Ever heard that sudden loud clattery bang at the train station when the engine backs against a car connecting with it? This is coupling. The dictionary defines the noun "coupling" as "the link connecting railroad carriages" (cars). If it is the first car in a line-up of already connected cars, you hear that coupling sound run the distance of the cars making up the train. In poetry this is juxtaposition, one line abruptly hitting into the next. You hear the resulting beat at a reading, or feel the beat when you yourself read the poem aloud. Juxtaposition occurs after the poet deletes small transitional words between lines – as, because, and, which, that, then and prepositions like when, while, since, etc.

    The juxtaposition beat occurs with only two lines.

I walk through the autumn woods

as the northwest wind grabs the leaves

I walk through the autumn woods,

the northwest wind grabs the leaves

Juxtapose Several Lines

    Get that Train Car Coupling Effect

I walk through the autumn woods

as the northwest wind grabs the leaves

and hurls yellows, reds, oranges, yellows groundward

which reminds me of my robust hikes with Mother.

I walk through the autumn woods,

the northwest wind grabs the leaves,

hurls yellows, reds, oranges, yellows groundward,

reminds me of my robust hikes with Mother.

    The first line comes against the second with suddenness. This leaves the second line stronger. This is a characteristic of good poetry. Deleting small transitional words leaves the following line with added strength. The same effect occurs deleting modifiers (adjectives and adverbs) from the front of the words that they modify, notably nouns. Let the nouns do their job alone. It gives them power.

    Carry out these deletions for several lines and you get a nice section of repetition. Repetition is an important characteristic of poetry. Repetition gives the poem a continuing beat– gives the poem music. Drummer music.