They are antithetical. 

In poetry antithesis is a device used to show how two objects or ideas are different to each other. Antithesis can also be used to reinforce the tempo of a poem. Let's explore how this works...

The 1920 poem Fire and Ice by Robert Frost is a classic example of antithesis: 

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

The juxtaposition of fire and ice as two opposing concepts has a dramatic effect on the reader. It creates a tension in the comparisons. It allows the poet to elaborate on the ideas, melding them into a metaphor for love and desire, and also as a device to express his observations on life. It's a rhythmic triumph in the use of antithesis.

Another well known example of antithesis can be found in Hamlet's soliloquy, from the classic play by William Shakespeare. In it, Hamlet is contemplating a perennial antithesis: the meaning of life and the finality of death.

To be or not to be, that is the question

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind

To suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune

Or to take up arms against a sea of troubles.

Again, it's very dramatic, and as the soliloquy progresses, it reveals the turmoil present in Hamlet's mind as he battles with his conscience.

Another example of antithesis is present in a famous poem called If, by Rudyard Kipling.

If you can meet with triumph and disaster

And treat those two imposters just the same...

This is a rather interesting approach to antithesis, because the poet identifies several binaries - opposing ideas like triumph and disaster, and then tells the reader that in reality, they don't really matter - because the character of the person is much more important than the fate that befalls him. It's not so much what happens to you, but how you respond to it that is the key to your success. 

Steve Wheeler

Image used by Creative Commons licence from Flickr

Previous posts in this series:

1. Simile
2. Metaphor
3. Repetition and refrains
4. Alliteration
5. Assonance
6. End Rhymes
7. Internal Rhymes
8. Rhythm and Tempo
9. Enjambment

10. Allegory

11. Metonymy

12. Cacophony

13. Calligram

14. Personification

15. Paradox

16. Euphony

Saying So Much With So Little

Is a meme poetry? What about a quote? How short must a poem be to be considered poetry?

I’ve noticed that many longer works tend not to get as much attention as shorter poems as a moderator of Invisible Poets  and  Wheelsong Poetry on Facebook. 

Writing memes seems to be prevalent as a sort of attention deficit alternative to constructive wisdom. Although short, many do constitute snippets of practical knowledge, which bounce into the realms of poetry. The same thing with quotes

Considered the shortest poem ever written, I’d like for you to consider both the content and the clever application of this timeless poem from 1927…

                                         —

Fleas

by  Strickland Gillian

Adam Had’em 

 

                                        —

With such ripe content applied in such a brilliant and originally whimsical manner, Gillian sought to address a most poignant question… how long have fleas been around?! Also known as  Lines On The Antiquity Of Microbes“, I am guessing Strickland was trying to make up for the brevity of his work with a big fancy title!

Talk about short and spontaneous! Mary Frye wrote this on a brown paper grocery bag in a flurry of merciful pity for a grieving friend…

                                        —

Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep

by Mary Elizabeth Frye

Do not stand at my grave and weep:
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starshine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry:
I am not there; I did not die.

                                       —

Although not a short short poem, this sweet work in twelve lines wonderfully sums up where the spirit may be when one stands at the foot of the grace and wept for a lost loved one.

I’ve had my nose in a dogeared old paperback of the collective works of Robert Frost, of which this one caught my attention…

                                        —

Fire And Ice

By Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

                                        —

The struggle of contrasts between the metaphors in this seemingly simple yet ambiguous poem creates a tension that begs a reader to read it again for different meanings.

Reading multiple times to discern hidden messages is the ultimate comment one could give a poet, much as a burp in some cultures would be a compliment to the chef! 

Wringing truth out of short fabrics of tiny poems to wet the whistle of a reader is not as easy as it seems! Only the most multidimensional messages seem to stick, so it is best to find as many hidden meanings as possible to sandwich in there, as the above examples illustrate.

Do you have any suggestions for this article? I’d love to hear them! Please feel free to comment below, and as always, thank you for reading.

Matt Elmore

Poetry From Adversity

When I was published recently by Wheelsong Books, many of my family and friends tended to mock my work without even reading it. I was stereotyped as a soft tulip tiptoer that whimsically wrote words at the sight of the first butterfly.

