The Rhythm of It

In this brilliant collection of short essays, author Anita Sullivan presents her observations on the topic of rhythm in poetry, pointing out that certain poems not only feed the brain through narrative and ideas but also nourish the body through rhythm. Sullivan is not talking here about rhyme, but rather an extended palette of rhythmic patterns that are latent in normal speech but often show up in poetry when a degree of emotional intensity is applied to the words. Merely being attentive to this possibility can enrich the experience of reading poetry far beyond what might be expected.