The Language of Poetry - Antecedents and Referents

Another difference between poetry and prose is the importance of the economy of words and phrases. Because poetry often functions within a specific form, poetry tends to be much more focused and briefer than prose. The short story writer or novelist will often fill pages, whereas the poet might write less than 20 lines. By being aware of the importance of specific words, imagery, and symbols, you will learn how poetry can create a lot of meaning with fewer words.

Image note: the image to the right shows a toppled statue of an Egyptian ruler (likely Ramses II). The poem we will read in this lesson directly references an encounter with a statue in a similar state.

Economy in Language: Antecedents and Referents

One way that poets can create a lot of meaning with fewer words is through the careful placement of words with other words to convey meaning.

An antecedent is a word, phrase, or clause that precedes its referent. Referents may include pronouns, nouns, phrases, or clauses. Referents are ambiguous if they can refer to more than one antecedent, which affects interpretation.

Here is a simple example:

President Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address in 1863.
- President Lincoln = antecedent
- His = the referent.

Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ozymandias" - Antecedents and Referents

Read the poem “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. As you read, look carefully for referents.

I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ozymandias" - Self-Checks

Referents

Antecedents

A Final Thought on Antecedents

Understanding what the antecedents refer to can be a simple way to improve your comprehension of a poem. Remember though that it is ultimately the overall meaning that matters: this poem is a sonnet about the passage of time and how even all-powerful rulers cannot escape time.

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