Ode to Dirt

Like many of her contemporaries—such as Adrienne Rich and Marie Howe—Olds writes “Ode to Dirt” in free verse, meaning there is no set rhyme scheme or meter. However, Olds makes several intentional choices throughout the poem that adhere to rhythm, rhyme, and poetic elements. Form and meter appear throughout her poem in a disguised fashion. For example, most of the lines in “Ode to Dirt” span roughly 10 syllables per line and some of them take on the music of iambic pentameter—an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. This is apparent in Lines 6-7, when the speaker states, “and not the sky which gave them space / in which to shine.” This rhythm sporadically returns throughout the poem in slightly altered forms, as in Line 18 when the speaker says, “help us find ways to serve your life.” By including various lines of rhythm mixed with the free verse, Olds includes the sing-song-like music of iambic pentameter, driving these lines—and the poem—forward.

“Ode to Dirt” is written in one 21-line stanza without any breaks. Without end rhymes or set meter, Olds finds other ways of inserting music into the poem.