An In-Depth Analysis of Ars Poetica

Ars Poetica, written by Archibald Macleish, is a poem similar to a treatise originally inscribed by Horace in 19 B.C., which was a guide on how to write poetry and drama. In this specific poem by Macleish, the author expresses extravagantly that poems should be able to move around freely and should heighten emotions rather than meanings. Writing his poem’s title in Latin, Ars Poetica translates in English to the art of poetry, which leaves the audience with an open-ended interpretation about the true meaning and refers to poetry as an undefined art form.

Throughout the poem, Macleish uses an impersonal tone and unofficially seems to think of himself as “the god of poetry.” The speaker communicates with a confident tone, however he never addresses the audience as a way to stay professional and prove his point. The poem structure itself contains three stanzas made up of four couplets each. In each of the stanzas, the language is very choppy and jerky, immediately moving the reader around in confusion to keep them on their toes, helping to avoid assumptions about the art of poetry.

In Ars Poetica, the speaker uses different objects such as globed fruit, the moon, a flight of birds, moss, and winter leaves to show that poetry can be found anywhere and can be inspired by a number of objects. Macleish uses these objects in similes as a way to appeal to his audience and to compare them back to the rights and wrongs of poetry writing. Wanting to intrigue his audience, the speaker used consonance in line five, "silent as the sleeve-worn stone" and line 12, "twig by twig the night-entangled trees", to emphasize specific words to which he is comparing things to and make the audience think deeper into the meaning behind the words that rhyme in the poem. The speaker commonly uses anaphora, specifically repeating, "a poem should be," throughout the literary work, allowing the audience to anticipate his next line and to increase receptiveness to the emotional resonance he is trying to reflect onto the reader. Macleish's attempt to be very straightforward and blunt with the audience about the true meaning and usage of poetry shows that he believes that his "art" is just as important as sculptures and paintings in art museums and galleries.