hi Todd good read, and it makes a lot of sense. for me enjambment is an uber part of poetry.
your 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
for me
into blind only works because of the line below it, not because of the line above it; and i think it should. as curve works off the line above it, so should 'into blind' (obviously this is my objective point of view) i do think a line that doesn't work on it's own needs to be anchored to the line above it and 'into blind' isn't
i agree about ending on an important word. so often i see rafts of it's and and's etc at the end of lines that really need to be on the next line. of course there are and has to be exceptions when they can and should be line end words; though a lot less frequently than how we see new poets use.
one point i would make is the overly use of ; and --
i'll be honest and own up to sometimes going over board with the ;'s. for me these are the two most demonic pieces of grammar we use and as such should only be used when really needed, specially the --. evil little fucker that it is.
(jmo)
anyway, great post Todd.
your 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
for me
into blind only works because of the line below it, not because of the line above it; and i think it should. as curve works off the line above it, so should 'into blind' (obviously this is my objective point of view) i do think a line that doesn't work on it's own needs to be anchored to the line above it and 'into blind' isn't
i agree about ending on an important word. so often i see rafts of it's and and's etc at the end of lines that really need to be on the next line. of course there are and has to be exceptions when they can and should be line end words; though a lot less frequently than how we see new poets use.
one point i would make is the overly use of ; and --
i'll be honest and own up to sometimes going over board with the ;'s. for me these are the two most demonic pieces of grammar we use and as such should only be used when really needed, specially the --. evil little fucker that it is.
(jmo)
anyway, great post Todd.