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Line Breaks, white space by Julie Patterson, writer-in-residence, Indiana Partnership for Young Writers

Two years ago I was in Boston with 200 other writers, attending workshops and readings, and engaging in long spirited conversations about the writing process. In one workshop, the facilitator divided us into small groups and asked, “What’s the difference between poetry and prose?”

In spite of the fact that my group My peers puckered pensively, Several of us novice poets included three especially brilliant and it was quiet for a moment. relied solely on our ears, poets that I admire, we Then some doubt crept in. placing line breaks where we stammered through a few false felt the natural pauses were in starts. Someone first suggested “I don’t know. Prose writers the spoken statements: the use of imagery differentiated think about white space, too, the two, then quickly retracted especially authors of children’s Poetry is not prose that statement, citing several books,” said a children’s book broken into lines. fiction authors whose prose is author. It uses the negative space noted for its imagery. of silence, yet “Yes, but I think it’s different in demands to be heard. Someone else suggested a poem. Maybe I should say “length,” but one of the brilliant line breaks, not white space,” I But some of the “real” poets poets countered with examples offered. argued that line breaks should of book-length poems like be placed so the most Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “Both of those things equate a important words end each line, Aurora Leigh. moment of silence to a poet,” and that we should consider a said a brilliant poet. “And I think stanza break between the two Trying process of elimination that’s the other key difference. sentences: instead, someone else said, Prose can be read aloud, but “Well, some poems tell stories poems are meant to be read Poetry and some have persuasive aloud.” is not prose broken intent, so the difference isn’t the into lines. purpose of the writing.” We all We began trying to craft a nodded in agreement. sentence to capture our It uses thoughts and grew increasingly the negative space “Rhythm?” confident in our poetic of silence, conclusion: Poetry is not prose yet demands “No, prose writers manipulate broken into lines. It uses the to be heard. sentence and word length to negative space of silence, yet create rhythm too.” demands to be heard. But one of the brilliant poets wanted to use enjambment I locked eyes with the brilliant But our confidence quickly and white space to emphasize poet who intimidates me the escalated to cockiness. “Let’s key phrases, give them double least. “White space? Something write our answer as a poem,” meaning or subvert readers’ to do with white space?” I asked. someone said. And that’s when expectations: the real trouble began. 465

POETRY: LINE BREAKS & WHITE SPACE SPRING 2014

Poetry is not prose broken into lines.

It uses the negative space

of silence,

yet demands to be heard.

And that sent the brilliant poets into a frenzy, using all of these strategies at once:

Poetry is not prose and white space. The “right” break choices they made. broken way lies in the poet’s heart— Then I show them the poet’s into lines. the intended meaning or published version, and talk effect—but notice, it is about why the poet might have It uses definitely not accidental. made the decisions he/she did. the negative When you teach line breaks in Often students claim that the space poetry, you can teach students line breaks they made result in of silence, a few of these strategies better poems than the ones (breaks at natural pauses, Williams and Nye created. yet breaks at most important words, breaks to emphasize No, I insist. You can’t know demands to be meaning or surprise readers), what was in their hearts as heard. then give students the words to they wrote these poems. What a poem written out as a block they chose was the “right” way, So then we all got carried of prose and ask them to just as I can’t tell you what line away crafting dozens of guess where the line breaks breaks you should choose for variations and arguing which go. I like to use “This Is Just to your own work, because only were the best representations Say” by William Carlos you know what’s best for your of our message. Williams and “Hidden” by poems. Naomi Shihab Nye. This, I believe, is what non- poets fail to recognize about On the following day, students poetry. There are no universal share their versions of these rules for placing line breaks poems and justify the line

ABOUT US The Indiana Partnership for Young Writers, a program of the Butler University College of Education, provides ongoing and in-depth professional development in the teaching of reading and writing to teachers in grades K-8. The Partnership is committed to inquiry-based workshop teaching that sustains students’ lifelong academic and workplace success. Learn more at www.indianayoungwriters.org.