SUBSTANCE WRITING OF A POEM
• ‘Substance’ is the theme or subject-matter of a work of art. It is, in this sense, the most important part, the chief or real meaning of any kind of writing.
•• Writing the substance of a poem is to write the main idea of the poem or the stanza given. The substance should be written in a clear and precise manner.
••• How to write the substance of a poem or a stanza
1. Read the poem carefully.
2. Try to guess the meaning of the unknown words.
3. Grasp of main idea or thought expressed in the poem.
4. Try to understand the ‘figures of speech’ (i.e. symbols, simile, metaphor, analogy, irony, etc.) used in the poem.
5. Underline the important words or phrases.
6. Discard the unimportant words or phrases.
7. Read the poem once again.
8. Formulate your reflection on the main idea of the poem.
9. Make a draft of the substance.
10. Make necessary corrections upon the draft.
11. Make fair copy of the substance.
•••• Don’ts:
1. Don’t add anything that is not in the poem.
2. Don’t reproduce the figure of speech.
3. Don’t use a round about expression.
4. Never start writing the substance before you read the poem carefully more than once and grasp it’s main idea.
WORKED OUT SAMPLE
Remember me when I am going away,
Gone far away into the silent lend;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
No I half turn to go yet turning stay,
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of your future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
For vestige of he thought that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sed.
Substance: The beloved entreates her lover to remember her when she is dead and gone forever, and when the sweet scenes of love can no longer be enacted between them. He need not be sorry if he forgets her for a while, she assures him. And if her memory pains him sometimes, it would be better for him to forget her.
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