New Formalism, or neo-formalism, a poetic movement that began in the late 20th century, could perhaps be considered the least popular poetic school of all time. That might be an exaggeration, but regardless, it was definitely very widely disliked.  The basic premise of the new formalist movement was a rejection of the free verse that dominated the literary scene at the time, as new formalists poets were rumored to think of it as less refined.  Through their work, the new formalists, encouraged a return to structure, rhyme and form, and emulated the style of poets who had come many years before them.  A lot of new formalist poetry also calls upon the themes of past poetic schools, a theoretical rejection of the content of the modernist poetry movement.

The new formalist movement was, however, very unpopular, and has a bad reputation in the literary world. Many people criticized new formalist poets for sacrificing the content of their poetry in favor of hyper focusing on form, which in turn, they argued, created rather low-quality poetry.

Though the new formalist poets all wrote independently of each other and had little interaction as a unit, their movement was universally criticized all the same.  This reaction from the public could be surprising, considering that the poets themselves actually had very individual takes on form. They all emphasized the use of form in their work, but that philosophy was not as limiting as some may suggest. Take, for example, this excerpt from New Formalist poet Dana Gioia:

I am the Angel with the Broken Wing,

The one large statue in this quiet room.

The staff finds me too fierce, and so they shut

Faith’s ardor in this air-conditioned tomb.

 

The docents praise my elegant design

Above the chatter of the gallery.

Perhaps I am a masterpiece of sorts—

The perfect emblem of futility.

 

This use of form is rather different than the style used in the works of fellow new formalist poet Brad Leithauser:

There was a vase

that held the world’s riches, but it wasn’t cheap.

It cost a dime — and this in a time and place

 

when dimes were sizable, especially for

a girl of eight whose construction-worker father

was unemployed. The old metaphor

 

was literal in this case and she

counted her pennies till there were ten — 

then embarked on a mission of great secrecy,

 

a purchase whose joys ran so deep,

seventy years later, as she told the tale again,

her face flushed. It was a birthday gift for her mother.

 

Though the writing styles and usage of form between the different new formalist poets actually often had little in common, people were still quick to paint them all with the same, very unflattering brush.

New formalism wasn’t just controversial from a literary perspective, though.  It also carried political affiliation, as it was seen as the anarchist, anti-modernist movement that served to directly challenge free verse poetry. Free verse was often seen as the more “liberal” poetic movement, because of its encouragement of expression and individualism. Some have even argued that new formalism is patriarchal in nature, and therefore, many people were even less keen to appreciate it- particularly because the movement began as late as the 1980’s, a time where people were already beginning to consider patriarchal values archaic and wrong.

There were some fans of new formalists, and still are; this ideology can still be found in new writers, and most prominent writers from the new formalism movement are still alive and practicing their craft.  Seeing as we are only thirty years out from the formation of the movement itself, there is ample time for us to find the influence of these poets in the writing of younger generations.  That being said, there is also still time to see if any of the new formalist poets find substantial posthumous fame, as so many famous writers who were largely unknown in life find to be the case.

Ultimately, new formalism was not the most respected of literary schools. While some people might admire the emphasis on classic form and the discipline of rhyme and structure, many people disagreed with its message and saw it as a medium that produced sub-par work, with significantly less sparkle and shine than the free verse poetry it was created in objection to.

Works Cited

“A Brief Guide To New Formalism.” Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 21 Feb. 2014. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/brief-guide-new-formalism

Stallings, A.E. “Why No One Wants to Be a New Formalist.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet/2007/11/why-no-one-wants-to-be-a-new-formalist/

“New Formalism | Glossary Terms | Poetry Foundation.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/resources/learning/glossary-terms/detail/new-formalism

Levinson, Marjorie. “What Is New Formalism?” PMLA, vol. 122, no. 2, 2007, pp. 558–569. www.jstor.org/stable/25501722.

Patterson, Matt. “A Conservative Journey Through Literary America – Part 4: The New Formalism.” Breitbart News Network, 24 May 2009. Web. 11 Feb. 2017. http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2009/05/24/a-conservative-journey-through-literary-america-part-4-the-new-formalism/