Eunhae Han’s Reviews > Rhyme's Rooms: The Architecture of Poetry > Status Update

Poetry has very little space - CONCISE IT!

poets often want words that perform multiple functions.

imperfect rhyme works cause perfect rhyme can feel too final.

Off rhyme leaves some tension unresolved, the slight mismatch can make the reader more aware of the sounds.

Rhyme creates relationships
Two words become associated because of sound even if they are completely unrelated, it is a fun way to build relationships between words

The stanza can therefore create:

pauses
divisions
transitions
contrasts
repetitions
changes in tone
changes in argument

can be like a temporary space or architectural rooms.

A poem can create:

suspense by delaying information,
emphasis by repetition,
surprise through disruption,
memory through recurrence,
closure through pattern completion.

poetry is designed for human perception. Its patterns work partly because our brains recognize repetition and anticipate what comes next. A rhyme can surprise us because we don't yet know what word will arrive.

expectation → anticipation → surprise → recognition