The Rhythm of Writing

Rhythm is usually discussed in connection with music, but rhythm is also an important part of writing. How you pace your writing affects how readers respond to it. Long, drawn out passages can relax readers, giving them a break from the pressure of more intense passages. Short, abrupt passages can create the action and tension needed to keep your writing moving and readers' interest piqued. Language can resemble music with its cadences, tones and rhythms. Tuning into these qualities of language requires a careful selection of words and sentence patterns that create an aural impression on readers. Readers not only have to visualize what you're writing about, they have to "hear" it in their minds. They have to hear the emotions of your words. Rhythmic writing takes readers for a ride, gearing them up with excitement and expectation, calming them with soothing language, or informing them with words that convey conviction and clarity - all through the "sounds" of words. Ellen Goodman, in her moving essay "Becoming Desensitized to Hate Words," illustrates a masterful use of rhythm. Throughout this short but powerful essay, she builds her argument against the language of hate by giving readers one compelling example after another. Her sentences are often short, to the point, convincing - conveying an authoritative tone. But at the end, she really brings her message home with five abrupt, poignant sentences: "This was Nazism. This was the Gestapo. This was the Holocaust. This was Hitler. If you please, save the real words for the real thing." Pow! She hits readers between the eyes with her message and she hammers it home with a staccato rhythm of successive short sentences. Each sentence drives her message deeper into readers' consciousness until she nails us with her final thought. Using the rhythm of language to help you convey your message is a powerful, effective tool that will keep readers riveted and responding the way you want them to respond. Your writing will literally be music to readers' ears.