08-06-2021, 05:21 AM
First thought is that it's up to the poet to influence the reading as much as their skill allows. Mood, pace, fluidity, etc. can all be suggested to the reader through the employment of relevant devices. A quick example...
from Ginsberg's "Howl"
"... who lit cigarettes in boxcars boxcars boxcars racketing through snow
toward lonesome farms in grandfather night,"
the writing directs the reader to the point where it's near impossible to read it much differently than the writer intends. The absence of commas between "boxcars" subtly and not so subtly influences the meaning, mood and tempo of the read. "The Raven" is another familiar example. It's construction allows even the clumsiest of readers to follow as Poe intended.
I haven't had the good fortune to have had much of my poetry read back to me, but I would suggest it's a very worthwhile exercise.
from Ginsberg's "Howl"
"... who lit cigarettes in boxcars boxcars boxcars racketing through snow
toward lonesome farms in grandfather night,"
the writing directs the reader to the point where it's near impossible to read it much differently than the writer intends. The absence of commas between "boxcars" subtly and not so subtly influences the meaning, mood and tempo of the read. "The Raven" is another familiar example. It's construction allows even the clumsiest of readers to follow as Poe intended.
I haven't had the good fortune to have had much of my poetry read back to me, but I would suggest it's a very worthwhile exercise.