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What makes lines great?
For some reason I thought about this sentence from Weldon Kees's "Round" while getting my coffee.
A closet mouse Rattles the wrapper on the breakfast food. This is part of two lines. I would argue that it makes a good case for what makes poetry different from prose. Thoughts? Round "Wondrous life!" cried Marvell at Appleton House. Renan admired Jesus Christ "wholeheartedly." But here dried ferns keep falling to the floor, And something inside my head Flaps like a worn-out blind. Royal Cortssoz is dead. A blow to the Herald-Tribune. A closet mouse Rattles the wrapper on the breakfast food. Renan Admired Jesus Christ "wholeheartedly." Flaps like a worn-out blind. Cezanne Would break out in the quiet streets of Aix And shout, "Le monde, c'est terrible!" Royal Cortissoz is dead. And something inside my head Flaps like a worn-out blind. The soil In which the ferns are dying needs more Vigoro. There is no twilight on the moon, no mist or rain, No hail or snow, no life. Here in this house Dried ferns keep falling to the floor, a mouse Rattles the wrapper on the breakfast food. Cezanne Would break out in the quiet streets and scream. Renan Admired Jesus Christ "wholeheartedly." And something inside my head Flaps like a worn-out blind. Royal Cortissoz is dead. There is no twilight on the moon, no hail or snow. One notes fresh desecrations on the portico. "Wondrous life!" cried Marvell at Appleton House. |
Well, the music makes it memorable (r consonance), as do the specificity and rhythm, but good prose writers do much the same? Also, the context: a mouse around food rivets my attention.
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