Enjambment+--+Il-Jee

HW: Write a 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 page analysis of the impact of line breaks—and how it affects tone, rhythm, and theme—in one of the following poems:

Poetry, (from what I’ve seen so far) is the only type of writing that is able to use a line break in a sentence and therefore utilizes its specialty for various effect. One being what we mentioned in class during the discussion of We Cool -- the natural effect of a resting point --similar to that of comma or period. The line break in both Erosion and Reapers puts emphasis on the line, which follows the break. For instance, in Erosion, word slippage is followed by an eclipse and a line break. Slippage, a significant word (which in fact can be replaceable for the tittle Erosion, between the line break isolates the word, is isolated in to its own line to generate the instantaneous mood of erosion. In the third stanza, word emphasis using line breaks is used yet again. “Nothing left”, isolated by line breaks also evokes a similar image as erosion. And the lines(time when read out loud) between “Slippage” and “Nothing left”(while read) shows a set time frame between when sand in the hour glass was running out and when sand in the hour glass ran out. Not-so-coincidentally, time frame, emphasized through line breaks happens to be the theme of the poem. In Erosion, line breaks eventually impacted on portraying the image and theme. Not only did Linda Pastan of Erosion utilize line break to emphasize its team, but also did Jean Toomer of Reaper. My most memorable line was when Toomer isolated the last line, “Blood-stained, continue cutting weeds and shade” because it gave a mood that all the mowing over field rat didn’t seem to matter.

Diving through the reason behind why the rat didn’t seem insignificant to the reaper, it all comes from tone. Unlike many other readings we have done, the poet takes control of the reading pace and rhythm of the reader -- fastening reader’s speed, slowing at times -- and the control of attitude of the narrator. By separating the lines, “His belly close to ground. I see the blade.” and “Blood-stained, continue cutting weeds and shade.” the author differentiates the mood. The first line mentioned above seemed to show little care for the rat in the grass, whereas the second showed no sympathy whatsoever even after the remains of rat blood on the blade. In Erosion repetition is used with the line breaks to settle the mood and rhythm. In fourth stanza “We have tried a seawall. We have tried prayer. We have planted grasses [...]” is separated with line breaks. When read out loud as written above without line breaks, poetry seems to be missing the passion author wants readers to have. Whereas written with line breaks, every next “we” tends to be more emphasized with more enthusiasm and the latter lines seem to have more significance as we read on. By observing two poetries, we can learn that line breaks are not used at odd times in random places in a sentence but to serve as various purposes including control of attitude the speaker of the poetry, whether author himself or not, portray voice, theme, mood, or to alter the rhythm and pace of the readers.