Improving Your Poem's Density of Meaning
What is Density of Meaning?
This is a phrase I made to refer to the relationship between the number of words/images in a poem and the number of meanings they convey, and their complexity.
A poem that is dense in meaning can have a greater effect on readers because they can read it from many different perspectives without running out of interpretations. It can also mean a greater depth of feeling when the reader reads the poem. Meaning is not only conveyed by word usage, i.e. their dictionary definition. It is conveyed through the experience of the poem's sensual qualities-- the sound, the images, the rhythm, and so on.
What are some techniques to improve Density of Meaning?
* Metaphor
This is one of the most obvious ways. A metaphor isn't just a representation of another object-- the object it represents conveys an *idea*. To give a very clicheé example-- hearts represent love. If I write a poem comparing a factory to a beating heart, I might be really talking about love (or not!).
* Allusion
An allusion is a borrowing of words or concepts from another work of literature in order to implement what those words or concepts convey.
* Connotation
Connotation is those ideas and feelings that a word suggests. Take the word "bite". It's a fairly generic word. If you use the word "chomp", it suggests a very decisive kind of bite. A "nibble" is weaker or more timid. Using words that have a greater connotation, according to the poem's context, can add impact to the poem.
* Sound and rhythm
A lot could be said on this subject. Suffice it to say that line length, beat, the choice of predominant vowels, the choice of predominant consonants, alliteration, etc can add to the poem's effect.
* Succinctness
In general, in a poem, it's better to say something in fewer words rather than more. Also, eliminating unnecessary "boring" words and phrases that are common and replacing them with more suggestive words can help.
* Word play and puns
I once wrote a poem called "The Most Beautiful Period of My Life". It was about youth, except that the poem ends with the narrator getting her menstrual period after fearing she was pregnant. The double-entendre of the word "period" made the title more interesting and conveyed more ideas than if it hadn't been there.
So how do you use these techniques?
You shouldn't *force* yourself to use them in the first draft. First drafts should be written in a free flow sort of way, not necessarily thinking a lot about how good or bad the poem is.
Once you have enough material for a poem, go through the poem and try to see *what you can make out of it*. Make connections between phrases. See if there's any possibility of re-writing lines so that they say what you want in a more interesting way. Are there predominant sounds or rhythms? Experiment and re-write to fit a pattern that *emerges* from the material you have put down. I don't recommend *forcing* a pattern on it. Even while you edit the poem, you might come up with new lines or words to add to the poem. Also, keep every draft of your poem, so that if you don't like your latest draft, you can revert to the older one.
If you don't have a metaphor or a pun, or an allusion in your first draft, then you don't have to write one. But maybe in the course of editing your poem, your brain might make connections between things you've written so they emerge from the poem.
Also, see what you can cut out from the poem, while not affecting its logical progression. High density of meaning means that you have to cut off the useless fat-- even if it's a pretty or well-turned phrase. If it doesn't contribute to the overall theme of the poem, cut it off. You can use the phrase in another poem later.
Here are two examples of short poems. The first one has relatively low Density of Meaning, and the other one is somewhat higher.
__________________________________________
what would the world do without its zealots?
it would tune into the latest opinion
and pontificate in its undershirt
as it reclines
in its apathy.
______________________
sisterhood
the angry hornèd moon
about to bite
the Morning Star who
dogs her light
with her purity
______________________
The first one is okay, but the meaning is rather one dimensional. There are no metaphors and no allusions; it relies on connotation and word play to get the point across. The meaning is obvious. The second poem is much more dense. First, the whole poem is a metaphor of the crescent moon that *appears* to be eating the planet Venus ("the Morning Star"). The Crescent Moon and star is a symbol of Islam, which traditionally is considered a heresy. The Morning Star is also a symbol of the Virgin Mary, the star "dogs" the light of the Crescent, i.e. feminism "with her purity", i.e. her goodness. I could go on. But see how the metaphors and the allusions help make this poem more meaningful in fewer words? This is what density of meaning is all about.
Making the most of your poem in fewer words
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Any ideas to improve poetry are welcome... thanx for the education...
Edited on Nov 28, 7:00 p.m. because ''. -
i also like and need lots of help... thank you..
this is very interesting... awsome job -
Ideally didactical with implications of specifically gravitational – the mentor’s mellifluous metaphor, inculcates idiosyncrasies and so much more! But like Nando (who wrote before), the relative density is most in those with the propensity…
Some very good points in a column that was not too dense to navigate.
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You made some good points and very good suggestions...by applying your ideas/suggestions can not only make us better our craft better but make more entertaining reads as well! I will come back and study this some more in the future.
~CWM~ -
Dense poems may get overlooked because of bad execution. There's this idea among academics that you don't ready literature "for fun" but for the ideas it presents. I don't buy that theory at all. I think a poem should engage the reader on the first read through its musicality. If it's not dense, you absorb it and move on. If it's dense, you want to come back to it and re-read it, and it's worth your while. It's tough writing a dense poem-- that's why you see so few.
