"Exactitude": Poetic Prose

Calvino discusses exactitude by using a paradoxical approach. He defines exactitude through poetic examples; poetry being the vague way of expressing ideas and concepts through writing. He chooses poetry because poetry is “language as precise as possible both in choice of words and in expression of the subtleties of thought and imagination.”

Because of this idea of poetry being the best way to express exactly what the writer is trying to say, I tried to find a passage in Coover’s Briar Rose that flowed like poetry, consisted of elocution, and specific word choice. The passage I chose comes from a tale of the prince:

“…he seems to hear their bones whisper in wind-chimed echo of that ancient refrain, and for a moment the hostile castle turrets recede and his eyes, petal-stroked, close and something like pure delight spreads outward from his thorn-tickled loins and fills his body…” (9).
In this passage, Coover uses several poetic devices to get the most unique way of presenting this visual image to his readers. He uses alliteration at the beginning in “whisper” and “wind-chimed;” assonance in “stroked,” and “close.” The adjective he creates throughout these few lines is fantastic: “wind-chimed echo,” “ancient refrain,” “hostile castle turrets,” “eyes, petal-stroked,” “thorn-tickled loins.”

Several readers are under the impression that poetry must be written in lines, with rhyme schemes, and counted syllables. In all actuality, prose, novels, and short stories attempt to do the same thing form poetry does – express an idea in the most unique and best way possible. Coover does this throughout Briar Rose. Several of his poetic flowing sections come when describing the briar bush, transforming the deadly briars into a beautiful image of soft caressing petals embracing the prince. He also writes very sensually when describing the princess being awakened by her suitors.
Coover expresses imagery within his tales with specific word choice. Coover’s work is filled with literary tools and shows his broad writing skills through the multiple approaches his takes to telling the same story.