Why do some poets put so many exclamation points in their poems? Like every line or every stanza? It’s like the life-size blow up Snowman in a sleigh being pulled by a polar bear I saw on someone’s roof yesterday. Sometimes, it’s just too much to be put in my poetry.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !
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4 responses to “!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !”
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It’s the same as the small ‘i’ instead of the big I. Some teachers tell you no small eyes and one exclamation point per year and I agree with them with beginning poets. Once you make your mark whatever that mark may be for you personally then it’s balls to the wall. Do whatever you fucking want. Just know why!
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eye agree with that *chuckle*
That’s a good rule.
I feel like if you need to many exclamation points there’s something wrong with the words you are choosing. It’s like wearing fur coats in the summer or too much frosting on cakes – what’s the point? It takes away from the taste for me. I suppose if someone could really tell me why they did it I would listen and nod my head and say that’s great that works for you.
Maybe when I’m old and fabulous and wearing furs in the summer and putting too much icing on my cakes I’ll use lots of exclamation points!!!!-
I use them because I think they’re funny. But I don’t use them much in poetry but I do sometimes and sometimes because I think they’re funny and sometimes because of the way they break up a line or stop FULL STOP a line. I like that aspect of them. There’s room for
everything in poetry as long as the poet knows why she’s doing it as I said and now I’m repeating myself which I do A LOT in my poems mostly for music.-
yes, they do have humor in them. I remember once a dutch friend who was just learning English sent me an email with exclamation points after every sentence and it made me laugh – but I don’t think she meant to make me laugh. I think she was just really excited.
There is much room, yes. Thank God there is room. It’s all about intention and I love that – how one word or punctuation mark can have so much intention.
I worry about the poems that have them in there a lot a lot for serious.
But you have broadened my view of exclamation points today and I thank you.
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