Endjambent?

[billy]

I'm on a business trip right now, but when I get home I'll go through my books and find some good examples. It is as you say a finesse thing, something better seen done than explained. Enjambment actually tends to increase the pace of a poem not decrease it. It's the opposite of the end stopped line. It's the layering of meaning that makes it an interesting tool. When it's done well it adds a great deal to a poem when it's done poorly it comes off as gimmicky or overly cute. When I think of my own poetry, enjambment can be heavy handed in early drafts, and smoothed out in revision.

I read someone recently who does it very well. I'll post some of her poems.

and i think that's what my epiphany was about. a line is written with the intent of having it's meaning changed with the first word of the next line. it's not merely a line break, there has to be a discernible change in
direction an ability to mislead.

haiku (which i know everyone loves) incorporates enjambment to some extent by using the cut. though its probably not the same thing but see it helps

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So yes, the accusations are true: enjambment DOES interrupt the flow of a poem for the reader. It's supposed to -- and it's just as important to consider the effects of enjambment in a piece of free verse as formal poetry. Are you breaking your lines where you do for a reason, or is it just arbitrary? The poetic line is a powerful tool, the strongest unit you have in your poem -- don't waste it.




To summarise, it's like any other tool in poetry: you need to know why you're using it. Line breaks where-the-hell-ever don't make a poem more poetic, they make it more obvious that you don't know what you're doing.

when i said i hate seeing a line end with a conjunction it's probably because i've yet to see it done well, though i have seen it done in some good poetry. (it's a fuckin paradox i tell you) i understand like many things, it only works if you do it properly (well)

question: i did ask before in a rely to someone else. can it only be employed between stanza or verse as sated by a member referencing websters? personally i think that would be absolutely stupid.

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Having just finished a poetry exam, we were simply taught that enjambment is the continuation of one sentence into another line. I suppose that in itself, that is it. It's a technique like any other.

It's a bit like make up really - I could put some £1 lipstick on, and I'd be using make up. It might look terrible but I'm still technically using it. I could also spend £50 on professional make up that enhances my looks. It's all perspective. I think enjambment is pretty similar - if enjambment is just the continuation of a sentence over more than one line at it's basic, then it's very difficult to do wrong. However, the effect could be negative, or it could enhance the poem. Like enjambment, only a handful of people know how to use make up to enhance the overall effect...

while it's not a lie it does sound like only half the story of what it is.

an analogy would be your lipstick;

i show you a stick of lipstick and say is this make up, you'd say yes, lipstick is make up that goes on your lips. there's no mention of lip gloss or how you apply the lipstick, there's no info on what colours best for which skin tone etc. basically i'd say the teacher gave a cookie cutter that doesn't cut the cookie.

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The bottom of a skillet tastes the fire,
men scrape and stir, push shoulders into meaty
ochre stew. "You there! Stop six-blockin' and hand
some fresh irons and plates!" The hunt for
wren eggs and butterscotch begins. Bless the French,
toast the Italians, good eats for us rapscallions.

-less impressive (but old anyway)

that 'for' on the 5th does nothing for me and thats what i mean. i see ( and i know i could be wrong) that as trying to be clever.
while i like the poem that's the of 2 parts that don't work for me. meaty seems to be another, so while i see enjambment, i don't see good enjambment. handsome fresh is much better though it enjambs by breaking one word...unless they just got lucky and did it without realising