Letting the tool write the poem

[ellajam]

Sure, there will always be tools involved in any endeavor, but I'm talking about devices.

My guess is that whoever sets the default to capitalizing the first word of each line writes a lot of to-do lists and one line texts. One tap turns it off, and I would think that anyone who thinks about words enough to write a poem and post it would want to control which words are capitalized.

Though, f your keyboard s m ss ng the I or a staple s crammed underneath t, that can be forg ven.

Rant over.

[Truerenigma]

Sure, there will always be tools involved in any endeavor, but I'm talking about devices.

My guess is that whoever sets the default to capitalizing the first word of each line writes a lot of to-do lists and one line texts. One tap turns it off, and I would think that anyone who thinks about words enough to write a poem and post it would want to control which words are capitalized.

Though, f your keyboard s m ss ng the I or a staple s crammed underneath t, that can be forg ven.

Rant over.

some people actually think it is a rule in poetry because they haven't read any further than whatever guilt-embossed volume they first encountered. (I remember thinking at one point as a little kid that every line had to end with punctuation. )

The reason it was done before, when printing technologies were less advanced, was to be sure everyone knew where the new line starts even if the previous ran over the margin.

Many good poets still use it today though very few do it indiscriminately and there is almost always a reason.

I think it was Marianne Moore (someone correct me if I'm remembering wrong) who was the first to turn away from it. It was a big revolutionary deal back then, and shewas lauded for it by likes of Pound and company, etc and many publisher, printers, and editors went ahead and just printed her her poems with the capped line starts anyway, as if it were an error.

Capped lines may last longer.

[billy]

most who have just started their poetry use either all caps or no punctuation because they've hear the latter is cool and the former correct. both work well depending on the poem and how they're used. i know my first poems were ll capped because i thought that was a golden rule. it didn't take too long to use caps as and when needed.

[ellajam]

Okay, guess I just get frustrated when I'm trying to make sense of something and the caps just make it harder and the poet doesn't seem to think that matters.


Those old men got away with a lot in the old days, but there was often at least a form for guidance. Now, if it's the poets choice for a reason that's one thing, even if that choice is made just to follow older tradition, but when someone claims to be cutting edge maybe they should think about it a bit.

[Leanne]

Whenever I see all caps, I automatically go looking for an acrostic... and end up trying to work out what ANBYKAKEURJAR means.

[QDeathstar]

Sure, there will always be tools involved in any endeavor, but I'm talking about devices.

My guess is that whoever sets the default to capitalizing the first word of each line writes a lot of to-do lists and one line texts. One tap turns it off, and I would think that anyone who thinks about words enough to write a poem and post it would want to control which words are capitalized.

Though, f your keyboard s m ss ng the I or a staple s crammed underneath t, that can be forg ven.

Rant over.

Ipads automatically capitalize the first line of every row of text
And
You cant
Turn it off.

I think its silly to complain about this, really. Its not an excuse, of course. When I'm writing poetry, I want to get the words down as quick as possible before they disappear.


Its funny that
The ipad automatically
Capitalizes every
Line, but
When i type i
It doesn't capitalize the letter i.

---

Older poems came out before ipads became so prevelant.

[billy]

unless they're pre 1900 they do the same for me, but because it's a personal tchoice and not writ' in stone i try and ignore the fact, i do see how it pisses tom off no-end

Okay, guess I just get frustrated when I'm trying to make sense of something and the caps just make it harder and the poet doesn't seem to think that matters.


Those old men got away with a lot in the old days, but there was often at least a form for guidance. Now, if it's the poets choice for a reason that's one thing, even if that choice is made just to follow older tradition, but when someone claims to be cutting edge maybe they should think about it a bit.

---

as i said most newbs do it, so i tend to just ignore it i the hope they change their habit. it's same with minimal or zero punctuation; they see others do it and think coooal, sadly the don't see that in others work it might be done well enough to work and all they produce is gibberish.

I do the same thing! It gets me every time, sadly. Every single time. I even get angry with myself for checking sometimes.

