The Line

[Todd]

I've seen some recent discussions about lines and line breaks, and thought maybe we could post some ideas about what makes a line or a line break good. There's a lot of subjectivity, but I remember when I started writing I would free write and just break haphazzardly whenever the whim struck me. It took a number of years to learn to be more deliberate. Here are my basic rules for free verse lines (which you can always break but I find to be mostly true):

First and Last Lines are generally the most important.

With a story you need to hook them from the first three pages with a poem it's usually just the first line. If the line doesn't draw them in it's not a good line. With the last line it can't fall flat there has to be a payoff to the reader for sticking with you.

In my opinion: Often your best line or one of your best lines at least should be the first line in your poem. Construct your poetry to grab the readers attention always.

Avoid non-poetic pedestrian lines

I'm not saying be poetic for poetic sake--that can come across as pompous. I mean make your writing mean something. I've seen lines like:

The car made noise.

Really? There are no interesting details there. It isn't a surprising observation. It's forgetable shorthand. When we attempt to just pass on information the line tends to fall flat.

The lines need to contribute to the tone and mood of the poem

Every aspect of a poem should be deliberate, and since lines are the building blocks of poetry they need to be structured to convey mood. If the poem is meant to be low-key and languid. The lines should be longer to slow the pace. Is it fast and frenzied then enjamb, strip out punctuation possibly.

The line needs to be able to stand alone as it's own separate unit

The car
made noise

In this sad example, the car does not in any way hold its own on the line. While I hate the car made noise for the previously mentioned reasons, many times you'll see line breaks like this where the car sits alone and is not in any way a unit of thought. The person is writing as though they had a stutter. Lines need to have enough in them to hold together. For that reason, it is rare for one word lines to work. When they do it's because they fit so well into the mood of the poem.

Here's an example of a section of a poem where one word lines work (and it was hard to find an example):

Here's a few lines from the poem Slow Drivers by Gerald Barrax:

...they bait
your fury
and impatience across double lines
into blind
curves
making you wait
wait
wait
wait

Curves wouldn't work if it wasn't playing off of blind and the repetition of wait works because it goes back to the ultimate point of the poem.

Each line needs to contribute to the whole, but still hold some independant force in its own right.

There should be a typical line length in your poem

You should refer to a model line length and then know why you are putting a slow line (longer line) or a fast line (shorter line) into the poem.

As far as line breaks go:

Generally your lines should end on important words

These tend to be verbs and nouns. These do not tend to be prepostions or conjunctions. It's not that you can't break on all parts of speech some just tend to be much stronger than others.

Break your lines where they are the most interesting

Does a break allow you to give the reader a double meaning? Does it add a nuance to the line that wouldn't exist without the break?

Example:

I use my work because it comes to mind faster not because it's sublime. Here's a strophe from a poem I wrote to show you what I mean.

Old pleasure is a faded stage
bouquet of plastic flowers,
a dehydrated dove.
Magic’s raw essence is misdirection

Focus on the first two lines there. Line one tells you that old pleasure is a faded stage the line is enjambed though so it also reads that old pleasure is a faded stage bouquet of plastic flowers. This is an example of layering with your line breaks. It sets up a sort of resonance in your poem when you do that (I can provide examples that are not me but I'm typing quick to get this all in ).

Your breaks should give the poem momentum and move the reader to the next line

Those are probably my main thoughts about lines and line breaks.

What are some of things the rest of you think about as you put your lines together?

Any good ideas you'd like to share?

Thanks all,

Todd