Today’s class exercise is a follow up to the lecture on UNDERSTANDING POETRY: THE PLACE OF PUNCTUATION IN A POEM .
Punctuation in poetry is similar to punctuation in prose and serves almost the same purpose as bar lines in music without which the words and notes won’t flow all together. In order words, punctuation assists in organizing your words into discernible verses.
Many poets use punctuation marks without knowing why they used them. Others just write their verses without using any marks at all, not deliberately, just because they do not know how and where to use them. A third group of poets place punctuation arbitrarily, without realizing that punctuation actually aid the readers’ interpretation and also determines his/her breathe pauses.
Many poets seem unaware of the fact that punctuation marks thrown into a poem affect the reader’s pace, understanding, eye movement and perception and should be deliberately and carefully used.
EXERCISE: You are to write a poem of 10 lines and two stanzas. One of the stanzas should be punctuated while the other should be left without (end) punctuations.
Submit your answer as a comment on this post before 5pm today.
Read THE LECTURE for guidance:
The top 5 poems will be published on THE COLLEGE: