Archive - Annie Finch's Five Directions

Is the Goddess a Formalist?

Towards A Poetics of Pleasure & Immanence

Jul 24, 2024 •

An Imbolc Spell for a Goddess of Poetry . . . and a Tattoo

Yes, you get to see my tattoo...

Feb 2, 2023 •

An Embodied Sonnet That is Never Spent

On Hopkins, Thich Nhat Hanh, and the Paradox of Form

Nov 12, 2022

On Magic and Poetry

What exactly IS it that makes poetry special?

Oct 12, 2022

METRICAL CORRESPONDENCES

Sharing my System of Corresponences Between Meters, Elements, Directions, Chakras, Human Capacities, and More

Dec 9, 2024 •

Ok, So What is a Poem, Anyway?

My Erstwhile Trusty First Definition, Thirty Years in the Making

Dec 16, 2023 •

Metrical Diversity in the Iambic Fog: How an Editor Healed My Poem After 43 Years

Annie Finch, 1975.

Jul 16, 2023 •

Diversity, Constraint, and the Resurgence of Poetic Form

Occasionally I share on Poetry Witchery a previously published essay or post.

Aug 3, 2023 •

Meter, Gender, Control: Yeats' Iambic Struggle in "When You Are Old and Gray" (conclusion)

(A Scansion Deep Dive)

May 27, 2023

How I Channel the Muse: On Meter and Eyes

Thoughts from India on meter and the origin of consciousness

Oct 3, 2023 •

Do Line Breaks Affect Meter?

A Meter Mystery

Aug 23, 2023 •

FORMFLASH: list poem by Jordan Perez

Why are most list poems ineffective? And what can make a list poem work?

Apr 24, 2024 •

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts