A Wry Look at Palindromic Verse

Authors

J. A. LindonFollow

Abstract

What value has the idea of formal reversal in poetry? My immediate inclination is to say 'precious little', with the accent on the 'little' rather than the 'precious'; and I suspect, too, that this may well prove my final estimate. Consider the parallel between music and poetry. Short-term reversals occur in both, e.g. the assertive "I will" and the questioning "Will I?", the full-close and the half-close; but, apart from certain minor applications in fugal writing and a good deal of (dare I say it?) misuse by our contemporary absence from music as it is from poetry.

Recommended Citation

Lindon, J. A. (1972) "A Wry Look at Palindromic Verse," Word Ways: Vol. 5 : Iss. 4 , Article 11.
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/wordways/vol5/iss4/11