31
Mar
2010
FreeVerse: Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry
Seeing as tomorrow kicks off National Poetry Month (See Serena’s post on some blogging festivities) I thought I’d share this ridiculously long titled poem about, well, about the difference between prose and poetry for FreeVerse.
I’m not totally saying I understand what is written in these short lines, but whatever. That’s why you have to read between them, I guess.
But basically, I think that Nemerov’s point is that poetry is beautiful, graceful, and prose is harsh and clunky.
“Because You Asked About the Line Between Prose and Poetry” by Howard Nemerov
Sparrows were feeding in a freezing drizzle
That while you watched turned into pieces of snow
Riding a gradient invisible
From silver aslant to random, white, and slow.
There came a moment that you couldn’t tell.
And then they clearly flew instead of fell.
Your take on this poem is how I think I see it too. Also maybe the line “there came a moment you couldn’t tell” could also mean that sometimes prose can be written very beautifully; so much so that it could be poetry also.
It make my head hurt.
I’ve never really thought about the differences between poetry and prose – food for thought indeed. Many thanks for visiting me over at Pen And Paper, it was good to meet you.
I agree with Valerie in that those lines signify that there can be a melding of the forms where prose takes on elements of poetry and poetry can do the same. I think that both are very versatile.
I really like this! I think it does a great job of describing that fine line between poetry and prose. Or maybe I just like the sleet/snow analogy.