How long does it take to read a poem for the first time? Maybe a few minutes or seconds. But does that ensure that a reader will read your entire poem? Absolutely not!
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As with any food, the first bite of a poem determines whether the person will complete the entire meal or not. The starting lines should pull the reader into the poem like a black hole. He must be hooked.
Let us take a look at the starting lines of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.
Line 1:
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
It does a lot of things. Sets the scene and the mood; has internal rhymes and alliteration. But apart from these technical terms, a reader is left with questions like:
1. Why is the midnight dreary? What is the reason behind his sadness? 2. What is the poet pondering over? 3. Why is he feeling weak and weary? Is he ill or simply depressed and tired?
Line 2:
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
It answers the second question but the rest are still there, unanswered. Also say aloud quaint and curious together. Nom nom!
Another fine example of excellent opening lines would be W.H. Auden's Funeral Blues.
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
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Like a dessert, the ending lines can leave the reader satisfied or wanting for more. It can end with a surprise, a resolution, a twist or a loop making the reader think. And that's what its purpose should be.
A rat in the box
He Stares through bars at the rain
Kissing her sweet thighs*
A poem is like a girl. If you do not look twice, she is not beautiful. The ending lines can make the reader say, "Holy shit! What did I just read? I must read once more." And in this endless cycle of reading and re-reading, a poem becomes immortal.
And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.
(Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost.)
----------------------------------------------------------- *This senryu comes from my collection of short poems called Brevity. It is closing on 5k reads. Do take a bite if you haven't already :)) Also, this book is doing rather well, surprisingly. Keep reading and voting. Also feel free to comment your thoughts and opinions. I won't bite :P
