The Music of Poetry
Craft Tip #7: The Sounds a Poem Can Make
“Poems are sounds and silence,” reminds Marge Piercy at the start of her chapter in The Practicing Poet. Poetry as music. It works for me. I appreciated this opening quote by Piercy as it reminds us that silence is as important as sound to the page. The way we break lines, leave white space, use repetition, and select words, all impacts the sound of our poems.
Piercy brings attention to the way rhyme and repetition can help the music of a poem when it is read aloud. I think this is one of the reasons I love to listen to poets read their own poems; the rhythm is exactly as the poet intended. Of course, I don’t want to lose the significant point that “silence is important as sound.” To me, this means the poem also needs to look on the page in a way that helps the reader to know more about the silence. Where does it belong? Where should we breathe? Where is the pause? Where does the space really matter?
If you haven’t read Maggie Smith’s newer book, You Could Make This Place Beautiful, you must. I was enthralled by her craft. There’s so much to learn in her book about the way silence and sound work together.
I’m looking forward to reading the next chapters in The Practicing Poet about the sound of poetry. It’s all I can do to not go down the rabbit hole of gathering a collection of poetry with interesting craft moves that help the sound and silence of the poem. That will certainly take more than a few hours. Ha! If you have particular tips or mentors, I hope you’ll share them in the comments.
The Rabbit Hole
Poem-a-Day at Poets.org: I receive their daily update in my inbox. I appreciate the way I can see the way the poem looks on the page - and hear the way it is read (most often by the poet).
The Slowdown Show: This is my “can’t miss” podcast! I’m a HUGE fan. Currently, Major Jackson is sharing an essay and poem each day. I have enjoyed getting to know his work through his daily updates. Of course, you can also browse old episodes hosted by Tracy K. Smith and Ada Limón. Music to your ears!
A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver: My poetry word selection bible.
I’m a big Maggie Smith fan. Check out her Substack and Instagram accounts. Well worth a follow.
If you’re looking for a good general list of types of repetition, I find this one to be a helpful broad stroke article: Types of Repetition in Poetry and Prose.
It’s National Poetry Month. In April, I will reflect daily on the craft tip offered in The Practicing Poet: Writing Beyond the Basics, edited by Diane Lockward. You’ll find those reflections here. Of course, I will also write a poem using the craft tip in celebration - and because apparently, I like a good challenge - of Poetry Month. Each day, the new poem will be posted on my blog, Merely Day by Day. Thank you for stopping by.
