POETRY NOTES
Poetry is the study of poems and the poetic language. A poem is a creative composition usually written
in verse and that uses diction, imagery and economy of words to communicate.
A poet is someone who writes poems. The voice speaking in a poem is called the persona. What the
persona refers to or talks to in a poem would be the subject and the issue that is being talked about or
being raised is the subject matter or theme.
In many cases the voice speaking in the poem or the persona is different from the poet. The persona can
be a female voice denouncing men but the writer of the poem is male.
The girl next door by G.R. Lazarus
She was the girl next door
Beautiful booming and shy
Our interaction was measured
Our chemistry guarded
But she was curious and hideous
Then she was of age and I married
But more lustful and hideous
In the poem above the poet is Lazarus. The subject of the poem is the girl next door because the
persona is referring to her. The subject matter or theme of the poem is love/lust because the persona is
attracted to the girl next door and although he later gets married to someone else he still sees her. The
persona in the poem is a man who neighbours the girl (she was the girl next door). Remember the
persona is different from Lazarus, the poet.
Lapobo by Cliff Lumbwa
Lapobo,
Tall but not too tall
Short but not too short
She is of medium height
,Lapobo
Her teeth are not as ash
Nor the colour of maize flour
Her teeth are as white as fresh milk
The whiteness of her teeth
When I think of her Lo!
Makes food drop from my hand
Lapobo
Black but not too black
Brown but not too brown
Her skin colour is just between black and brown
Lapobo
Her feet have no cracks
Her palms are smooth and tender to touch
Her eyes—Ho! They can destroy anybody
The structure of the poem refers to how the lines in a poem are arranged. For example, a poem can
have four stanzas and each stanza can carry five lines. In some cases like in this poem by Lumbwa, the
structure of the poem is made to resemble a picture of a beautiful woman whose features are well
arranged.
In this poem the poet is Cliff Lumbwa, the persona is a lover who admires Lapobo (Lapobo, black but not
too black), the subject is Lapobo (Lapobo, her teeth are white as fresh milk), subject matter is love—the
persona loves Lapobo (Her eyes—ho! They can destroy anybody)
Clementine by Okot P’Bitek
Ocol is no longer in love with the old type
He is in love with a modern girl
The name of the beautiful one is Clementine
, Brother when you see Clementine
The beautiful one aspires
To look like a white woman
Her lips are red-hot like glowing charcoal
She resembles the wild cat
That has dipped its mouth in blood
Her mouth is like raw meat
It looks like open ulcers
Like the mouth of an ogre
Tina dusts powder on her face
And it looks so pale
She resembles the wizard
Getting ready for the midnight dance
Questions
Identify the structure, the persona, the poet, the subject and the subject matter of the poem.
Rhythm in Poetry
Rhythm in poetry is achieved through repetition of words or sounds.
Rhyme is the repletion of sounds at the end of lines in a poem. This repetition can be in form of a
scheme where it forms a pattern that runs across the poem or just in a few lines. E.g.
They said we should be honest
And taught us to be the best
In staying pure and chaste
Poetry is the study of poems and the poetic language. A poem is a creative composition usually written
in verse and that uses diction, imagery and economy of words to communicate.
A poet is someone who writes poems. The voice speaking in a poem is called the persona. What the
persona refers to or talks to in a poem would be the subject and the issue that is being talked about or
being raised is the subject matter or theme.
In many cases the voice speaking in the poem or the persona is different from the poet. The persona can
be a female voice denouncing men but the writer of the poem is male.
The girl next door by G.R. Lazarus
She was the girl next door
Beautiful booming and shy
Our interaction was measured
Our chemistry guarded
But she was curious and hideous
Then she was of age and I married
But more lustful and hideous
In the poem above the poet is Lazarus. The subject of the poem is the girl next door because the
persona is referring to her. The subject matter or theme of the poem is love/lust because the persona is
attracted to the girl next door and although he later gets married to someone else he still sees her. The
persona in the poem is a man who neighbours the girl (she was the girl next door). Remember the
persona is different from Lazarus, the poet.
Lapobo by Cliff Lumbwa
Lapobo,
Tall but not too tall
Short but not too short
She is of medium height
,Lapobo
Her teeth are not as ash
Nor the colour of maize flour
Her teeth are as white as fresh milk
The whiteness of her teeth
When I think of her Lo!
Makes food drop from my hand
Lapobo
Black but not too black
Brown but not too brown
Her skin colour is just between black and brown
Lapobo
Her feet have no cracks
Her palms are smooth and tender to touch
Her eyes—Ho! They can destroy anybody
The structure of the poem refers to how the lines in a poem are arranged. For example, a poem can
have four stanzas and each stanza can carry five lines. In some cases like in this poem by Lumbwa, the
structure of the poem is made to resemble a picture of a beautiful woman whose features are well
arranged.
In this poem the poet is Cliff Lumbwa, the persona is a lover who admires Lapobo (Lapobo, black but not
too black), the subject is Lapobo (Lapobo, her teeth are white as fresh milk), subject matter is love—the
persona loves Lapobo (Her eyes—ho! They can destroy anybody)
Clementine by Okot P’Bitek
Ocol is no longer in love with the old type
He is in love with a modern girl
The name of the beautiful one is Clementine
, Brother when you see Clementine
The beautiful one aspires
To look like a white woman
Her lips are red-hot like glowing charcoal
She resembles the wild cat
That has dipped its mouth in blood
Her mouth is like raw meat
It looks like open ulcers
Like the mouth of an ogre
Tina dusts powder on her face
And it looks so pale
She resembles the wizard
Getting ready for the midnight dance
Questions
Identify the structure, the persona, the poet, the subject and the subject matter of the poem.
Rhythm in Poetry
Rhythm in poetry is achieved through repetition of words or sounds.
Rhyme is the repletion of sounds at the end of lines in a poem. This repetition can be in form of a
scheme where it forms a pattern that runs across the poem or just in a few lines. E.g.
They said we should be honest
And taught us to be the best
In staying pure and chaste
