Punctuation Or Not

[OrganicPoetTree]

I am still figuring things out, but along the way I have developed a taste for the ambiguity of poetry done in all lowercase with no punctuation at all. To me, it allows the reader to imagine their own rests and pauses of course lead along by the wording.

However, I also think that is only for certain forms and in certain cases. I wouldn't want to attempt a Sonnet in this manner ofc-- but some free verse, haiku/senryu to me is better without the pretentious-looking attention to hard rules of grammar.

Do you think poetry should always adhere to the rules of punctuation and capitalization? Or do you feel it should be taken on a per-poem basis?

Poetry should have no rules. It is poetry. If you care to follow specific kinds and test yourself to create something within the restrictions that certain poem styles confine you to then good. I have done so for practice. But when actually writing a poem? ... write whatever it is ... that you feel ... will get your words across the most appropriately ... for whatever it is that you are trying to say = )