A Little Help for the Sidney Lanier Poetry Challenge

December 28, 2015 2 Comments

What is it, in practical, specific, concrete and formal terms, that makes The Marshes of Glynn so musical? Here are a few notes that may help with our writing and editing.

1.) The lines vary in length, and not in a predictable pattern

2.) The rhythm is based on an underlying beat, like music, but does not  strike every tick as metered poetry does

3.) The rhyme scheme is not predictable

4.)Attention is paid to long and short syllables. Long syllables are usually followed by caesuras or by slow syllable-patterns rather than fast ones.

5.) We see a preference for sonorous or lyrical-sounding words. This requires an aesthetic judgment – in fact, an aesthetic preference for some sounds over others.

I hope that helps! Did you notice any other features that can help your fellow-writers?

The challenge begins tomorrow.

Challenges, Workshop Musical Poetry, Sidney Lanier, The Marshes of Glynn, Writing