---

I never seem to notice in older peons. .. poems I mean I mean poem s

---

pinsky does it and I never seem to notice with him either. tons of poems I love do it. milos friend dmh did it. But for some strange reason if I see it on crit boards I most likely won't even read it.

---

Probably because thee and thou are constantly found in them

---

i hate typing on the ipad or any other tablet at the best of times.

Sure, there will always be tools involved in any endeavor, but I'm talking about devices.

My guess is that whoever sets the default to capitalizing the first word of each line writes a lot of to-do lists and one line texts. One tap turns it off, and I would think that anyone who thinks about words enough to write a poem and post it would want to control which words are capitalized.

Though, f your keyboard s m ss ng the I or a staple s crammed underneath t, that can be forg ven.

Rant over.

Ipads automatically capitalize the first line of every row of text
And
You cant
Turn it off.

I think its silly to complain about this, really. Its not an excuse, of course. When I'm writing poetry, I want to get the words down as quick as possible before they disappear.


Its funny that
The ipad automatically
Capitalizes every
Line, but
When i type i
It doesn't capitalize the letter i.

---

Older poems came out before ipads became so prevelant.

[ellajam]

Sure, there will always be tools involved in any endeavor, but I'm talking about devices.

My guess is that whoever sets the default to capitalizing the first word of each line writes a lot of to-do lists and one line texts. One tap turns it off, and I would think that anyone who thinks about words enough to write a poem and post it would want to control which words are capitalized.

Though, f your keyboard s m ss ng the I or a staple s crammed underneath t, that can be forg ven.

Rant over.

Ipads automatically capitalize the first line of every row of text
And
You cant
Turn it off.

I think its silly to complain about this, really. Its not an excuse, of course. When I'm writing poetry, I want to get the words down as quick as possible before they disappear.


Its funny that
The ipad automatically
Capitalizes every
Line, but
When i type i
It doesn't capitalize the letter i.

---

Older poems came out before ipads became so prevelant.

Settings, general, keyboard, auto-capitalization, off.

[ChristopherSea]

Sure, there will always be tools involved in any endeavor, but I'm talking about devices.

My guess is that whoever sets the default to capitalizing the first word of each line writes a lot of to-do lists and one line texts. One tap turns it off, and I would think that anyone who thinks about words enough to write a poem and post it would want to control which words are capitalized.

Though, f your keyboard s m ss ng the I or a staple s crammed underneath t, that can be forg ven.

Rant over.

I think you make a great point Marcella, but most are not setting the CAP default themselves. That has been a standard for every word application that I have ever used. Most don't know how to change the default setting, so thanks for sharing the tip. More than likely, folks are just claiming to follow the convention of the old masters rather than admit that they are to lazy to edit the auto-caps out.

[bena]

Word is also a notorious capital offender. What I really don't get are people who randomly capitalize words in the middle of a poem, as if there is supposed to be some grand emphasis on that word....and it doesn't make sense.

The pink flower Bloomed
in vivid Color.

wtf?

[bena]

I don't know. It sounds the same but since I also do artwork I think of poetry as a very visual medium. Speaking of which: please keep all your poems saved outside your computer, either in a cloud or burned.

I lots 10 years of poetry a few years back when my hard drive melted. This isn't a great poem, but I wrote it using the DOS bootup, which was all I could get to.

_Crash_and_Burn

I smell ozone roasting
circuits smolder.
Ten years tossed,
needing to connect.

ALTing my way back to this
throwback state.
Parts won’t work together.
This goes to disc, with a K.
Gone is gone.

Nothing incoming.
Everything resonates end.
My system screams
despite my slow burn.

Cut my cord and suddenly
all the real flows into my veins.

[QDeathstar]

Sure, there will always be tools involved in any endeavor, but I'm talking about devices.

My guess is that whoever sets the default to capitalizing the first word of each line writes a lot of to-do lists and one line texts. One tap turns it off, and I would think that anyone who thinks about words enough to write a poem and post it would want to control which words are capitalized.

