"Writing a Verse Play in the 21st Century": Paper & Presentation at 2023 PCA (Pop Culture Association) Conference

Writing verse  drama used to be a rite of passage for poets in the early 20th century,  from T.S. Eliot and W.B. Yeats to H.D. and Edna St. Vincent Millay. In  the latter half of the century, poets such as Sylvia Plath, Derek  Walcott, and Rita Dove tried their hand at verse drama, too — moving  beyond expected meters and esoteric language, and exploring subjects  often ignored by their predecessors. In the 21st century, few verse  plays are produced on stages or published as books – and perhaps this  tells us that few verse plays are being written, too.

Why would a poet try to write verse drama these days? In the  words of Glyn Maxwell, “not for reasons of aesthetics or culture or  nostalgia, but because poets write in verse.” And yet, shouldn’t these reasons be considered when creating for the stage? Should  subject-matter, well, matter? And if a 21st century poet chooses to  engage with drama, what choices will she make regarding meter and line  and language? What will be the effects (and possible cost) of her  decisions?

I’ll explore these questions while outlining my own writing process  and the choices I made (and unmade, and made and unmade again) while  finishing a verse play during a half-year sabbatical in 2022. In  addition, I’ll attempt to answer: What did I learn about poetry and  drama, respectively? Which models were the most helpful and inspiring?  What were my biggest challenges and obstacles, did I overcome them, and  how? Also — why did I do this to myself? Was any of this worth it?