White Space

CRAFT TERM

Sep 20

White space is the area around the poem.

In one translation of the "Heart Sutra" the Sanskrit term ‘shunyata’, which is commonly translated as ‘emptiness’ in English, is known as ‘boundlessness' - UPAYA Institute and Zen Center.

One term focuses on a lack of, whilst the other focuses on possibility. This is I how propose you think of white space: not empty, but boundless. The white space of your poem is not just a blank area where nothing happens, it is a realm of possibility. It is the silence between the words, a chamber that creates an echo, a canyon, a closet, an open range. So think of the spaces between words, line breaks, and the indentations as opportunities:

"In the narrowest spaces, she doth unravel, as if
a forest fire.” - Louise Mathias

Example

excerpt from "FAQ: Proper Use of Syntax in Poetry" by Jubi Arriola-Headley:

Encounter the full poem here.

Prompt

Divide the page into two spaces as Arriola-Headley does in his poem, “FAQ: Proper Use of Syntax in Poetry.”

In the first space write a poem about expectations.
In the second space make a single statement to dispute these expectations.

Resource written by:

Featured

Kelsey Bryan-Zwick

is a disabled, queer, bilingual immigrant, and author based in Los Angeles, California. Their debut poetry collection, Here Go the Knives (Moon Tide Press 2022)—part memoir, part magical realism, part illustration—focuses on their decades surviving with debilitating scoliosis. Kelsey is The Poetry Lab’s Assistant Director, a Los Angeles Poet Society organizer, and Acting Chair of Produced Media for the Stonewall Democratic Club. Kelsey is a UC Santa Cruz alum (go banana slugs!) and their poetry has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, as well for the Best of the Net. On the gram @theexquisitepoet. Kelsey uses she/her and they/them pronouns.

@theexquisitepoet | Here Go the Knives | Read More by Kelsey ➡️