Movement in Writing

Visual art has the benefit of natural movement and progression. Watching a film, even a silent film, one can get a sense of changing direction and flow almost immediately. The same can be true of paintings and photographs, but it often not as apparent as it is with movies. There is something mesmerizing about a flood of images rushing past and changing view points. It seems that we crave the multiple perspectives that a movie can provide. Perhaps it is precisely because we are unable to achieve it in our own lives.

As a poet I find that movement in poetry is often much more subtle than it is in fiction. Movement in verse must be succinct and lend itself to the imagery. This is achieved by the poem’s meter and word choices. The natural rhythm of words can lend itself to motion much in the same way that changing images can make the viewer feel a part of the story. We are a people in love with words. Writers are, of course, but so is everyone else. Considering that so much of our reality is based on the words we use to describe it, we are all affected by words much more than most would admit.

A soft word can calm a situation much in the same way that an abrasive word can elevate hard feelings. That is an example of how words affect our daily interactions. Now consider that as a writer you do not enter a current situation nearly as often as you create the situation in its entirety. The images and the movement that is described and emulated in the word’s natural rhythm can soothe or disrupt the reader’s perception. The reader takes on the world that the writer has created. We must not underestimate the power of our words. This can even effect physiological changes–heart rate and adrenaline are good examples.

Have you read a book or poem that has made you feel physically different? What was the title and who was author? Do you attribute that to the movement in the writing? How did the author achieve such movement? Did the writing take on many different perspectives, or only one? Please add your comments below.

My challenge is to watch a movie and write based on the film’s movement and rhythm. Try to do with words what the director did with flashing images.