Ars Poetica?

Before beginning a discussion of the form or meter of “Ars Poetica?”, it is crucial to acknowledge the status of this poem in English as a translation. Although Miłosz himself (with the help of an apprentice translator, Lillian Vallee) translated his poem into English, it is unclear from the English text alone whether the original poem was composed in regular meter, in a rhyme scheme, or with any other formal elements.

Considering the English text alone, the poem is largely conventional open verse. “Ars Poetica?” is composed of nine regular four-line stanzas made up of lines that generally hover around five metrical feet (that is, about 10 syllables) in length. The lines themselves do not conform to any traditional metrical scheme, largely eschewing metrical flourishes or strategies. Instead, the poem is notable for its conversational, almost essayistic tone. While the text looks like a poem on the page, the lines are so metrically irregular that they read like prose at times, reinforcing the speaker’s opening claim to be part of a more expansive tradition than “poetry or prose” (Line 2).