Genre Analysis

What is a free verse poem?

The poetry foundation defines a free verse poem as “nonmetrical, nonrhyming lines that closely follow the natural rhythms of speech.”

Common components of a free verse poem:

• Form/Stanzas: Because the form, or structure of a free verse poem is pretty open to personal interpretation, stanzas are the most common way to organize this type of poem. Stanzas are groups of lines separated by a blank line. It is like a poetic paragraph, so each stanza is centered on one specific idea.

• Rhythm: Rhythm is the musical element of a poem. By using repetition, alliteration, assonance, etc, the author creates a flow of the poem’s words.

• Figurative language: Figurative language is often used in poems to elaborate on a point/explain something in a new way. A common type of figurative language used in poetry is imagery, which appeals to a reader’s senses and allows them to create a picture in their imagination. Other examples include metaphors and allusions.

• Theme: The theme is what the poem is about. It is the message that the author wants to convey through the elements of the poem.

• Tone: The tone of a poem is the attitude that the writer conveys feeling towards the subject. Tone is also sometimes called mood.

Why do a free verse poem for this experiment (over other types of poetry)?

Free verse, as opposed to formal verse, does not follow restrictive rules of poetry, but still allows for patterns. They are effective because they allow the author to express themselves freely without being limited with poetic rules. In this instance specifically, using free verse poetry is especially important. Because I am speaking on behalf of children that do not speak, I do not want to have any restrictions. The people with autism that I know are already so restricted and limited by their diagnosis and by society, that adding limitations to a poem seems inappropriate. What’s more, people with autism are known for thinking out of the box and being creative, so this can be explored through free verse poetry as opposed to a structured, formal one where I can’t be as inventive.

What are some models I can use?

• A Noiseless Patient Spider by Walt Whitman. Walt Whitman is known as the father of free verse poetry because he rarely uses rhyming or meter in his poems. In this poem, Whitman uses a single metaphor to get his point across and engage the readers— no rhyme is necessary to entertain us. He also employs pauses where pauses naturally go, making the poem seem more conversational and giving him more freedom in writing what he wants to say. That doesn’t mean that he’s just throwing words onto a page, though. In reading A Noiseless Patient Spider, one notices the care and thought that he put into each line, each word, each syllable even. He uses repetition in line four, as well as repeats the phrase ‘O my soul’ at various points in the poem to hammer in his point and make the metaphor more obvious to the audience. Thus, it is important to note that while free verse poetry does not rely on a specific structure or rule, it still uses patterned elements that make it a true form of poetry. I plan to use Whitman’s poem as an example for successful free verse poetry— one that conveys an important point, uses creative, free form expression, and still relies on poetry patterns to be effective. Like Whitman, I want to use alliteration, repetition, and other poetic elements in a freely-structured poem.

A noiseless patient spider,

I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated,

Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,

It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,

Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.

And you O my soul where you stand,

Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,…….

Till the bridge you will need be form’d, till the ductile anchor hold,

Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.

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• Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s The Voice of the Voiceless poem is one that many people would probably think of as a model for my poem. In this poem, Wilcox is advocating for animals, who have no voice. She passionately explains that the more we hunt and kill animals for sport or kill animals through scientific testing, the farther we travel from God’s loving hand. Each stanza, each sentence even, is written with such passion and force, it’s hard not to feel guilty for not caring as much as the author does. At the same time, Ella Wheeler Wilcox carefully employs a loving, helpful tone. What I find fascinating about this poem is how she juxtaposes a stern, scolding voice to those that harm animals with one that demonstrates how much she cares for the animals. I’m inspired by this idea because there are many people with autism that I love, and I also feel passionately about how badly people that don’t understand or appreciate autism need to change. By using powerful vocabulary and succinct phrasing, Wilcox was able to effectively communicate her passion, and I hope to follow in her lead.

• This website is titled Melodies Unheard, and the article explores deaf poets. First, the site describes the history of the marginalization of people with disabilities in the nineteenth and twentieth century. I was especially warmed by the poem written by deaf poet Earl Sollenberger titled Birds Will Sing. It reads:

To a thrush on a mulberry bough,

Once on a time God said:

"Sing, little fellow, sing

A sweet tune for that girl there

On the lawn.

She is watching, she is waiting,

She is listening, listening, listening."

The bird sang.

At the end God said:

"That was a good song. My choir

Back home was listening in,

And I think that We

Shall have better music from now on.

That girl there

Couldn't hear you,

But she is satisfied too."

The free verse poem is literally freeing for Earl Sollenberger because he didn’t have to rely on rhyming dictionaries and counting syllables. He was able to express himself freely, not to mention explain his condition to attentive readers. The poem makes me so happy to read, because the poet is empowered. I hope to show similar empowerment in my poem because like Sollenberger, I care immensely about the topic and have a personal connection to it. I love this quote in the article: “The difference in deaf poets' work is not in its potential for art, but in its perspective, a prism through which those who have never imagined life without sound can see the world in a whole new light.” I don’t have this prism, but I intend to do the research to move as close to this prism as possible. I will use Sollenberger’s poem as a guide to remember the need to research and accurately portray the experiences and thoughts of people with autism.