Essay on "Drama Poetry"

Quoted Instructions for "Drama Poetry" Assignment:

Performance in Drama and Poetry

All literature involves some kind of performance which is intended for an audience. Sometimes, however, the performative quality of a work (i.e., the fact that it is being presented to an audience) is more obvious than at others. Drama and poetry, for example, tend to emphasize overt performance more than do short stories, which more often are read silently and in solitude.

How is the more direct performative aspect of drama and/or poetry reflected in these forms? (Consider for example, each genre’s uses of literary structure, language, technique, and style.) How do these literary elements affect your reading experience?

In your post, identify key qualities of drama and poetry which emphasize their performative qualities. Discuss how these characteristics shape your reading response. Support your views with at least one example of a dramatic text and one example of a poem.

Your initial post should be at least 150 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the assigned reading material. Properly cite any references.

For this prompt you will need to think back to our discussion on the difference between the experience of reading poetry versus hearing the lines when read by one who observes its form: cadence, rhyme pattern; sentence stops, alliteration. Many verbalized their surprise at the understanding they gained from the sound of the poetic lines as compared with the reading, which highlights the performative aspects of the art form and the wisdom in looking to the sound of poetry before the meaning. Similarly, reading drama as compared with watching it performed might be significantly different. What of the set direction and the dialogue? Some found the set direction distracting; some found it significantly enhanced the dialogue??? You might find it illustrative to watch a contemporary adaptation of Rupert Goold's PBS Macbeth .

Remember that in literary discussion it is absolutely necessary to discuss the language; lines from the text are the only legitimate evidence to support your discussion.