Ars Poetica Analysis

A poem should be palpable and mute
As a globed fruit, 

Dumb
As old medallions to the thumb, 

Silent as the sleeve-worn stone
Of casement ledges where the moss has grown -- 

A poem should be wordless
As the flight of birds.

                    

A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs, 

Leaving, as the moon releases
Twig by twig the night-entangled trees, 

Leaving, as the moon behind the winter leaves,
Memory by memory the mind -- 

A poem should be motionless in time
As the moon climbs.

                     

A poem should be equal to
Not true. 

For all the history of grief
An empty doorway and a maple leaf. 

For love
The leaning grasses and two lights above the sea -- 

A poem should not mean
But be.

                        “Ars Poetica” is a poem written by American poet Archibald McLeish, describing the desirable attributes in a poem. The poem itself is a reference to the previous poem of the same title, “Ars Poetica” by the Roman poet Horace, which has a purpose similar to the poem being analysed. McLeish’s version of “Ars Poetica” is written in a narrative style, with no identifiable speaker. The poem uses rhyming couplets heavily, though not consistently. The speaker’s tone seems to be one of reflection, implying the speaker themselves was a writer or poet at a point in time.

                        Personification is used heavily in the poem to describe the poem, adding attributes which are completely unrelated to pieces of writing, such as “Silent as the sleeve-worn stone…” and “A poem should be wordless…” The imagery involved in the piece is described with much detail, as each stanza of the poem is used to describe a different desirable aspect of each poem.

                        The first “stanza” of the poem, or the first eight lines are devoted to describing how poems must be subtle in their message and delivery, using personification and simile to emphasize the point, as demonstrated in the first line: “A poem should be palpable and mute, As a globed fruit…” The same is true of second stanza as well, which speaks of the supposed immortality of written media like poems. The third stanza however, takes a step away from the other two stanzas, instead reminding the reader of the original purpose of writing poetry, and how it can convey different messages to different readers.