LibGuides: Creative Writing: Poetry: Lineation & Syntax

Lineation

The technique of making lines of verse that involves also the rationale for breaking the lines, whether by closure (coming to the end of the phrase, clause, or sentence at the end of the line) or by enjambment (continuing the sentence beyond the line boundary, into the next line) (Kinzie, 1999).

Syntax

(from Greek syntaxis and literally collective arrangement ) The way the basic components of a sentence are arranged, connected according to phrases and clauses, and extended to other sentences (Kinzie, 1999).
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Grammar

The combined structures in a language for generating sentences (syntax) and for forming words (morphology) (Kinzie, 1999).

Resources for Poetic Line

The Art of the Poetic Line by James Longenbach
ISBN: 1555974880
Publication Date: 2007-12-26
"Poetry is the sound of language organized in lines." James Longenbach opens this essential book with that provocative statement. Through a range of examples—from Shakespeare and Milton to Ashbery and Glück—Longenbach describes the function of line in metered, rhymed, syllabic, and free-verse poetry. That function is sonic, he argues, and our true experience of it can only be identified in relation to other elements in a poem. Syntax and the interaction of different kinds of line endings are primary to understanding line, as is the relationship of lineated poems to prose poetry.The Art of the Poetic Lineis a vital new resource by one of America's most important critics and most engaging poets.
The Eye of the Poet by David Citino (Editor)
ISBN: 0195132556
Publication Date: 2001-06-26
Featuring contributions from widely published and practicing poets who are also experienced teachers and presenters of poetry, The Eye of the Poet: Six Views of the Art and Craft of Poetry provides students and other readers with invaluable practical advice. Ideal for courses in poetry writing and creative writing, it includes six sections written by Billy Collins, Carol Muske, David Baker and Ann Townsend, Yusef Komunyakaa, Maxine Kumin, and David Citino. These poets speak their minds about their relationship with their art and craft, offering guidance to writers at all levels of experience from the beginner to the veteran.
A Field Guide to Contemporary Poetry and Poetics by Stuart Friebert (Editor); David Walker (Editor); David Young (Editor)
ISBN: 0932440770
Publication Date: 2003-01-01
An anthology of essays by a scintillating company of poets, exploring the terrain of contemporary poetics, the writing process, and the necessity of poetry in the modern world.
The Line in Postmodern Poetry by Robert Frank; Henry M. Sayre
ISBN: 025201488X
Publication Date: 1988-05-01

Resources for Grammar and Syntax

A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language by Randolph Quirk; Sidney Greenbaum; Geoffrey Leach; Jan Svartvik
ISBN: 0582517346
Publication Date: 1989-01-01
An indispensable store of information on the English language, written by some of the best-known grammarians in the world.
The Art of Syntax by Ellen Bryant Voigt; Ellen Voigt
ISBN: 1555975313
Publication Date: 2009-06-23
With intelligence and precision, Ellen Bryant Voigt parses out the deft and alluring shape of poetic language inThe Art of Syntax. Through brilliant readings of poems by Bishop, Frost, Kunitz, Lawrence, and others, Voigt examines the signature musical scoring writers deploy to orchestrate meaning. “This structure—this architecture—is the essential drama of the poem’s composition,” she argues.The Art of Syntaxis an indispensable book on the writer’s craft by one of America’s best and most influential poets and teachers.
A Dash of Style by Noah Lukeman
ISBN: 039306087X
Publication Date: 2006-04-01
The first practical and accessible guide to the art of punctuation for creative writers. Punctuation reveals the writer: haphazard commas, for example, reveal haphazard thinking; clear, lucid breaks reveal clear, lucid thinking. Punctuation can be used to teach the writer how to think and how to write. This short, practical book shows authors the benefits that can be reaped from mastering punctuation: the art of style, sentence length, meaning, and economy of words.
The Deluxe Transitive Vampire by Karen Elizabeth Gordon
ISBN: 0679418601
Publication Date: 1993-08-10
Playful and practical, this is the style book you can't wait to use, a guide that addresses classic questions of English usage with wit and the blackest of humor. Black-and-white illustrations throughout.
The Elements of Style by William Strunk; E. B. White; Roger Angell (Foreword by)
ISBN: 020530902X
Publication Date: 2000
You know the authors' names. You recognize the title. You've probably used this book yourself. This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. A new Foreword by Roger Angell reminds readers that the advice of Strunk & White is as valuable today as when it was first offered.This book's unique tone, wit and charm have conveyed the principles of English style to millions of readers. Use the fourth edition of "the little book" to make a big impact with writing.