Poetry Question

In honor of National Poetry Month, the Academy of American Poets has been sending out a poem a day via email to subscribers. I’m enjoying them, but one of them just…

Have you ever found the form of a poem to be so weird that it gets into the way of the meaning? I’m finding that to be the case with “Ferrum” by M. NourbeSe Philip. I did get the words, but the format was so distracting as to make reading a chore, rather than a pleasure.

Cyn is Rick's wife, Katie's Mom, and Esther & Oliver's Mémé. She's also a professional geek, avid reader, fledgling coder, enthusiastic gamer (TTRPGs), occasional singer, and devoted stitcher.
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3 thoughts on “Poetry Question

  1. The formatting strikes me as a case of confusing obscurity with depth. However, I should point out that I’m tired enough to not be able to remember my login for this site, so I may not be being sufficiently charitable to the poem.

    Weird form should, I think, convey some kind of meaning. It can work, but it can also just be a barrier.

  2. Weird form can be meaningful if it serves a purpose or is representative… this poem is just annoying 🙁

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