Free Verse – Theory and Method

A tension between cognitive factors and cultural conventions constitutes poetic rhythm. Rhythm is formed when reading adjusts the sounds of a poem, and versification means repetitions, caesuras, tactus, prolongations, and so on. This paper presents some prerequisites for investigating free verse us...

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Main Author: Eva Lilja
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Pedagogical University of Krakow 2024-12-01
Series:Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis. Studia Poetica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://studiapoetica.uken.krakow.pl/article/view/10413
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author Eva Lilja
author_facet Eva Lilja
author_sort Eva Lilja
collection DOAJ
description A tension between cognitive factors and cultural conventions constitutes poetic rhythm. Rhythm is formed when reading adjusts the sounds of a poem, and versification means repetitions, caesuras, tactus, prolongations, and so on. This paper presents some prerequisites for investigating free verse using the theory of cognitive versification. Free verse has emerged from the most prestigious historical patterns possible – Greek poetry, the Bible, and the Edda songs. Aesthetic rhythm can be classified according to three principles: serial, sequential, and dynamic rhythm, which are the three basic sets of gestalt qualities. Poetic rhythm uses three time levels that coincide with body rhythms – half a second (a tactus, the pulse), about three seconds (a line, short-term memory), and more than three seconds (semantic coherence, long-term memory). Lineation covers the short-term memory interval and promotes a digital reading that simultaneously keeps one line’s overall meaning in mind. It might explain some of the poetry’s magic. We demonstrate how free rhythms work in a poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
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publisher Pedagogical University of Krakow
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series Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis. Studia Poetica
spelling doaj-art-5c8402d32a624db6a7347ff4d8b0763f2024-12-25T22:20:20ZdeuPedagogical University of KrakowAnnales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis. Studia Poetica2353-45832449-74012024-12-011210.24917/23534583.12.3Free Verse – Theory and MethodEva Lilja0University of Göteborg A tension between cognitive factors and cultural conventions constitutes poetic rhythm. Rhythm is formed when reading adjusts the sounds of a poem, and versification means repetitions, caesuras, tactus, prolongations, and so on. This paper presents some prerequisites for investigating free verse using the theory of cognitive versification. Free verse has emerged from the most prestigious historical patterns possible – Greek poetry, the Bible, and the Edda songs. Aesthetic rhythm can be classified according to three principles: serial, sequential, and dynamic rhythm, which are the three basic sets of gestalt qualities. Poetic rhythm uses three time levels that coincide with body rhythms – half a second (a tactus, the pulse), about three seconds (a line, short-term memory), and more than three seconds (semantic coherence, long-term memory). Lineation covers the short-term memory interval and promotes a digital reading that simultaneously keeps one line’s overall meaning in mind. It might explain some of the poetry’s magic. We demonstrate how free rhythms work in a poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. https://studiapoetica.uken.krakow.pl/article/view/10413cognitive versification studiesaesthetic rhythmfree verseprinciples of rhythmLawrence Ferlinghetti
spellingShingle Eva Lilja
Free Verse – Theory and Method
Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis. Studia Poetica
cognitive versification studies
aesthetic rhythm
free verse
principles of rhythm
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
title Free Verse – Theory and Method
title_full Free Verse – Theory and Method
title_fullStr Free Verse – Theory and Method
title_full_unstemmed Free Verse – Theory and Method
title_short Free Verse – Theory and Method
title_sort free verse theory and method
topic cognitive versification studies
aesthetic rhythm
free verse
principles of rhythm
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
url https://studiapoetica.uken.krakow.pl/article/view/10413
work_keys_str_mv AT evalilja freeversetheoryandmethod