There are many styles of poetry. Most require little or no punctuation. Some even do away with capitalization like e.e. cummings initiated. With me it's about readability. How are you going to communicate your poem if someone can't read it?
Proper punctuation is required for most published works in English. However, poetry tends to change all rules making punctuation optional and improper punctuation common.
I have a simple, selfish reason for punctuation at the end of every line in my poetry. When it comes to creating the HTML version for my website, I must include a breve tag <br> to force a new line and a paragraph tag <p> to force two new lines. These tags are difficult for me to type and I have no voice equivalent to create them with my dictation, so I use my punctuation at the end of the line to create find (.) or (,) and replace with (. <p>) or (, <br>) that allow me to add the tags very quickly when creating my poem webpages.
The AD editor does this for everyone who pastes their poetry here, sometimes with bad results because it is HTML, not just WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) text. But most poets are not coders and don't realize what it takes to make a webpage and why being absolutely correct is essential in hypertext and totally irrelevant in poetry.
SO TRUE. When I first started posting , I did not puncuate, then I saw the value in doing so. I still make mistakes though, but at least I am writing on this web site again. YEAH!
I rarely think of punctuation when writing poetry. Mostly, I just use enter to make anew line, and occasionally will add a period or comma, because I tend to write poetry off the cuff, letting the words flow. I try to be more conscientious when writing articles. I sympathize with your difficulty and appreciate your perseverance and commitment.
Dear Ron,
Carol here. I hope you are well thank you for "Why I Punctuate Poetry" I have added you to my Professor lists, as I learn so much from you.
You know I am reading "Hanging by a Thread" and enjoying so far. Had to take a break as I went on vacation. I am back to "Hanking by a Thread", and am surely looking forward to great reading. I have a reading buddy
and he is also reading "Hanging By a Thread" we both appreciate your writing. We will give a review upon completion. Thank you my new Professor!
Carol Wilson-Mack
Ron, Right on the money. I'm guilty of too much or unnecessary punctuation, except in this note which I reviewed 3 times... and I'm still not sure about my commas and now I'm wondering about the ellipsis.
Regards, Michael
Interesting insights, Ron. Also emphasises my own 'not-being-a-coder' status. Thanks for this snippet of illuminating material. For myself, I use punctuation marks simply because I am an anally obsessive/compulsive wonk, LoL. Personally, I intensely DISLIKE the Author's Den WYSIWYG/HTML feature. It is MOST unfriendly and time consuming, in my experience.
Robin Ouzman Hislop's poetry is certainly in dialogue with some of the key architects of the 'poetics of indeterminacy' both the Modernist strands represented by the likes of Beckett and Stein, and the postmodernist strands represented, initially,
Carol here. I hope you are well thank you for "Why I Punctuate Poetry" I have added you to my Professor lists, as I learn so much from you.
You know I am reading "Hanging by a Thread" and enjoying so far. Had to take a break as I went on vacation. I am back to "Hanking by a Thread", and am surely looking forward to great reading. I have a reading buddy
and he is also reading "Hanging By a Thread" we both appreciate your writing. We will give a review upon completion. Thank you my new Professor!
Carol Wilson-Mack
Regards, Michael