This IS somewhat true! Not the first butterfly though.… I live in the country, so I see them every day…

They didn’t know this about me. I’ve always been a bit of a tough guy… built sheds and furniture and picnic tables. Hung out with rowdies and sang in a metal band. Hiked half the Appalachian trail in a shot. Drank beers in honky tonks and flirted with pretty women. A biker gang even named me “Chains”… long story, trust me!

A poet?! Really?

Yeah… really. 

However, when they read a few of my poems, I believe they began to understand what I was doing. Poets wear many hats… Some even congratulated me, which was another milestone for me. They accepted that I represent more than an average everyday person. A balance of the light and heavy…

                                          —

I’m just an average everyday person that is able to articulate what most average everyday people are feeling and want to say. I think this defines many modern poets.

                                           —

Poetry is about more than rainbows and butterflies. It’s not all the Robert Frost kind of nature trip… or even the Robert Browning sort of introspections. It’s not all John Milton inspired perfectly metered verse, or the angular intricate constructions  of E.E. Cummings. It’s not even even all the dark art poetry that permeates today’s social media, accentuating carnal sides of our natures… the flip side to NICE poetry.

Many poets have a default muse they draw upon. They may try different styles, but there is something at the marrow that fuels their art. For me, that is adversity. This adverse misunderstanding bothered me… but only motivated me to write even more.

                                          —

Troubles tend to drive me into my best works, often obfuscated in various concluding themes of redemption, despair, or despondency. This tension rocked me a number of times… and perhaps even guided the pen to what some consider my best work “The Colored Number Of My Counted Days”, published in my book Constellation Road.

I recently moved my 83 year old mother in with me to watch after her. She suffered what appears to be a minor stroke a couple of days ago and hasn’t been the same since. I’m sick with worry right now., worried about her at my house when I’m at work. Something in her eyes has dulled. Yet I meet the adversity with courage and keep on… Strangely, I haven’t really written a poem about this. Afraid to I guess. Don’t know why…

I do know that when harnessed properly, this tension that is created through adversity can be refined in passion to create something special. My best work is ahead of me I know. It doesn’t make it any easier knowing hard times are coming…

                                          —

Does adversity move you as a poet? Or do you compartmentalize your problems… and focus on other aspects of life? If you are moved by the troubles, is it therapeutic? Or is it just another theme to go off of?

Please feel free to comment on this article. I know it is a bit more personal than the usual poetry blog, but writing is what we do, and this topic is becoming nearer to my heart than I ever thought it could before.

Thanks for reading!

Matt Elmore

Live Poets Society

Remember that fabulous film with Robin Williams as a teacher of English literature at a stuffy American private school? What was it called...? Ah yes. Dead Poets Society. They studied poets like Walt Whitman (wait, what man?), who was long since in his grave, never to pen another poem again. Dead poets.

American poets such as Whitman, Edgar Poe, Emily Dickinson and Henry Longfellow blazed a trail across the United States ... from Robert Frost through to the notable Beat Poets of the fifties and sixties such as Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso and latterly Lawrence Ferlinghetti and the blessed Maya Angelou. 

They are all dead. Their quills will squeak on parchment no more. Their typewriters are silent. They are ex-poets. Shuffled off this mortal coil (William Shakespeare of course)... and gone to join the heavenly choir in the sky (Monty Python). OK. I'll shut up.

All I want to draw your attention to is this...  There are plenty of us still alive. We are poets and we are writing poetry even today. Let's give it a voice, a platform, an audience. Let's make a live television show where all of your wonderful poetry can be read out... nay performed... live on Facebook. 

Oh, wait. We are already doing it. Every Friday, live on Invisible Poets, at 7pm UK time. 

It's an event you don't want to miss. Oh sure, you can watch it on playback later if you wish, on several groups including Passion of Poetry, Wheelsong Poetry, Pure Poetry, and Poetry UK to name a few. But there's nothing quite like a live performance to rattle your muse. There's nothing like a live poetry reading to get the literary juices flowing. It's inspirational. It's wonderful. It's.... and... it's yours. That's just one more reason to join Invisible Poets Facebook group as soon as you possibly can. Or sooner.

Steve Wheeler

You can join Invisible Poets by following this link.

Image from Wikimedia Commons