Pundits Find Poetry in the Prose of Politics

 

As a writer and poet (redundant!), I have learned a myriad of ways to get an idea, work up an introduction, add three points, then end with a summary. This is our retired-English-teacher-member’s construction of an essay.

                Here’s the idea I’ve had of jotting in my journals (one for the office, one for the dining table) what I call a clever use of poetic devices in the news-commentary-analyses-opinions and sometimes, ranting. It’s as though these folks took a class in poetry, or were taught that alliteration and assonance (what??) always elicit a positive vibe from the proofreader or editor.

                Around three months ago, I began noting phrases I thought were from the poetic-devices-catalog, citing the journalists from whose mouths came these potentially poetic thoughts.

                Now, the trick is how to paragraph them into what might pass as an essay. Let’s call the preceding verbiage the introduction and what follows as the three points of my subject.

ALLITERATION seemed to be the most used. I’ll bullet each example and cite its source.

·      “Books, bathrooms and Bibles: – these state-approved bills were thought to be counter to their purposes and it was a sub-hed to “New Laws Concern Library Director” by Grace, Hurt and Thompson, from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

·      “The answer . . . appears to be a toxic blend of profits, politics and purposeful cruelty.”  –– Thom Hartmann.

·         “ . . . tariff-turvy country.” –– Frank Bruni

·         “ . . . gluttonous Gotrocks. . . –– Ibid

·         “The presidency . . . isn’t a privilege, it’s a profit center.” –– Ibid

·         “ . . . trickle-down triumphalism.” –– Ibid

·         “. . . too minor to matter.” –– Experts on finding Hegseth’s plagiarism, Raw Story

·         “. . . callously and carelessly . . . “ –– Maureen Dowd, NYT

·         “. . . more volatility than value.” –– Ibid

ASSONANCE, HOMOPHONES, INNER RHYME

·         “ . . . swirls of uncertainty . . .” –– Economist Lindsey Owens, Raw Story

·         “ . . . perverse dissonance . . .” –– Frank Bruni

·         “ . . . armed with charm . . .” –– N. Allinson, M Birnbaum, J. Stein on UK’s Starmer

·         “All gilt and no guilt.” –– F. Bruni

·         “The Trump slump is upon us.” –– Lindsey Owens, Raw Story

·         “. . . groused about . . .” –– Adam Nichols, Raw Story

·         “. . . performance of governance without substance.” –– Democracy Index

REPETITION AND RHYMING

·         “The least informed, least curious, least logical, least credible, least responsible [president] in history.” –– Jen Rubin, The Contrarian

·         “ . . . where the conflict of interest becomes a confluence of interest.” –– Maureen Dowd, cited by F. Bruni

·         “ . . . the times are flush/ and the digs are plush.” –– F. Bruni

·         “The world may be going to hell/but don’t worry, the president’s doing well.” –– Dana Milbank, Washington Post

METAPHOR

·         “. . . leaving his demolition derby of DOGE.” –– Democracy Index

·         “. . . the lug nuts on the wheels of the White House bus continue to loosen.” ––Heather Cox Richardson

In summary, these selections seemed to be right out of the poetry clinics I’ve attended, including the two online MFA poetry classes from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Though I worked hard on those class poems, this compilation was a similar situation. Online news, analyses, commentaries, opinions are my conduit to the world sans TV and a smart phone. And it’s a lot quieter, too.

Viva la poetry! Especially in prose!

 c 2025, PL dba Lovepat Press, Benton AR USA