Mechanics of Form

Base XP: 40

Part of critical reading concerns knowing how to talk about what you know about language. So far we have avoided the nitty-gritty of poetic feet, metrical names, and what a line breaking in the middle of a thought is called (caesura). But knowing the names for these things gives you the tools to describe various forms of poetry, and style.

Certain literary devices have generally agreed-upon effects. Short lines create a hurried effect, for example. Longer lines cue the reader or listener to slow down. Breaking a line in the middle of a phrase or sentence leads to two different meanings - but these are often ignored when a poem is read aloud. So some devices have an effect on the ear, and some on the mind where a poem is not being read out loud.

Read and take notes on metre, enjambment, and parallelism.

Task:

Take a closer look at the poems "Life McKenzie", "Port" and "Carrying Someone Else's Infant."
Make note of and/or reflect and respond to the poems, paying particular attention to the mechanics of form. A chart or infographic might be more effective than an essay or paragraph.

Submit to the Mechanics of Form dropbox.

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