Free Verse. Free verse is poetry that avoids use of regular rhyme, meter, or division into stanzas. As you read the poem, think about what the line structure of the poem imitates.
Simile and Metaphor. A simile is a comparison using like or as. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken or written about as if it were another.
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In “Constantly risking absurdity” Ferlinghetti uses the metaphor of the tightrope acrobat to ponder the poet’s profession. The poem was published in 1958 in Ferlinghetti’s poetry collection A Coney Island of the Mind.
As you read, make a cluster chart to list words and phrases that reflect tight-rope walking, which the poet uses as a metaphor for his profession. One example has been done for you.
What risks have you taken in your life?
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