Why Is Poetry Broken into Lines? (And How I Figured it Out) 

If they're talked about this stuff at school i might not have been an engineer after all. Fascinating glimpse into the alchemy of expressive writing

Thanks for this!! “Top amateur poetry mistakes” and also mixed metaphors would be helpful to learn more about!!

I don't know how a poetry video ended up as a suggestion when I was deep into F-Zero 99 highlights, but now I'm 4 videos deep into understanding and appreciating poetry. I fell asleep last night both brainstorming a poem and humming the Mute City theme!

I’ve recently watched several of your videos, and this one was especially thought-provoking. As a poet, I often drive myself crazy wondering where I should break the lines (if it’s free verse)… 😅😩

haha the i have to admit the takes are funny. Skullie was right to keep them in haha. On another note, I feel the same about shorter lines tend to have more energy. I will have to write a prose poem and break it up into lines. Great video!

Love this channel and very grateful for the lessons learned from it.

Thanks for this Andrew. You are a blessing.

Hi Andrew! I always appreciate your patience and explanation in detail about educational topics that you have done weekly basis. It has been eyes opening moments in each video. 🙌 😊 Thank you so very much for your and your teams. 😊 Please Keep Up the Great work. 🎉

How is this? I woke up too early For a Saturday Tight-coiled pain seething Along the curve of my skull Into my neck The pain hollowed out by Aspirin I settle into the love seat The water sloshes The dryer bumps and hums From the other room Robins and sparrows chatter Outside in the trees Under a light blanket's Easy warmth I close my eyes Willing to surrender A few minutes of sleep Before getting to work I wait Watching the lightening And darkening As patchy clouds slide beside the sun And still Still I wait

Thank you for the channel and the content on poetry, it has been very helpful 😊

Just discoverd your channel and I am amazed!Fantastic content!

Useful ideas.

Yep. Yours is the best RU-vid channel on poetry. Thanks.

The chill presentation is pure bliss

Thank you very much! You have helped me to enjoy reading and listening to poetry in English a lot more and understand it. I'm an African and anything that was not in the Gospels in the Catholic schools I attended was regarded as pagan and forbidden. Your lessons are liberating.

I love your channel!!

I always thought poets were being annoying but now I get it 😅thank you

I have something like 1,500 poems piled up in notebooks of various shapes and sizes. I've always wondered if the contours of the poem were unduly influenced by the dimensions of the page. I'll try your exercise tomorrow and I'll return with a full report.

Poem broken into lines Anyone who knows anyone who did what she did knows that no man, no woman, no nothing caused her death but what was within her, and what she had tried to do before, she would try again, and eventually succeed no matter the transgressions against her, or no transgressions at all, and those left behind cannot sleep, no, they cannot sleep, though they cannot speak of their sleeplessness, of black sleep, dreams wiped to save the conscious mind from breaking, no, even those at the greatest distance from her-- them--in geography, or friendship or family-- anyone at any distance from anyone who did what she did, blames themselves because blame is not a thought, or a set of reasons, but a feeling that never goes away. Ramble, ramble, say I'm rambling, but I know, I know what I should not know, and maybe I should just have said from the outset what one of them once said: "Oh, well, whatever, never mind." Original prose poem Anyone who knows anyone who did what she did knows that no man, no woman, no nothing caused her death but what was within her, and that what she had tried to do before, she would try again, and eventually succeed no matter the transgressions against her, or no transgressions at all, and those she leaves behind--they leave behind--those left behind cannot sleep, no, they cannot sleep, though they cannot speak of their sleeplessness, of black sleep, dreams wiped to save the conscious mind from breaking, no, even those at the greatest distance from her--them--in geography, or friendship or family--anyone at any distance from anyone who did what she did, blames themselves because blame is not a thought, a set of reasons, but a feeling that never goes away. Ramble, ramble, say I'm rambling, but I know, I know what I should not know, but maybe I should just have said from the outset what one of them once said, "Oh, well, whatever, never mind."

One of my favorite prose poems has lines of a sort. At the Clothesline by James Tate, ha. Thanks, Andrew.

I was wondering if people mix long and short lines. I know I do. Is this a good way to do it. I also do it the way you have described. I did learn a lot form this video of yours.

It didnt occur to me that line structure could have so much effect on the meaning and reading experience!

Thank you for the lessons. Does the skull accompany you to the classroom. Everyone needs comic relief.

Hello Andrew, I find your presentations so informative and helpful . The skull is so distracting. I find myself wearing an eye mask because every time ‘it’ interrupts you my mind goes off course. It is my preference to just listen to your voice and to be fully attentive to what you are saying. Is there any reason why you use it as a prop? Just a friendly question - not a gripe. Thank You for your videos. XX Pd in the UK.

How you can break a poem down like you do, boggles my mind…I don’t how I’ll ever get there…

Nice

I earned an MFA in poetry in 1977 at what is considered one of the top two schools for this kind of program. I studied with a couple of the greats. One day someone in class said, "what IS poetry, anyway?" and our program chair said, "poetry is a statement in lines." Many years later, I'd say I agree on one level but not on others....

value of lines in Greek plays demonstrated usefulness of this stratagem to other and future cultures?

Gentle Sir, once I read in an introduction to a book of children's poetry, that poetry is to read aloud not silently. Is this true? Or is it truer for children's poetry and not poetry as a whole?

Now do Stanzas please

It seems weird to cover this subject and see the subheading ‘earliest lines’ and have no discussion of poetry’s history. Homer was writing in lines. It’s something that probably comes from pre-literate oral traditions, regular cadence can aid memorisation, etc.

there is water and there is earth but what is wind and what is fire

the metric laws have scared me and I avoided to write poetry because that

how does one "went on to poetry school"

"Older forms of poetry like the Greek epics were marked by rhythmic patterns that helped people to memorize and remember culturally important texts with the regularity of the rhythmic patterns" So you mean actual poems? Not just half-baked failed song lyrics? ACTUAL poems. Is that what you are talking about?

Lines are essential in poetry. Look at that example : "I thank the universe for taking everything it has taken, and giving to me everything it is giving". Boring ? Not interesting ? But wait, if you write it like that : I thank the universe for taking everything it has taken and giving to me everything it is giving and you sign Rupi Kaur, then you can use a full white page for only 18 words, and you'll be considered as a great poet. Especially if you're a feminist. (Added) And now compare it with that stanza : "(...) It was a spring that never came, But we have lived enough to know What we have never had, remains; It is the things we have that go." This was Sara Teasdale. This is poetry. Sure, she was not Indian, and I don't care whether she was a feminist or not. But she knew how to write a poem.

hmmm you are not into music are you....

Please,PLEASE HELP ME WITH TIME LIMITS *types aggressively* ÆÇẞⱤĦÎŶÞ-