Characteristics of a Poet: Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Jacob Rogers
Mr. Vanek
AP English Per. 1
11 May 2013
Characteristics of a Poet: Lawrence Ferlinghetti Throughout the various poems composed by writer Lawrence Ferlinghetti there emerges a series of defining characteristics of his style. Most if not all of his poems are written in free verse style that doesn’t follow traditional poetic composition. He has odd breaks and varying line lengths that serve as transitions and guides to his respective pieces. This was evidenced quite obviously in his poem “Don’t let that horse” which had no punctuation or repetitious structure to force any pauses or enjambment between such lines as “And became famous/And kept on painting/The Horse With Violin In Mouth.” Ferlinghetti shows an astounding ability in this regard to take structure and use it to guide the piece while maintaining a free flow that isn’t “nailed to the paper.” Rather that nail it, he loosely binds the piece to itself with irregular accents and rhythms and uneven rhyme schemes that develop the meaning far beyond face value. The structure though, doesn’t only hold the piece together as a tool, it also can serve to further illustrate as in “The Changing Light” where the line organization is nebulous and similar to fog and mist. In the effective use of these tools Ferlinghetti is able to manipulate most if not every aspect of his poetry to serve the meaning and depth as a whole. In practically every Lawrence Ferlinghetti poem there is a strong visual element to the piece that is tangible but figurative. The poems begin with solid examples of the physical world such as the ocean in “A Vast Confusion” that are a surface meaning of the poem that can be understood by anyone. Below that though, is a subjective and often deeper level of understanding that lends the poem a more profound meaning rather than just a surface view with a pretty picture. In the instance of “A Vast Confusion” the ocean was characteristic of the continuous onslaught of sounds that were
Mr. Vanek
AP English Per. 1
11 May 2013
Characteristics of a Poet: Lawrence Ferlinghetti Throughout the various poems composed by writer Lawrence Ferlinghetti there emerges a series of defining characteristics of his style. Most if not all of his poems are written in free verse style that doesn’t follow traditional poetic composition. He has odd breaks and varying line lengths that serve as transitions and guides to his respective pieces. This was evidenced quite obviously in his poem “Don’t let that horse” which had no punctuation or repetitious structure to force any pauses or enjambment between such lines as “And became famous/And kept on painting/The Horse With Violin In Mouth.” Ferlinghetti shows an astounding ability in this regard to take structure and use it to guide the piece while maintaining a free flow that isn’t “nailed to the paper.” Rather that nail it, he loosely binds the piece to itself with irregular accents and rhythms and uneven rhyme schemes that develop the meaning far beyond face value. The structure though, doesn’t only hold the piece together as a tool, it also can serve to further illustrate as in “The Changing Light” where the line organization is nebulous and similar to fog and mist. In the effective use of these tools Ferlinghetti is able to manipulate most if not every aspect of his poetry to serve the meaning and depth as a whole. In practically every Lawrence Ferlinghetti poem there is a strong visual element to the piece that is tangible but figurative. The poems begin with solid examples of the physical world such as the ocean in “A Vast Confusion” that are a surface meaning of the poem that can be understood by anyone. Below that though, is a subjective and often deeper level of understanding that lends the poem a more profound meaning rather than just a surface view with a pretty picture. In the instance of “A Vast Confusion” the ocean was characteristic of the continuous onslaught of sounds that were