#2 (The Influence of Form)

So, I've discovered lately that I love the fact that we are learning so much about form this semester. I honestly never thought I would say those words, because I wanted to be one of those poets who is so awesome that form is just a limitation that they don't need to follow. However, as I delve deeper in my study of poetry, I have realized that no such poet really exists. Every poet uses form in some way, even if they create their own form. Berryman wrote consistantly in Dreamsongs, and Collins invented his own form (just like we did). Our study of form this semester has lead me to a greater understanding of poetry overall. Analyzing a form leads to an analysis of the main poetic structures, such as rhyme scheme, repetition, and meter. Thus, my poetic vocabulary has also increased. I have realized that I also subconciously absorb some of the tactics of the poets that I read. I notice this when I see inspired elements in my own writing. For example, in one of my poems, I parenthezied a line, which I have never done before, and I think I just remembered it from reading (picnic, lightning) in the quote prefacing Collin's poem. It is both scary and awesome that the poets that we read can directly influence our writing, but I think it has lead me to a greater understanding of just how important form is.