FORMFLASH: magical takes on contemporary and classic poems

Frank, succinct insights tracing how Poetry Witchery shows up in the poetic wild

Annie Finch in Green-wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, Photo by Glen Brand.

Dearest Poetry Witchery Subscribers and Readers,

I am excited to announce that I am folding a new project into Poetry Witchery: Formflash! This series of succinct posts highlights poems—whether contemporary or classic, famous or unknown, and whether metrical, spoken word, exploratory, free-verse, or prose —that seize my formal attention. Unlike the vast preponderence of poetry reviews these days, Formflashes will not always be positive. There is too much at stake for that. But you can be sure that every Formflash aims to add to our deeper understanding of poetry’s essential magic.

Also: some Formflashes may reference ideas I’ve developed elsewhere, including metrical diversity, deep scansion, and the metrical code. When this happens, I will either summarize briefly or point you to a reference.

I hope you enjoy Formflash!

Yours in love, magic, and poetry,

Annie