Grammatical Analysis on Poetry: Beyond Explanations to Conventional Norms & Uses in English Language

After many years of researches in quest for the grammatical explanations in language whether grammar is universally applied in all literary contexts or it is limited in some ways, only one discovery reveals. This discovery states that a language is couched by a set of rules in its function and operation in written and spoken communication. It has been explained with a scientific basis and proved with an array of reasons and analyses. Each reason has become a fundamental pillar in explaining how grammar is structurally formulated and how it definitely works in a sentence, a paragraph, or even a composition. Yet, this discovery is supported and accepted by all language experts or linguists. Moreover, these linguists have worked on the grammatical analysis of the language. They indeed work with the set of rules in the transformation of the language – in functional and operational approach.

In this paper, the poem is chosen as subject to be analyzed. Its objectives are to determine if grammar is applicable to all communicative scenarios where language is essential and to find out if poetry is also bound to follow the strict formulation of the grammatical structure – in words and in sentences. Specifically, this article seeks to answer three questions in which I think they are substantial in the deepest understanding about grammar.

1. Is there grammatical sense or structure in poetry?
2. Is poetry in its deepest sense guided by the grammatical rules?
3. Is grammar strictly and universally applied in various literary contexts?

These three basic questions that I formulated are discussed in details with the simultaneous presentations of the poem. By pointing each question out, I believe clear ideas may come out to explain if grammatical correctness really applies in all various contexts. However, before I elaborate this topic, I would like to present the overview of what poetry is in relation to its grammatical sense.

Poetry is definitely hard to fathom. It really is. Its language has symbolic, metaphoric, and stanzaic effect. Its form, shape, and style are varied and have indefinite cases with regard to how the language is manipulated and arranged into paper. Consider the shape, structure, and style of the poem below.

The physical arrangement of words is naturally happened in order to create artistic effect in poetry ignoring the grammatical structure of word order in a sentence. In some areas or types, poetry has a strict form particularly in limerick, cinquain, acrostic, and haiku when it comes to meter and euphony or the sounds of poetry. With these descriptions, poetry is subjective in it or highly individualized depending on how a poet creates his own artistic piece. Aside from dealing it with the emotional side of human experience, it is said to be relative in some ways to which the poet crafts the poem’s form and style. After discussing the surface structure of what poetry is, I would like to do the pruning on the three given questions.

Is there a grammatical sense or structure in poetry? My answer is yes. There is a grammatical sense in it especially in the sentence construction and the agreement of the subject and the verb. Below is the sample poem gotten fro its first stanza from Paul Verlaine in French translated by C.F. MacIntyre. The sample poem is to justify my claim.

It weeps in my heart

as it rains on the town.

What languorous hurt

thus pierces my heart?

In the particular stanza, it is very clear that the poem exhibits grammatical correctness. On the basis of subject and verb agreement, the subject “It” or “it” agrees with the verb “weeps” or rains”. This presentation will supplement the basic claim that the language is couched by a set of rules or grammar. It is true that grammar works in order to give the meaning of the words so the rest of the poem is comprehensible. However, it does not mean that poetry is obliged to follow the grammatical norms or what is traditionally maneuvered and structured in sentences.

Is poetry in deepest sense guided by the grammatical rules? Though this question is answerable by a yes or a no and it is a choice, my answers are a no and a yes. Not at all times a poem may present grammatical correctness. It may be fabricated, manipulated, or even designed by a superfluous language or words in order to suit its purpose. To provide a sufficient reason about this one, I would like to quote the lines from the lyric poem “Don’t Matter” by the popular singer this time Akon.

Nobody wanna see us together

But it don’t matter no ‘cause I got you.

In this aspect, I talk about meter or beat. If the verb “don’t” will be changed to “doesn’t”, the grammar is then correct; however, the measure or meter in each syllable is destroyed. The beat or rhythm is changed, and it deforms the purpose of the poem to add the euphony and the metrical or rhythmical patterns of it. It is, however, important to bring out its artistic quality or its best musical rendition. This element helps make the poem wonderful no matter what in literal level.

Is grammar strictly and universally applied in various literary contexts? My answer is no. I am confirmed and I am sure about this. My readings can prove my assertion of what I said. I, therefore, say that grammar is not an absolute rule or sense because it does not or may not embrace its uses in all literary contexts. Exceptions of the grammar uses in the poem, however, deemed necessary in order to sustain its objective – to maintain euphony, meter, beat, or rhythm whether it meant to be funny or it is meant to instruct. Part of this purpose is to maintain the beauty of a poem – in literal or poetic level.

On one hand, the strict form and the definite purpose of a poem to entertain should not be sacrificed in response to grammar. The beauty and the well-crafted poem with the use of figurative language such as onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, puns, hyperbole, and many others are essential and should be present if it is required by purpose. Below is a poem Tarantella.

In addition, poetry is not obliged to conform what grammar is. The grammatical correctness or sense may be equated from the normal conventions if it defeats the purpose of the poem to secure its musical rendition with the beat or meter, style, form, and creativity. This is all bout poetic license in which the poet has the freedom to depart from the rules and conventions of standard written and spoken prose in matters of syntax, word order, and the use of archaic words. This means that all poets or literary authors are held to be free to violate the ordinary norms of both common discourse and literal level truth. This is what I mean that I am confirmed about that grammar is not universally applied in various literary pieces or contexts. It is that there is a choice given to all poets and literary authors. It is, indeed, true that poetry is subjective including the physical or literal level of the poem up to its deepest sense. Yet, it is only a product of human experiences imbibed in mysterious ways – sometimes difficult to comprehend and hard to grasp. Nevertheless, I am not going to discuss the ways to understand what poetry is because I am not in the position to bring in what is in the nutshell of poetry at all. My focus on this paper is to analyze the grammatical rules embedded in poems.

Overall, this paper has answered the three basic questions whether the poem should follow the grammatical strictness or not. Each question is discussed in details point by point. The common denominator is this. In poetry, the grammatical application is optional so to sustain its purpose to maintain its poetical artistry.