similarities between rap and poetry
Poetry is a type of literary work that is artistic and attempts to stir the imagination and emotions of the audience. A poet achieves this by choosing and arranging language for the rhythm, sound, and meaning. Poetry, as an art form, has several unique features that make it stand out. These features are essential in enhancing the sound patterns that bring out clearly the expressions of the poem when they are said aloud. Music has often been thought of as a form of poetry because it bears several similarities with the art. For instance, just like poems, rap music also uses literary devices such as assonance and consonance and applies the use of rhythm to express an idea. However, rap emphasizes the musicality of the piece, while poems emphasize on the word flow and rhyme alone. In this light, based on the definition and these similarities between rap and poetry, it is evident that rap is indeed a form of poetry.
Both poetry and rap use sound to express an intended message. Rap artists, just like poets, skillfully play with words to produce the sounds that carry particular messages. This implies that poetry and rap go through the same processes to achieve the ultimate goal. Rap music, like poetry, contains rhymes that might even be internal. The artists often work hard on the lyrics. Consequently, the subject matter is artistically heightened, which may lead to long-standing debates about the exaggeration of some of the contents.
Besides the consideration of rap for its best-selling hits, rap is also a form of literature that is mostly organized like a poem. It has verses and stanzas that classifies it as poetry. The musicology of rap is derived from the rhythm produced in the beats in a line. The lines then create the verses. These are features that are also common in poems. Additionally, poetry bears the similarities with rap based on the source of inspiration. Both genres are inspired by daily happenings and events, as well as the experiences of the writers, among other sources of inspiration. Poetry, for instance, depicts the culture and literature of a group of people in a particular period. It then uses language to express the idea, just like in rap. Rap speaks a lot about the culture and age of the people through the message in the lyrics.
Some people argue that rap is not real poetry due to the skewed take on language. The literate and modern society seems to put more emphasis on written language over speech. Spoken language, which includes rap, is considered a rather sloppy version of the written form. Therefore, it is considered less serious and profane compared to other forms of poetry. However, this consideration does not take away the essence of rap as a form of poetry. It does not take away the fact that rap music is just poetry in its spoken form.
Conclusively, poetry, and rap are both forms of literature that artistically use words to express emotions and ideas. They share several similarities in their definition, including the use of rhymes and the application of literary devices such as assonance and consonance. Rap is a form of poetry as it fits in the definition of the term. However, the only difference between rap and other forms of poetry is that it emphasizes the musicality of the art. However, this may do not deprive it of its essence as a form of poetry. In addition to that, even the physical appearance of both rap and poetry does not bring any apparent difference between them. Therefore, rap music is indeed, poetry.