The Politics of Poetics: Subversion and Power in Free Verse

Abstract

This paper explores the emergence and evolution of free verse as a radical poetic form that subverts traditional literary structures, serving as a tool of power, liberation, and resistance. Free verse, which rejects the constraints of fixed meter and rhyme, allows poets to experiment with form, rhythm, and language, creating a space for personal expression and political critique. The study traces its origins with “Walt Whitman, whose Leaves of Grass celebrated individuality and democratic ideals, marking the beginning of poetry as a medium for freedom and autonomy. Building on Whitman’s innovations, modernist poets like T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound used free verse to reflect societal disillusionment, fragmentation, and the chaos of a rapidly changing world. Later, poets such as Langston Hughes and Adrienne Rich employed free verse to address issues of racial inequality, gender oppression, and social justice, transforming poetry into a form of activism. Postmodern poets, including Allen Ginsberg and John Ashbery, expanded free verse further, challenging linguistic norms and linear narratives to reflect cultural pluralism and existential uncertainty. In contemporary times, poets like Claudia Rankine and Ocean Vuong have used free verse to amplify marginalized voices, exploring themes of identity, trauma, and migration while breaking literary boundaries. This study argues that free verse is inherently political, as its rejection of formal constraints mirrors its defiance of societal hierarchies. By embracing innovation, fragmentation, and rhythm, free verse democratizes poetic expression, offering a platform for resistance, self-discovery, and collective transformation. Through close readings and thematic analysis, the paper highlights free verse’s ability to convey power, subversion, and cultural critique, making it a dynamic and enduring form in modern literature.