Poetic elements found in “Ars Poetica”

Poetic elements found in “Ars Poetica” by Archibald Macleish

Archibald Macleish in his poem “Ars Poetica” strives to convince his audience that a poem is another form of expression of the esthetic beauty, just like a masterpiece expresses with solemnity the emotional views of its artist and creator. Macleish uses plenty of similes to prove his point and make his case. Simile fits his needs in my opinion because it is a reliable shuttle that helps transport and communicate so successfully to the outside world the creator’s internal feelings and emotions. In poetry, a simile fills that function of bridge so well that it yields the same intense effect to the audience as the magic brush strokes of the skilled painter or the carving indents left on a hard medium by the tools of a gifted sculptor. Here below are few examples on how Macleish exploits the use of simile in his advantage:

Line 1 and 2 read:
“A poem should be palpable and mute
As a globed fruit,”
After reaching the end of line 2, the reader is left with a virtual sensation of having touched a real fruit with the palms of the hands.

Line 5, and 6 read:
“Silent as the sleeve-worn stone
of casement ledges where the moss has grown”
After reaching the end of line 6, the reader is left with a visual sensation of being in a quiet environment, while observing stony ledges covered with growing green vegetation.

Line 7, and 8 read:
“A poem should be wordless
As the flight of birds.”
I have enjoyed this simile a lot because Macleish uses only a few words, but the combination of their effects make me imagine flocks of birds flying and joyfully singing simultaneously.

In addition to the simile, Mcleash has also built his lines along a rhyme scheme he has elegantly developed as a testimony to prove his point that order and beauty should be embedded in any piece of poetical writing.
He uses slant rhymes with the following end of lines: mute and fruit; stone and grown; time and climbs; release and leaves; mind and time; grief and leaf; sea and be. Finally two examples of perfect rhyme have been added to beautify the work art: dumb and thumb; and wordless and motionless.