What Sparks Poetry is a series of original essays that explores experiences and ideas that spark the writing of new poems. In Language as Form, poets write about poetic language as patterned language—how words as sound, voice, sentence, and song become elements of form. Each Monday's delivery brings you a poem and an excerpt from the essay.
Attempted avoiding abysses, assorted
abrasions and apertures, abscesses.

At adolescence, acted absurd: acid,
amphetamines. Amorously aching

after an arguably arbitrary Abigail,
authored an awful aubade.

Am always arabesquing after Abigails.
Am always afraid: an affliction?

Animals augur an avalanche. Animals
apprehend abattoirs. Am, as an animal,

anxious. Appendages always aflutter,
am an amazing accident: alive.

Attired as an apprentice aerialist,
addressed acrophobic audiences.

Aspiring, as an adult, after applause,
attracted an angelic acolyte.

After an affirming affair, an abortion.
After an asinine affair, Avowed Agnostic

approached, alone, an abbey’s altarpiece,
asking Alleged Almighty about afterlife.

Ambled, adagio, around an arena.
Admired an ancient aqueduct. Ate aspic.

Adored and ate assorted animals.
Ascended an alp. Affected an accent.

Acquired an accountant, an abacus, assets.
Attempted atonal arpeggios.
from the book CREATURE / Four Way Books
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What Sparks Poetry:
Michael Dumanis on Language as Form


"What determines the facts in question is the language, as well as the constraints I place on myself as an author. This is an autobiography that is not capable of ever saying 'I' or 'me' or 'mine,' as no words it uses can begin with any letter other than A. As a result, the poem is composed almost exclusively of sentence fragments."
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"Gabriella Miranda: Poetry Helped Her Feel 'Like A Regular Kid'"

"Now 17 years old, Miranda has just been declared a National Student Poet, representing the West region of the country. Only five are selected every year ... Being a National Student Poet requires a service project. Miranda plans to focus on students of color, particularly women, to help them have an experience like she had in third grade — to feel seen and included in Utah."

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