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Poetry: February 01, 2023 Issue [#11791]




 This week: Form Over Function
  Edited by: Jeff Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter


"Poetry is thoughts that breathe,
and words that burn."
-- Thomas Gray


About The Editor: Greetings! My name is Jeff Author Icon and I'm the guest editor for this issue of the official Poetry Newsletter! I've been a member of Writing.com since 2003, and have edited more than 350 newsletters across the site during that time. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email or the handy feedback field at the bottom of this newsletter! *Smile*


Word from our sponsor

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Letter from the editor


Form Over Function


Whenever I write poetry, I find myself more often drawn to the limitations of form rather than the freedom of free verse. There's something about the challenge of trying to respond to a prompt, or convey a message with the structural limitations that a form presents. But have you ever had a writing situation where the form itself becomes the goal, more than what you're trying to convey with the poem itself?

Blitz poems  Open in new Window. are one of my favorite poetic forms. Created by Robert Keim, it starts with a short phrase and the second line starts with the same word. For the next pair of lines, they both have to start with the last word of the prior (second) line. For the next pair of lines, they both have to start with the last word of the prior (fourth) line. And you repeat that process for 48 lines. If you want to see this form in practice, I wrote "Don't @ Me" Open in new Window. and "Months of Flames" Open in new Window. and really enjoyed the process, but there was definitely a point where I was more concerned with following and fitting the rules of the prompt than I was with the exact language that I was using.

I find the same challenges in sonnets and other forms where you're not just limited by line count, but also syllable counts and meter. With haiku, there is a focus on the specific emphasis on certain words and syllables. For me, that's the fun part of poetry. It's a puzzle that needs to be solved. Much like writing to a prompt in a short story contest, it's a challenge to see how creative and original I can be within the confines of a box that I've put myself in.

There's something to be said for free verse and having the absolute unfettered ability to write whatever you want. To choose every single word and place it exactly where you want it to go. But as a puzzle lover, I enjoy trying to work within a set of limitations to solve a problem. Where I have to be careful, though, is when the form becomes the goal in and of itself, and I lose sight of what I want to say in favor of how it needs to be said.

I highly encourage everyone to try their hand at form poetry at least every now and again. There's nothing quite as satisfying as finding that perfect word that's also the exact number of syllables you need, or a turn of phrase that rhymes or fits the meter that you're looking for. Just make sure you're still focusing on what you want to say with your poem. Form should be an enhancement and a framework for what you want to say, not a substitute for it.

Until next time,

Jeff Author IconMail Icon
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If you're interested in checking out my work:
"New & Noteworthy Things" Open in new Window. | "Blogocentric Formulations" Open in new Window.


Editor's Picks


This month's official Writing.com writing contest is:


 
Quotation Inspiration: Official Contest Open in new Window. [ASR]
Use the quote provided to write a story and win big prizes!
by Writing.Com Support Author Icon



I also encourage you to check out the following items:


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by A Guest Visitor



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 cigarettes and melancholy Open in new Window. [ASR]
memories from other nights
by zigglezaggle Author Icon



 On Moving On and Skiing Open in new Window. [13+]
Trying something a little more personal here with a pseudo-love poem. Hope y'all enjoy!
by BenG Author Icon



 An Adequate Calm: A Peaceful, Just Oasis Open in new Window. [E]
Situations that supply something imply caring for those who invent courtesies - a poem.
by Tim Chiu Author Icon



 
Final Countdown Open in new Window. [E]
When times runs out.
by AmyJo-Thankful in heart Author Icon



 I Believe Open in new Window. [E]
Prose and Poetry
by Naomi Author Icon



 
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Word from Writing.Com

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Ask & Answer


This is my first-ever Poetry Newsletter, so no feedback yet! *Bigsmile*


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