Reading - the first minutes

While reading "The Grammar of Light" (Carol Anne Duffy) recently I tried to introspect. Here's what I think I did.

I noticed that each verse had 5 lines and the line-lengths were roughly the same.
I read the piece - first quickly and uniformly, then slowly and partially. I noticed the imagery, the dawn-to-dusk, birth-to-death trajectories. I noticed that "The way" is repeated in each verse (twice in the final verse) and that there's a final rhyming couplet. I also noticed the tongue-twisting "shy stars go stuttering".
I then started counting beats/syllables. The first 3 lines have 11 syllables (aha!) but later it becomes clear that there's not a pattern.
Scanning the page I then noticed "barely ... bless both" (close on the physical page, but not close to the ear) and "slurs its soft wax, flatters. Shadows" (which uses the s/x/sh sound-complex densely, but doesn't strike my ear as strongly as the shy stars stuff).

What can one draw from that? Not much, especially if I'm an atypical reader, though I think other readers may also well absorb effects in a breadth-first (rather than depth-first way), latching onto an organising principle (usually a voice or narrative) before delving deeper. Structure-wise I think I look at visuals, then rhyme/rhythm/word-repetition/alliteration, then syllabics, then more obscure sound textures. I guess editors might read the end before the middle - the final verse/line often has the most effects.

Updated December 2006 [Quotes] [Articles] [LitRefs]

Tim Love