Language of Poetry

The first substyle we shall consider is verse. Its first differentiating property is its orderly from, which is based mainly on the rhythmic and phonetic arrangement of the utterances. The rhythmic aspect calls forth syntactical and semantic peculiarities, which also fall into a more or less strict orderly arrangement. Both the syntactical and semantic aspects of the poetic substyle may be definite as compact, for are they held in check by rhythmical patterns. Both syntax and semantics comply with the restrictions imposed by the rhythmical pattern, and the result is brevity of expression, epigram-like utterance, and fresh, unexpected imagery. Syntactically this brevity is shown in elliptical and fragmentary sentences, in detached constructions, in inversion, asyndeton and other syntactical peculiarities. Rhythm and rhyme are immediately distinguishable properties of the poetic substyle provided they are wrought in to compositional patterns. They can be called the external differentiating features of the substyle, typical only of this one variety of the belles-letters style.

In the history of the poetic language there are several important stages of the development. At every stage the rhythmic and phonetic arrangement, which is the most characteristic feature of the substyle, remains its essence. As regards the vocabulary, it can be described as noticeably literary. The colloquial elements, though they have elbowed their way into poetry at some stages

In its development, still remain essentially unimportant and, at certain periods, were quite alien to the style. But even common literary words become conspicuous in poetry because of the new significance they acquire in a poetic line.