Though, f your keyboard s m ss ng the I or a staple s crammed underneath t, that can be forg ven.

Rant over.

Ipads automatically capitalize the first line of every row of text
And
You cant
Turn it off.

I think its silly to complain about this, really. Its not an excuse, of course. When I'm writing poetry, I want to get the words down as quick as possible before they disappear.


Its funny that
The ipad automatically
Capitalizes every
Line, but
When i type i
It doesn't capitalize the letter i.

---

Older poems came out before ipads became so prevelant.

Settings, general, keyboard, auto-capitalization, off.

WHAT?! ALL THIS FUCKING TIME?!



Thank you.

[ellajam]

Ipads automatically capitalize the first line of every row of text
And
You cant
Turn it off.

I think its silly to complain about this, really. Its not an excuse, of course. When I'm writing poetry, I want to get the words down as quick as possible before they disappear.


Its funny that
The ipad automatically
Capitalizes every
Line, but
When i type i
It doesn't capitalize the letter i.

---

Older poems came out before ipads became so prevelant.

Settings, general, keyboard, auto-capitalization, off.

WHAT?! ALL THIS FUCKING TIME?!



Thank you.

Google is my friend.

[rayheinrich]

if the lines got feet the same they doff their caps to none

[ellajam]

if the lines got feet the same they doff their caps to none

Do you really think a modern poem using a classic form should have each line capped? Hats make my head hurt.

[Truerenigma]

if the lines got feet the same they doff their caps to none

Do you really think a modern poem using a classic form should have each line capped? Hats make my head hurt.

Personally I think it's a matter that should be left to the author but that doesn't invalidate your preference (which happens to be my own in most cases) or mean that they shouldn't take into account that some readers (like myself in most cases) would prefer they didn't, especially when it is done in an unwieldy or pointless fashion and takes away from the reading experience.

[ellajam]

if the lines got feet the same they doff their caps to none

Do you really think a modern poem using a classic form should have each line capped? Hats make my head hurt.

Personally I think it's a matter that should be left to the author but that doesn't invalidate your preference (which happens to be my own in most cases) or mean that they shouldn't take into account that some readers (like myself in most cases) would prefer they didn't, especially when it is done in an unwieldy or pointless fashion and takes away from the reading experience.

I don't mind it as a choice, but it's sort of like a misspelled word, I look for the meaning in it. So much thought goes into each word and comma, why not capitalization? Using your phone to write is no excuse, the tool shouldn't write poem, IMO.

A year ago I couldn't care less but in trying to be a more perceptive reader I've come to expect more of each writer.

[Truerenigma]

an error is an error is an error. conventions and the machines we use should also be taken into account though. But if my auto correct is writing the poem it should probably be pointed out by anyone kind enough to take the time to do so.

[cjchaffin]

Do you really think a modern poem using a classic form should have each line capped? Hats make my head hurt.

Personally I think it's a matter that should be left to the author but that doesn't invalidate your preference (which happens to be my own in most cases) or mean that they shouldn't take into account that some readers (like myself in most cases) would prefer they didn't, especially when it is done in an unwieldy or pointless fashion and takes away from the reading experience.

I don't mind it as a choice, but it's sort of like a misspelled word, I look for the meaning in it. So much thought goes into each word and comma, why not capitalization? Using your phone to write is no excuse, the tool shouldn't write poem, IMO.

A year ago I couldn't care less but in trying to be a more perceptive reader I've come to expect more of each writer.

the section i highlighted in bold is the crux of the matter, for me anyway. if we are to critique every aspect of a poem for the sake of honing one's craft, then first line caps should be fair game as well. personally, i find the practice archaic and distracting, especially when done without purpose or out of sheer laziness.

also, i am a tool. but that's beside the point. or at least it's point-adjacent

[milo]

I have never been bothered by caps in formal poetry (although I am surprised to see them in free verse). It is surprising how much turmoil they cause. I know several excellent writers that prefer them in formal poetry.