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Lord Seth
2009-12-04, 02:09 PM
How does one properly punctuate a poem, in regards to the ends of lines. I'm referring to limericks in particular. If the line isn't a standalone sentence by itself and continues on the next line sentence-wise, do you end it with a comma or not put any punctuation? And if it does finish a sentence (or is a complete sentence on its own) does the line end in a period, or is the period only reserved for the last line? Or am I completely wrong about this?

PhoeKun
2009-12-04, 02:21 PM
How does one properly punctuate a poem, in regards to the ends of lines. I'm referring to limericks in particular. If the line isn't a standalone sentence by itself and continues on the next line sentence-wise, do you end it with a comma or not put any punctuation? And if it does finish a sentence (or is a complete sentence on its own) does the line end in a period, or is the period only reserved for the last line? Or am I completely wrong about this?

The shortest answer I can give you to your questions is "no". Where, and even if, punctuation goes in a poem is something left entirely up to the poet.

It is perfectly acceptable to end every sentence within the poem using a period, and equally acceptable to use no periods whatsoever. Commas, meanwhile, are most useful for their ability to cause a reader to slow down for a second. Placing a comma before a line break will usually make the reader hover over the last word for a moment before continuing down. If you want to draw attention to a line, punctuation can be a useful tool to do it. If you want to encourage fluidity in the way your poem is read, then end-of-line punctuation is probably going to be your enemy.

truemane
2009-12-04, 03:58 PM
You generally punctuate poetry the same way you would punctuate prose. Unless you're making a point by doing it differently. One of the fun things about poetry is messing with the way the language usually works.

If the poem approximates normal speech (like a lymerick usually does, albeit speech with deliberate rhythm and rhyme) then you would put the commas and the periods where you would if you just wrote it out on paper like any other sentence.

If the poem's language is not like 'normal' speech, then like PhoeKun said you punctuate primarily to control pace and tone. A comma is a pause and a period is a pause and a breath. Insert them as you see fit.

If you wanted to post an example, I'll look it over for you.

Quincunx
2009-12-04, 05:46 PM
Most limericks I've seen tend to be a single sentence, meaning there'd only be a period at the final line, and probably some commas at the ends of other lines (with special attention to lines 2 and 4, just before a change in line length), but it is possible to have a limerick run with no punctuation at all before that terminal period. Now if I could only remember one without perverted overtones to post as an example. . .

cho_j
2009-12-30, 01:45 AM
I don't think there is an accepted way of punctuating any particular type of poem, even one with specific meter structures like a limerick. You can do whatever you'd like, and whatever feels right for YOUR poem.

Personally, I don't put a commas at the end of limerick lines, because I pause at the end of each line anyway. Example:
There once was a girl named Jan
She was pale and she wanted a tan
She went out in the sun
But she had so much fun
That she totally forgot ‘bout her plan

(Sorry for the bad limerick. Heh.)