contractions

[Guest]

Poetic Literians, lend me your wisdom on the use of contractions in poetry. Should you or shouldn't you include them in prose? I've debating with another poet about this as sometimes 'can not', 'you are' or 'it is' just doesn't flow well in some poems.

Thank you, I value all of your opinions.

|neonurotic|

 

[killallhippies]

Poetic Literians, lend me your wisdom on the use of contractions in poetry. Should you or shouldn't you include them in prose? I've debating with another poet about this as sometimes 'can not', 'you are' or 'it is' just doesn't flow well in some poems.

Thank you, I value all of your opinions.

|neonurotic|

i'm not a poet, but i agree with that. sometimes a contraction is the only thing that fits. also, it depends on how formal of a tone your going for.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Poetic Literians, lend me your wisdom on the use of contractions in poetry. Should you or shouldn't you include them in prose? I've debating with another poet about this as sometimes 'can not', 'you are' or 'it is' just doesn't flow well in some poems.

Thank you, I value all of your opinions.

|neonurotic|

I think you just answered your own question there.

Contractions are an integrate part of language, and as such there is no valid argument to limit their use, unless you propose yourself to do it. Nothing forbids you of banning the letter e from your poems, if it tickles your fancy, but there's no real merit in doing that per se, is it?

Poetry has been using contractions, graphically expressed or not, since forever. It's viscerally different to say "you can't do this" and "you can not do that".

There's a certain artifice you might recollect seeing in poetry before. Synaeresis, the collapsing of two syllables into one: in verse, thou see-est becoming thou seest (pronounced like 'thou ceased') and The Almighty becoming Th'Almighty. This occurs when the first syllable ends and the second begins with a vowel. It is common in everyday usage, as when the last syllables of familiar ('fa-mí-li-ar') are merged in 'famílyer'. In some words, the merger becomes fixed: for example, although in the past righteous had three syllables ('ry-te-ous'), there can now only be two ('ry-chous'). In some kinds of English, a stressed diphthong merges with a following schwa: for example, in varieties of RP sometimes regarded as affected, where flower pot sounds like 'flah pot' and lawn-mower like 'lawn-myrrh'.

Piece of wisdom: don't impose artificial rules of language use like these to your own poems. How many people to you know that don't use contractions in their every day speech? Is there any reason for poetic language to necessarily (or at all) differ from it?

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Re: Re: contractions

also, it depends on how formal of a tone you're going for.

But please do be aware when you use contractions and not.

 

[killallhippies]

Re: Re: Re: contractions

But please do be aware when you use contractions and not.

oops.

 

[Angeline]

Weighing in

Ooooh a language usage question (gleefully rubbing my hands together). I just looove those. (I know, I'm a sick puppy, but I actually like this stuff, lol.)

Contractions are an informal use of language and they're conversational. If you take take that as your guiding principle on how to use them, you really can't go wrong.

In other words, it's almost never technically wrong to use contractions, but your decision should depend on the tone or voice of what you are writing. If it's more informal or conversational--especially dialogue--you probably want them. On the other hand, you wouldn't want "We're waiting for your RSVP" on a formal wedding invitation.

Bear in mind though that although most discourse is informal, it's always best to choose usage based on the specific piece you're writing. For example:

Conversational
He ain't heavy, he's my brother.

Conversational with Emphasis
Lauren, you are *not* going to shoot that gun in your AV, are you?

My rule of thumb to read my stuff out loud--over and over while tinkering if necessary--until I'm sure it sounds right. I find I can usually trust my ear for language. Also, I think about who my speaker is and whether he or she would use contractions. One caution though--if you're mixing contracted and uncontracted phrases in a piece of writing, make sure it's your choice to do so and not an oversight.

Hope this helps.

Ange
(overzealous editor)

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Re: Weighing in

Lauren, you are *not* going to shoot that gun in your AV, are you?

Are you feeling lucky?

 

[Angeline]

Are you feeling lucky?

You want me to dance, pardner?

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Only if you wear that dress.

 

[Angeline]

I have another pic in it.



(ok neonurotic is a nice person--I'm done hijacking his thread, lol.)

 

[Lauren Hynde]

We gave him straight answers that bought us a little bit hijacking time, I think.

But you're right.

 

[Guest]

Hijack away

I did get the answer I wanted... I was right, and me being right, makes me happy because it doesn't happen often enough.

So hijack away. I enjoy banter. I'd rather read this and that instead of the other thing.

|neonurotic|

 

[HomerPindar]

HA! Consider this a hijacking then!

bwhahahahahaha....

....course, its more fun to hijack with the ladies.

Oh ladies!!

HomerPindar

 

[darkmaas]

Puppy Ears

Angeline said:

I know, I'm a sick puppy

Ah, what I thought was hair on either side of your AV's face, turns out to be big floppy puppy ears.

I think this must be all kdog's fault.

darkmaas

 

[Angeline]

Ah, what I thought was hair on either side of your AV's face, turns out to be big floppy puppy ears.

I think this must be all kdog's fault.

darkmaas

That is my hair, darnit! It's longer now, too. Yknow, you make it sound as if kdoggie and I ran off to Pleasure Island--you know like in Pinocchio, where they turned into donkeys and...wait a minute! He'd prolly like that--well till the donkey part and...and..and..

oh never mind!

(flounces out of thread)


see, one day you're back--not even--and already I'm flouncing, lol

 

[darkmaas]

Careful now!

That dress wasn't exactly engineered with flouncing in mind.

 

[Angeline]

That dress wasn't exactly engineered with flouncing in mind.

And you tell me that I have an evil mind? Hahahaha. Or I suppose you're just practicing your engineering skills, considering possibilities, eh? Well cover your eyes, then; the girls and I are passing!

 

[darkmaas]

Just being helpful.

Considering the cantilever forces, restraining counterforces, the bias cut of the fabric and the rotational effects of a flounce....probabilities are high that....darkmaas closes eyes.

 

[Rybka]

Originally posted by Angeline ...
the girls and I are passing! [/B]

Passing what?

Regards,                                 Rybka

 

[darkmaas]

Most likely wind.

But I'm sure it's a pretty, flouncey, bias cut wind

 

[Angeline]

Passing what?

by, bad fishy, Passing by. Not wind. Not away. By.

And the sad truth is, I am actually wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a photo of John Lennon on it. And my hair is in a ponytail. So there!

(Flouncing again and smacking darkmaas with ponytail on way out.)

Now, neo, now you have banter, lol.

 

[darkmaas]

now you have banter

This thread is hot bantered and deep fried for your dining pleasure

 

[Angeline]

This thread is hot bantered and deep fried for your dining pleasure

well you're in hot water anyway. lol.

 

[darkmaas]

Hot Water

Shall I make tea?

 

[Angeline]

please, yes, tea. a tiny bit of sugar and lemon, ty.