3. The language of poetry and its particular devices

Abstract

‘The language of poetry and its particular devices’ explains that there are clearly certain ‘arrangements of language’ that are particularly associated with poetry—effects of sound and figuration such as rhyme, alliteration, or metaphor. Whether poetry is thought to be imitative-realistic or transcendent, all discussions agree that it must have some kinds of rules and recognized practices. The rules link to debates about language and which areas of language they may—or may not—apply to: rules about the sounds of poetry (metre or scansion or rhyme), or about its linguistic structure (its grammar or word-formation). These are things that occur in language in general, but are often thought to have special application in poetry.