Poetry is an important aspect of life, and more so when poems are brought into play. This becomes the reason why different genres have emerged to define poetry, as poems are deemed to have a central role. There are different types of poems, and they are classified into different categories and types. In this paper, the poem “Hell is a lonely Place” will be discussed and classified according to its structure. Therefore, the aim of the paper is to discuss the elements of the poem in this genre of poetry. It will specifically consider three elements, namely; the length of the line, the story and the meaning of the poem, and the point of view of the poem.
“Hell is a lonely place”has characterized the importance of poetry, where not only does it bring the three major elements together, but it also portrays a message that is deep enough to be felt by those who appreciate poems. The first element chosen is the structure of the lines in the poem. There are many definitions of a poem, but they revolve to give a similar meaning which is composed of a group of words that are commonly arranged in rows. It can also be viewed as a subdivision of a poem. In most cases, poems have no particular formula because the author tries to arrange the lines to bring out a particular sound or a given syllable at the end of the line. The length of the line selected is important to the poem.
The poem in question uses short lines. Short lines are important in poems. This is because it makes the poem have many breaks in between the lines and stanzas. Words which fall at the end of the line are imperative to the learners because they yield the rhyme and rhythms among other connotative stylistic styles. The lines used in the poem are short and give breath to the reader, as opposed to long lines which would leave the reader breathless. Also, the short lines of the poem make the reader feel like he or she is hyperventilating. This can ease frequency of the lines thus the musical effect of the poem developed by the short lines.
The other structure is the topic versus the message of the poem. There is always anxiety for the reader when trying to understand the message of the poem. Most of the poems will seem confusing at times because they will not reveal the real meaning of the poem directly. The title of the poem “Hell is a Lonely Place” did not directly articulate to the message. Instead, the author uses a direct comparison of the life of the two couples who had varied problems to hell. By reading, the poem, one can see how their life was hard to the extent of committing suicide.
Finally, the other element in the poem is the point of view. The poem, “Hell is a Lonely Place” is told in third person point of view. Most of the novels usually use the third point of view so that information is well-shared in abundance. The narrators are commonly referred to as omniscient because they can shift from character to character. For instance, the narrator can shift from husband to wife, and to the new tenants in our poem. However, the shortcoming of this point of view is that it has close focus, in that, we can know what the main character experiences and we never get a chance to hear the author’s voice.
In conclusion, the elements of poetry are essential in classifying poems. Poems can have many elements and structures thus; there are very different types of poems. It is important to understand the form and message of every poem and how it relates to the topic among other critical elements of poetry in different genres.
Works Cited
Ebert, Roger. Hell is a Lonely Place by Charles Bukowski. 22 March 2011. 1 March 2016 <http://www.rogerebert.com/balder-and-dash/hell-is-a-lonely-place-by-charles-bukowski>.
Klaus, Carl H. Elements of literature: essay, fiction, poetry, drama, film. Oxford University Press, 2010.
