Poetic form – layout (part 2)

Last week we looked at how the way a poet sets out the text on the page is a way of conveying meaning. We thought about the questions:

• Why does the poet use shorter or longer lines?
• What is the impact of dividing up the work into stanzas of particular lengths?
• Why might some lines be indented before they commence? etc.

Hardy’s wintry poem Snow in the suburbs was posted as an example.

What did you come up with? Check your ideas against the ones given here, which you are free to take issue with!

• As the snow accumulates, so the lines of the first stanza grow wider
• The long lines and enjambement of l.5-6 demonstrate the meandering, circuitous journey taken by some of the snow-flakes
• l.7-8 are more solidly part of the main shape of the stanza, indicating the solidity of the snowy fence
• The white space between l.8-9 conveys the blankness of a still, white landscape, until it is broken by the sudden movement of the sparrow
• L.11-12 are longer than l. 9-10, indicating the greater size of the snowball relative to the sparrow
• The shortness of l.13-14
• increases the pace and highlights the drama of the event
• creates a visually small bundle of words, bound between the lines above and below, just as the lump of snow almost buries the tiny sparrow
• L.16 sticks out, just as the consequent fall of snow cascades more widely through the tree
• The white space between l.16-17 again conveys the cessation of movement and return to still whiteness
• L.17-8 create a steep climb up for the cat
• The cat’s colour (black?) and movement is isolated in the snow, as is l.19 in the white space
• The indentation of l.20 and the sudden ending of the stanza, capture the safe ‘gathering in’ of the hungry cat.

As you can see, there is quite a lot to see when you start looking!