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Great primer! And especially enjoy the discussion that takes place within these comments for I always enjoy hearing others take on writing and its struggles, debates etc. I had hoped to see more of that in the chatterbox, but alas....
I have been watching to see how long folks spend with a single poem and have to wonder, in our fast paced clicking world here of short smart comments, whether the dense poems don't get overlooked in favor of ones more easily digested. Fast food addicts to the end.
Edited on Nov 17, 6:30 because 'had two more cents -'. -
Great column...now, if we could only figure out a way to make some readers less dense...
: )
-Nando- -
An allusion refers to any line from another work, something that is distinctive, like "to be or not to be?". I tried to think of good allusions but all my poetry books are packed up, and the ones I had in my mind are imprecisely remembered. The fact that you use the lines can save time because instead of having to contextualize what the phrase means, the reader is expected to know what they are, or the phrase just makes sense in the first place. I have trouble with the concept of the "educated reader"-- the reader who is supposed to know every single work of literature out there. I think that you write poems for a given kind of audience, and they may or may not know what work you're referring to.
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Well, I have written some rather dense poetry, but I don't think that's the 'Dense' you're referring to
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I definately agree with not forcing a poem. Reading formulatic poetry can be boring at times....people should be able to look at their final draft without thinking 'maybe I should have used that word here'. If you're not happy with what you post, chances are the readers will pick up on that.
One question....for the "Allusion" part...would that be like referring to Romeo, or something in a poem? Or saying something like "like the Gotham Knight, he appeared from nowhere" ?
Barbara
~never underestimate a thesaurus~ -
Great!
I loved the clarity with which you explained what can be a complex and daunting prospect to a learning poet (like we all are)!! This would also be an interesting column for people to read before they make their comments, as nothing is so frustrating (to me) as reading a dense poem by a talented writer and then seeing shallow comments, where the person has sometimes written "this wasn't about love ... it was about an ocean" or something and completely missed the point. With poetry, reading is almost as hard as writing; I often get ideas for my own writing by studying and reading other people's works, and find this a stimulating and challenging aspect of life at AP.
Re the 'Islam' and 'Heresy' point. I read it as meaning that IN THE PAST, western cultures associates the words, but not now in the 21st century (except for some people, sadly, who will always connect race/religion with hate). This was due to the word 'traditionally' ... this mix-up, to me, demonstrates EXACTLY why you really have to read things with as much care as an artist, getting a rounded understanding of the work. Otherwise, at best you miss out on a great story/poem/column, at worst toes get trodden on, and conflict/anger flares up. -
Ok, I did *not* just see someone say "I will ignore that you mentioned Islam and heresy in one sentence" in their comment towards you. What a snotty way to start off a comment.
This was an excellent post about poetry, one that was much needed here, and I thank you for your efforts to educate.
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thanks i need all the help i can get!!!!
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hmm, interesting
I admire that you posted this, but some college professors discuss the same views. It is something I have to admit that I have heard. But I think at AP, it is great to post, for some have not tapped into this. I do not believe in frilly pieces, nor do I believe in always sticking to a form except for certain forms of poetry (ie. haiku). Now, I do believe that you have nailed this point well. As for drafts. If it says what you wanted the first time, then it does not need to be mulled over until it is processed. Some poets are concerned about this and I tell those who try to lecture...do not always suggest a second draft. Truly read it. The reader versus the writer can still have 2 different views (the process of communication in the written works the same as in verbal). The reader is the one that felt or feels its and writes it whereas the reader will not exactly feel or have felt like the writer. Now, for those unsure and have not reached a knowledgeable point, I would recommend another draft.
See, a writer poet writes something, it is bases off of experience. You simply cannot allude or pull metaphors out of something you have not learned or experienced yet. This there in lies the mythical writers block. The writer poet has not written enough or experienced or felt in order to complete a piece. The onyl recommendation is to save that draft when they experience life more and go one with another piece.
Sorry....got on my bandwagon. lol -
What every writer should know, awesome info!
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I will ignore that you mentioned Islam and heresy in one sentence, because I'd like to convey how happy I am with reading this article. It's perfect. I loved what you mentioned about Allusion(I used it once in "The Roads") and I liked this:-"Also, see what you can cut out from the poem, while not affecting its logical progression. High density of meaning means that you have to cut off the useless fat-- even if it's a pretty or well-turned phrase. If it doesn't contribute to the overall theme of the poem, cut it off. You can use the phrase in another poem later." I do this a lot. thanks for sharing, Goss
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Nice...it's got me looking back over some of my own poems to see if I could make them a bit more dense...and giving me new ideas to try on ones I was ready to trash. Thanks very much. Love, Jen.
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Apts for poets like me.I would only add to a fact which the author had already stated somewhere.Appropriate figures of speech should be added to a given work or else we choke our works with them.
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An excellent primer..thanks!
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