“Ars Poetica” Summary

“Ars Poetica” Themes

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  The Essence of Poetry

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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Ars Poetica”

• Lines 1-2

  A poem should be palpable and mute   
  As a globed fruit,

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 3-4

  Dumb
  As old medallions to the thumb,

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 5-8

  Silent as the sleeve-worn stone
  Of casement ledges where the moss has grown—
  A poem should be wordless   
  As the flight of birds.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 9-12

  A poem should be motionless in time   
  As the moon climbs,
  Leaving, as the moon releases
  Twig by twig the night-entangled trees,

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 13-16

  Leaving, as the moon behind the winter leaves,   
  Memory by memory the mind—
  A poem should be motionless in time   
  As the moon climbs.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 17-18

  A poem should be equal to:
  Not true.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 19-22

  For all the history of grief
  An empty doorway and a maple leaf.
  For love
  The leaning grasses and two lights above the sea—

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 23-24

  A poem should not mean   
  But be.

  

  

  

  

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“Ars Poetica” Symbols

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  The Empty Doorway and Maple Leaf

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• 

  The Grasses and The Lights

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“Ars Poetica” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Alliteration

  

  

  

  

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• Paradox

  

  

  

  

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• Repetition

  

  

  

  

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• Simile

  

  

  

  

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“Ars Poetica” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Palpable
• Mute
• Dumb
• Medallions
• Sleeve-worn
• Casement ledges
• Night-entangled

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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Ars Poetica”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“Ars Poetica” Speaker

“Ars Poetica” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “Ars Poetica”

More “Ars Poetica” Resources

• External Resources

  • The Poem Out Loud — Hear MacLeish read and discuss "Ars Poetica" (starting at 21:44) and other poems.

  • A MacLeish Biography — Read more about MacLeish's life and work in this biography from the Poetry Foundation.

  • The Paris Review Interview — Check out a free excerpt of this interview with MacLeish in which he talks about the poet's role in society.

  • The Art of Poetry — Read more about the ars poetica form and check out examples from other poets.