“Linguistic Strategies in Poetry: A Descriptive Analysis of Artistic Choices and Deviations”

Authors and poets use different stylistic deviations or strategies in writing their poems to better convey emotions, scenarios, and stories to appeal to the reader’s experience. These deviations are not negative, but rather a deliberate choice made by the artist to create an expressive and creative effect in their works. Elements like archaic language, syntax inversion, non-standard grammar, colloquial language, and pronoun usage help the author develop their pieces. However, studies show that too much usage of these creates confusion, misunderstandings, and preservation difficulties when translating into a universal language. This study employed a descriptive qualitative method to assess linguistic features and stylistic deviations in a purposeful sample of 20 poems chosen from a variety of poets from different historical times and cultural backgrounds. This paper helps explore the linguistic strategies of famous poets through their literary works, deviating from the rules of Standard English to evoke a stronger connection with the audience. Through the examples of famous poets such as Shakespeare, Blake, and Milton, it can highlight how archaic language serves both historical knowledge and confusion, and how syntax inversion rearranges certain words to improve the meaning and give emphasis to certain words in a line or stanza, which can be strenuous. While with non-standard grammar, it discusses how poets like Cumming and Shakespeare break the conventional rules of grammar, hoping to give a more pleasing and aesthetic effect when reading their works. Additionally, simultaneously usage of colloquial and formal language might affect the clarity and professionalism of the poem. This paper will walk through the deviations of authors from the standard of English grammar to help create an aesthetically pleasing and powerful piece of literature.