I generally just write poems which are justified left. There’s a white space between each stanza. The lines are generally short and choppy. Lately. It’s how the words happen and usually I don’t think a lot about how the poem looks as being a vehicle for meaning.

I started thinking this week. Sometimes the poetry isn’t just about the words. The design of the poem can have just as much meaning. Length of lines, the white space, where the lines are places on the page, if the lines create a space. So, the words aren’t just a player, the way the lines themselves are formed can change the meaning or heighten it.

An example of an interesting use of space:

e.e. cummings – [l(a]
l(a
le
af
fa
ll
s)
one
l
iness

When you look at the poem, you’re able to extract two thoughts: loneliness; a leaf falls. The leaf falling is in the loneliness and how it moves down the page resembles a leaf falling to the ground.
Do you tend to create a poem that has a default look like I do, or do you play with the shape, the white space, etc? When you read poetry, do you take notice of how the poem is spaced or shaped? And if you have any examples of poetry that uses white space in an interesting way, definitely share it.

I’ll meet you in the comments!