Poetic Forms
Why Forms? Several reasons, some merely historical Sound is considered an important component of language and hence of poetry. To some it has a visceral effect. So it's natural to exploit patterns of sound and their interaction with meaning. Much poetry works by expectation/surprise or tension/release - in the plot, but also in the form. A regular form offers more chances to surprise the reader Sound-patterned verse is easier to remember Sound-patterned verse is easier to set to music The use of a form is an allusion to earlier uses of the form. Writers can expressively follow (or react against) the tradition Sounds are a structuring device that can relate distant words or hold semantically unrelated words close together Forms provide a technical challenge for the poet Readers like a mix of familiarity and novelty. Using forms one can give readers their dose of familiarity without having to compromise the content. On the minus side, some say that forms are artificial, interfering w...