A Frequent Misconception of Poetic Language

A Frequent Misconception…

A frequent misconception of poetic language is that a poet always seeks the most beautiful or noble sounding words. What they really seek are the most meaningful words, and these vary from one context to another. Language has many levels and verities, and poets may choose from all of them. Their words may be grandiose or humble, fanciful or matter-of-fact, romantic or realistic, archaic or modern, technical or conventional, monosyllabic or polysyllabic. Usually a poem has a driving tone. The words of Emily Dickinson’s “There is no Frigate like a book” and those of Thomas Hardy’s “The Man He Killed” are chosen from quite different areas of language, but both poets have chosen the words most meaningful for context of the work. It is always important to determine the level of diction employed in a poem, for it may provide clear insight into the purpose of the poem by helping to characterize the speaker. Sometimes a poet may import a word from one area of language into a poem composed mostly of words from a different area. The word “'Ere” in “Remembrances” is inserted in such a skillful way that it results