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True beat poetry has its own flexible punctuation rules. Really, no punctuation rules at all. It is up to the poet to make his/her punctuation rules. Sometimes, proper punctuation is used and sometimes, it isn't. Punctuation will appear where it is not supposed to be and, in other instances, there will be no punctuation where there should be.

This flexibility in punctuation is used for the purpose of reciting the poem aloud with the appropriate pauses and vocal inflections.

 

It is a beat. It is a rhythm that flows. It flows on and on and on, from word to word, phrase to phrase, line to line. Sometimes, the lack of punctuation intensifies the beat. Pauses in the beat (the rhythm) are maintained by the movement down the page from one line to the next. Even capital letters and divisions between paragraphs, by skipping two lines, are not really necessary.

 

So, as you read the poetry in this book, proper punctuation throughout is nowhere to be seen, as lack of it is the essence of beat poetry, and its lack enhances the beat and rhythm. In some cases, punctuation is used to emphasize the beat, but, in other cases, it is purposely eliminated to maintain the proper rhythm of the poetry piece.

 

Beat poets and their poetry are part of the counterculture with values and customs very different from and

opposed to those accepted by most of society. Thus, this also includes unconventional styles of writing, grammar, and punctuation.

 

Beat poetry is meant to be read aloud. As it is read and spoken, the beat poet relies on the sentence breaks from one line to the next to express the rhythm in his speech. This is the easiest and fastest way for the poet to maintain the rhythm. Some of the techniques used to maintain the proper rhythm between lines are as follows:

 

1. Lack of punctuation between lines assists the reader and speaker to maintain the flow and rhythm of the words. Too much use of punctuation becomes a distraction to the eyes of the reader and speaker and can interfere with the rhythmic flow when reading and speaking the words.

 

2. A rhythm is maintained by numerous breaks between words and phrases, as they run down the page. This is the key to the beat/rhythmic quality of Beat poetry.

 

3. The next cue the poet uses to maintain a spoken rhythm is the comma. When observing a comma, this is a cue to make a more defined pause, which is longer in time than the pause between line breaks with no punctuation. That comma emphasizes a deliberate and noticeably longer pause.

 

4. When the beat poetry speaker sees a period, it is a cue that the thought has ended and a new thought will be expressed in the next line. This is very important because the poet may be reading and speaking in a very quick rhythm in a section of a poem with many lines going down the page and focusing on maintaining the rhythm in his speech. When a period is observed, a stronger pause emphasizing the end of a thought is noticed in the poet's speech. This pause is longer than the pauses between sentence breaks with no punctuation and longer than the comma pauses.

 

5. Dashes are sometimes used instead of periods to maintain a rhythmic pause and strong up and down beat emphasis from line to line. This is the easiest and fastest way for the poet to maintain a connected flowing rhythm from line to line that is very noticeable in his speech pattern. This strong rhythm maintained by the dashes coordinates extremely well with a musical accompaniment.

 

So, another aspect of beat poetry is the accompaniment of music in the background as the poet is reciting the poetry. The music assists to maintain and emphasize the rhythm of the poetry, as well as creating an atmosphere to emphasize the topic of the poem being recited. Thus, it is important for the musicians to be familiar with the poetry being read and to rehearse with the beat poet before their public performance, just as a singer would be rehearsing with a band. However, it is not always necessary for beat poetry to be read with a musical accompaniment. It is the beat poet's choice as to whether they require music or not. Sometimes, the poetry may appear to have a stronger emphasis on the audience's emotions when there is no music, as the focus of the audience will be completely on the poet and the words spoken, making the words more biting and intense.

 

As beat poets compose their written poetry, they recite it aloud, over and over again, in order to place the correct emphasis and rhythm on the words and phrases. This is also necessary, so they can make the correct line breaks running down the page; add the appropriate commas, periods, and italicized words; and eliminate unnecessary words which may interfere with the rhythm. Practicing reading aloud will also greatly assist them with their rhythmic beat when reciting their poetry to an audience. Thus, this type of poetry is quite different from other types, as it is specifically meant to be read aloud. In general, other types of poetry are written, mostly, to be read and contemplated upon their meaning and not necessarily composed for the specific purpose of being recited in public.

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However, when only reading it, you can get the gist of the rhythmic method and, as you continue to read this type of poetry, you will notice how smoothly and quickly it flows from line to line down the page. The flow is so smooth and rhythmic, that you may tend to read it through too fast. As a beginning reader, it is suggested that you read through the same beat poem more than once, slow down if you are reading through too fast, and place an emphasis and pause in your reading at the end of each line.

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Another aspect of Beat poetry to take into consideration is, that line breaks and pauses and punctuation reflect the personality of the poet who is writing it. If you were to give two Beat poets a page of words that neither of them composed and tell them that they had to transform it into Beat Poetry, the completed result of each person's work would be totally different. Line breaks, punctuation, and elimination of some words would vary between each poet's completed piece. So the end result would reflect the individuality and unique personality characteristics of each person. This is why there are no grammar and punctuation rules in Beat poetry. It is not only meant to be read as though you are speaking to someone, but, it is also meant to express the uniqueness of the poet's personality.

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Strong emotion is usually another characteristic found in Beat poetry and the rhythmic emphasis of its beat, created by how the poet recites it with the line breaks he has chosen, expresses the emotional emphasis where the poet decides is appropriate. 

 

Beat poetry is a form of written and oral artwork. The Beat poet is expressing his creativity, as a painter does when painting a picture or a sculptor when creating a three-dimensional piece. A combination of strong emotions and intellect are used. Much depth of thought, emotional expression, and analysis goes into each poem, and great care is taken to chose just the right words to relay the poetic observations to the audience and make it glide easily in a rhythmic flow in Beat style. 

 

Beat poetry is something to master, but once you do, it will be very enjoyable to write and read with its intensity, emotion, and rhythmic flow.

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You can purchase the book: "Beat Poetry of Nash Benedict: Lost In The Matrix"  at Amazon.com by pressing

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