At one point in The Moon's Fire Eating Daughter, a group of bards, heroes and gods hold a lively discussion over whether strict form in poetry is a shackle on creativity or a spur. Myers' open bias is that form encourages creation. In Silverlock a majority of the poems follow formal rules, as informal as they are in content.

I consider it quite possible that there is meaning in the format of Silverlock. The meanings found in art vary greatly according to the finder. The following are my interpretations. You may find others quite different.

The book is structured in three parts: Way One, Way Two and Way Three. In the end, Golias describes Silverlock having travelled the Commonwealth "by Chance, by Choice, and by Oracle."

There are thirty chapters. They are not divided into three groups of ten. There are 10 chapters in Way One, twelve in Way Two, and eight in Way Three.

Giving a full third of the chapters to the Way of Chance, and placing Chance as the first of the Three Wayfarings, seems to me to celebrate randomness and surprise. Chance brings us both sorrow and wonder, and is a useful introduction to new things. We may grow and learn and do far more if we do not try to control every aspect of our lives, but look forward to what will be brought to us by what is outside our control.

Twelve chapters under the Way of Choice: is this a subtle comment that most of our life is shaped, whether we claim it or not, by our own choices?

The fewest chapters are on the Way of the Oracle. This fits Golias's general attitude toward his Delian. He respects synchronicity, the patterns of life and an esthetic quality to the Universe -- but he does not over-burden the Delian with responsibility for everything in his life.

Is there also some arcane poetic form with stanzas of 10, 12, 8 lines? Or lines of 10, 12, 8 syllables? I wouldn't be surprised. I'll keep my eye out.


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