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Soul is the sole word, which binds both music and poem with the listener. Both of them heal a pained soul and share the joy of togetherness by providing a blissful feeling. On the contrary, they could also be as cold as a fish and fall flat by being bland. So, one question that knocks our mind is which mantra makes both of them gel together? Nonetheless, it is the solid rhythm, which makes them stand-tall out of the lot.
To trace the origin of the prosaic structure that initiated as song variety, they are categorized under two heads as "The Ballad Stanza" of British & Americans writings and "The Blues stanzas" of Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes.
Ballads also known as story songs in poetry can be traced many centuries back
when they were first sung during the Middle period. These are still seen as conventional and contemporary songs. With an exclusive formation and tempo, the poets in late 18th and 19th century found it to be interpreted easily in written works. We still cherish the golden words of famous poets living in the late 18th and 19thC while they used the ballad form.
Another popular song structure with which our ancestors used to tap their foot is the African American Blues stanza. Its lyrics express plethora of emotions. Langston Hughes was the first to recognize the latent art of the blues as written poetry. He traveled many places and clubs in Washington D.C and wrote poems by being inspired from the songs sung in a street. He described those songs as full of life and adventure where life could not stand still. The Blues stanza made Hughes popular as he conveyed the experience of African Americans in their own conventional language.
Another popular song structure with which our ancestors used to tap their foot is the African American Blues stanza. Its lyrics express plethora of emotions. Langston Hughes was the first to recognize the latent art of the blues as written poetry. He traveled many places and clubs in Washington D.C and wrote poems by being inspired from the songs sung in a street. He described those songs as full of life and adventure where life could not stand still. The Blues stanza made Hughes popular as he conveyed the experience of African Americans in their own conventional language.
The problem which many critics point out to song lyrics poetry is that songs are dependant on the flicker in the performance. It is also necessary that lyrics, music and voice should blend and inter mingle well. It is only then that the true soul of the music could finally be realized whereas a poem stands alone like a solitary reaper, reaping its own timing and internal music.
Another critic points out that poets may increase the grade of their creation by doing various things, which do not necessitate writing poetry. He says that one may listen to the music specially the one, which captivates the incentives inherent in the poetries of great poets like Shakespeare. The incentive is choosing important sound and rhythm, which transcends the conception of any selected form of what poetry, is all about.
The reality underneath hearing such an excellent piece of poetry even in another language is only due to hearing its music. It is like listening to the set patterns of great musicians who have their notes set. The agreement is such that their impact is as intuitive as that of some super sense, which needs no further explanation. The rhythm that surrounds theambiance spell bounds the audience.
Hence, the question arises what qualifies the song lyrics to be referred as poetry. The best and the most unambiguous answer to this question can be that whatever we can sing we call it a song and whatever we cannot sing becomes a poem.
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