Two Sisters Of Persephone

“Two Sisters of Persephone” is written in free verse—poetry that doesn’t rely on a set form, rhyme scheme, structure, or meter—peppered with near- and slant-rhymes (that is, words that don’t rhyme in the traditional sense but have sounds in common). The poem is comprised of 32 lines divided into eight stanzas of four lines each. Each line is fairly short, giving the poem a long and narrow effect. Visually, the lines are all roughly the same length and range from four to eight syllables.

The poem relies heavily on enjambment, a device which breaks lines in between their natural dialogue rest, particularly in the earlier stanzas of the poem. The opening lines are “Two girls there are: within the house / One sits; the other, without” (Lines 1-2). Were this written in prose, it would likely read, “Two girls there are. Within the house, one sits—the other, without.” The line break between the two lines of poetry pulls apart the natural clause and creates layers of meaning and misdirection in the poem. The poet uses this device later in the poem: “She bears a king.