The enjambment is the number one tool to make the reader go on to the next line. It certainly makes the poem sound almost like prose.Ģ. To avoid this, you need to vary the length and the construction of your sentences. The danger here lies in a staccato-like rhythm. They can instruct of dark water and the veins of trees Their vocabularies describe buildings as food I am trying to decipher the language of insects If you omit punctuation marks, readers will tend to think each line deserves a new breath.Įxample: W.S. This is a pattern deeply ingrained in our language (if you want more information, please read The Powerhouse Of Writing, parts 1-6). Whenever you finish a thought and you need a longer and deeper breath, you simply end the sentence. Whenever the words get too many, you place a comma. Why is that? Because punctuation is ultimately connected to how much breath we need to speak a phrase or a sentence. Merwin able to pull it off? Because they knew what I call the rules of ‘invisible punctuation.’ Follow me, please. Is that your intention?īut why were poets like e.e.cummings or W.S. Readers might never read another one of your poems again because you make them work too hard.Ī poem without punctuation ultimately makes readers work very hard at comprehending what you mean.Readers might be so puzzled that they don’t even finish reading.Readers might create meaning completely different from what you intended, even wrong.Your poem will sound different each time somebody reads it. Readers might give your poem a rhythm you didn’t intend.If you choose to ignore punctuation altogether in poetry, these things can happen: What Happens If You Ignore Punctuation In Poetry But then at least know about the dangers. Punctuation even exists as ‘invisible punctuation’ (see below).Punctuation steers the breathing of the reader and paces your text.Our series on The Powerhouse Of Writing shows that punctuation is more than a random set of marks to decorate your texts. Why? It’s because these poets often forget why punctuation exists. The sense these poets pour into their lines is often not what the readers come up with. True, but that usually makes it hard for a stranger to read the poem exactly as your heart has dictated it. When poems ‘come straight from the heart,’ they’re not punctuated. I call this ‘invisible punctuation.’ Further down, I will show you famous examples of this. Those famous poems without punctuation still follow the basic rules of language. The lack of punctuation is your trademark? Grammar says trademarks still need to follow rules. If you need a recap of the basics, please read Punctuation For Beginners. Otherwise, you’ll be like a carpenter that hates nails and screws. You must know the basics of your language. If you hate punctuation and don’t know the rules anyway, then you’re in big trouble as a writer, not just as a poet. Your poetry comes straight from your heart, and you don’t want punctuation to hinder the flow.Many famous poets didn’t punctuate either. But is that smart? Let’s look at the pros and cons of punctuation in poetry first. Some throw these dots and dashes altogether. Lots of poets are puzzled by punctuation. Puzzled by full stops? Traumatized by commas? Why not do away with punctuation in poetry altogether? This article wants to show you why you can’t run away from punctuation, really – not even in the most creative poems.
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