Suddenly, sometimes is exactly the right word. However, too often it is a sneak-in. That is when suddenly becomes a bland word. A bland word is an energy guzzler. It sucks energy from the word it modifies. That deprives the combination of words of which it is a part of strength. It can bland down an entire line of combinations of words, thus lessening the power of the poem.

 

Billy Collins, Poet Laureate of the United States (2001-03) and of New York State (2004-06), sees suddenly as effective in his new book, Ballistics (Random House). Janet Maslin in her review of Ballistics in The New York Times, Books of the Times, Oct. 2, 2008, says that “Among poems about language here, the piece de resistance is Tension, which takes off from a manual’s advice that the word suddenly should not be used arbitrarily to create tension. So:”

 

Who could tell what the next moment would hold?  Lead

another drip from the faucet?                                                Build-up

another little spasm of the second hand?

Would the painting of a bowl of pears continue

 

to hang on the wall from that nail?

Would the heavy anthologies remain on their shelves?

Would the stove hold its position?

Suddenly, it was anyone’s guess.                                          Kicker

 

          “And suddenly,” Maslin continues, “Mr. Collins remains the most companionable of poetic companions. . .”

 

All this shows that “suddenly” can be an effective word. But that would come after thinking about using it. The trouble is that a writing can be made hole strewned with empty spaces of effect when words are allowed in unthinkingly. Extremely often with suddenly. That leaves an opening when an word, particularly an adjective or an adverb, slips in unseen. That is when a word is a sneak-in. A sneak-in is a bland word. Do not allow suddenly in as a sneak-in. Suddenly is a modifier that should be used only after deliberation. Then it can input energy into the poem. Here Collins and Maslin each had to have made a conscious decision to use suddenly.

 

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