同学们，本栏目是对你们学过的知识和生活中常见问题的归纳。其中，有一些共性问题，也许你会需要哦！

让我来帮你解决常见问题！

Q1: What’s your understanding of poetry?

A1: Poetry concerns itself with the ideal and the emotional, in nature, life, and thought. Its language must be choice, for aptness of expression and for melodious sound. Its form will embody the recurrence of rhythmic measures, which, however elaborated and varied in later times, originated in the dim past, when singing and dancing moved hand in hand for the vivid utterance of feeling—in mirthful joy and in woe, love and hate, worshipful devotion and mortal defiance, the fierceness of battle and the serenity of peace. While through all and over all must breathe the informing spirit of Beauty—whether of the delicate or the sublime, whether of sweetness or of power—harmonizing both the interior essence and its outward expression.

A2: Poetry is an art form in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. It consists largely of oral or literary works in which language is used in a manner that is felt by its user and audience to differ from ordinary prose.

Q2: Why is it impossible to date the first poem in the world, and why sound effect was much emphasized than the spelling?

A: It is impossible to date the first poem or poet in the world, since poetry originated in a time before written languages were born. The origins of poetry can be found in the communal expression, probably originally taking the form of dance, of the religious spirit. This can be proved by the fact that the dance rhythm could be marked not only by clapping, stamping, or rhythmic cries, but also by chanting or otherwise intoning or singing words. Song (work songs, lullabies, and play songs) is the progenitor of poetry. Religious songs also play a very important role in the development of poetry. The ritual aspect of poetry can still be seen in the songs of many native cultures.

At first, poetry grew out of music, so sound effect was much emphasized and spelling did not count.

Q3: What are the genres of poetry:

A:Ballad; Lyric; Narrative Poem; Epic; Sonnet; Ode; Elegy; Pastoral; Blank Verse; Free Verse.

Q4: What are the elements of writing a poem?

A: Rhyme; Metrical Rhythm; Tone; Image; Theme

Q5: Knowing how to read a poem and where to look for themes and meaning can help make reading poetry and writing about it less intimidating. So, how to find the message or theme of a poem? If you are a great poet, please list some of the tips and give your reasons.

• Examine the Title

Often, the title can point you in the right direction when you're trying to understand the meaning of a text. What does the title make you think the poem is about? Does it contain any key words that signal theme or meaning? Make note of them as you make your way through the poem.

• Read Slowly and Read Aloud

Rushing through a poem just to get the meaning is one of the worst ways to read poetry. Often, poetry is not about primarily one main point; the meaning can be contained in the word choice, sounds and rhythm of a poem. Read your poem aloud several times and make note of your own experience. Does the poem seem to be harsh or soft? Elegant or rough? Are there any dominant words or sounds throughout the poem? Make note of your reactions as you read. This can help you to identify the important aspects of the poem.

• Identify the Speaker

One important key to understanding a poem is to find out who is speaking. Is the narrator using "I," "you" or the third person? Does the speaker seem to be an individual person or a collective, such as a town, state, country or gender? If you can't identify the narrator specifically, at least notice whether the speaker seems to be directly addressing the audience versus telling a story about somebody else.

• Determine the Subjects

Read through the poem and notice your first reaction. What seems to be the primary subject matter of the poem? What types of scenes does it depict, and what actions, events or emotions are discussed? Make note of every individual scene or description.

• Determine the Types of Imagery and Metaphor Used

Poems often contain imagery, which refers to concrete descriptions. Metaphor and simile, which refer to comparisons, are also common and are often used in conjunction with imagery. Both of these elements can help you to understand the meaning of the poem. For example, a poem that includes imagery of dying or decaying fruit versus a poem full of imagery of ripe, healthy fruit might indicate a theme of death and dying rather than a theme of life and happiness. In addition, in terms of metaphor and simile, a relationship compared to a freshly picked apple is very different from a relationship compared to a cut of bloody meat! Pay careful attention to what the author chooses to compare and the imagery used throughout the poem.

• The Poem Isn't Just About Meaning

Remember that poems don't always have only one identifiable meaning or theme. They are often about sharing an experience, feeling or idea.