I believe that it was Robert Frost who commented with regards to modern poetry, that it was like playing tennis without a net. Marianne Moore created her own net - her poetry is built upon strict syllabic counts she imposed upon herself. The result is finely crafted poetry that is never self-indulgent.
I have found her syllabic count to be a good way to introduce structure into student's poetry. I have found it to be a good writing exercise. And in using the structure in these ways, I have become ever more impressed with the quality of work she achieved. But more than the technical quality, I enjoy the humor and just plain fun of her animal poems.
Complete Poems (Twentieth-Century Classics) - Marianne Moore
perceptive and unassuming
Marianne Moore's poetry is perceptive and unassuming. She often writes with a dry sense of humor. Her interest in sports, especially baseball, is also expressed in her poetry. She enjoys odd behavior in animals and writes about them just as they are. "An Octopus" is one of her longer poems and needs several readings to be appreciated. Moore creates poems that are filled with intuitive insight and beauty.
Marianne Moore - Complete Poems (Twentieth-Century Classics)
