Breaths Quote by Adrienne Rich
“I am always interested in the ways of scoring the sound of the poem, especially a poem with long lines. Spaces within a line, double colons, slashes, are indications of pause, of breath, of urgency, they are not metrically exact as in a musical notation but they serve (I hope) to make the reader think about the sound of the poem - just as traffic symbols, when driving, make us almost unconsciously aware of a steep hill, an intersection, an icy bridge etc.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Power of Poetry” in The New Yorker, 1975
Rich emphasizes that visual cues in poetry—like spaces, colons, and slashes—signal pauses and breath, shaping how readers hear the poem, much like road signs alert drivers to terrain.
In simple terms: Visual marks guide the poem’s sound and rhythm.
Key Takeaway
Use spacing to control pacing.
Themes
poetry
sound
reading
visual cues
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
instructional
observational
When to use this quote
- reading poetry aloud
- editing drafts
- teaching poetry
- performing spoken word
Key Concepts
prosody
reader perception
musicality
Questions to Reflect On
- How do visual marks affect your listening?
- When do pauses enhance meaning?
A Different Perspective
Overreliance on visual cues may distract from meaning.
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