Frank:
you're right, the pause can be pretty small, I usually think a comma, but
the words will sometimes suggest what to do. But it is there -- for me, &,
as your allusion to Miles --
If, as Duncan said, poetry is dance sitting down, then stillness is
counterpoint to motion (or as Miles Davis knew, it's as much what you don't
play as it is what you do play) -- space & silence count for a lot. Your
comment on Oppen makes an always important point about 'rules' too:
However, my own preferences have gotten me into trouble when reading, say,
George Oppen. It wasn't until I began to read his poetry as a run on that I
began to get the whole of what he was doing. Which just goes to show no
rule is hard and fast.
On the other hand, the Olson quote, below, perfectly represents how
important line breaks can be, & how a master works them for rhythmic
effect...
Doug
Douglas Barbour
Department of English
University of Alberta
Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E5
(h) [780] 436 3320 (b) [780] 492 0521
http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/dbhome.htm
I don't need to
hold back here
in the union
of forms
Charles Olson
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