Introduction

​

In my artifact of origin, I talk about my lived experiences as a Pakistani-American Muslim woman and how that has profoundly shaped my worldview. In particular, I briefly touch on islamophobic policies and personal encounters with the apparatus of surveillance in this country. Therefore, for my second experiment, I have composed a free-verse poem that draws attention to the harms of anti-Muslim policies both domestically and abroad. My intent is to draw a parallel between the trauma caused by contemporary surveillance practices in America and the trauma caused by drone warfare in Muslim countries. 

 

Genre Research

​

A free verse poem is defined as a poem with no set metrical scheme that mimics natural speech. According to Britannica, it “eliminates much of the artificiality and some of the aesthetic distance of poetic expression and substitutes a flexible formal organization suited to the modern idiom and more casual tonality of the language” (Britannica). Rather than the poet supplying the verbal speed, intonation, and emphasis, the reader can supply these elements with their imagination. I have selected a free-verse poem as my medium because I believe that it is the most advantageous way for me to convey my thoughts without worrying about any restrictions. I can escape the rules of traditional poetry while still engaging in meaningful artistic expression.

​

In the 1880s, the “vers libre” movement originated in France in response to French symbolist poets seeking freedom from the “alexandrine”, a syllabic poetic meter of twelve syllables. This movement influenced English poets such as T.E. Hulme, F.S. Flint, Richard Aldington, Ezra Pound, and T.S. Eliot. The term “vers libre” translates to “free verse” and this style of poetry became prominent in English poetry in the early 20th century.

​

Throughout my research process, I read numerous examples of free-verse poetry, and I explored a list of relevant literary tools. The two tools that appealed most to me were enjambment which helps spur momentum for the reader and imagery which can help draw a picture in the reader’s mind. In particular, I tried to draw on sensory details so that the tension and pain that I was trying to capture felt as palpable as possible. Moreover, I shifted from third-person to first-person in the last stanza in order to emphasize the distressful experiences that Muslims collectively face around the world. 

 

Bibliography

​

“Free Verse.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 

www.britannica.com/art/free-verse.  

​

Writer's Relief. “The 17 Poetry Tools Every Free-Verse Poet Should Master.” Medium, 18   

Oct. 2016, writersrelief.medium.com/the-17-poetry-tools-every-free-verse-poet-should-master-b0930c6c0907. 

Connor, CJ. “50 Of the Best Free Verse Poems From Contemporary Poets.” Book Riot, 29 

Aug. 2019, bookriot.com/best-free-verse-poems/.