“Marching Through a Novel” by John Updike, emphasizes the novelists routine of choosing words to include into the novel. Updike starts the poem with, “Each morning my characters greet me with misty faces”, indicating that he begins with a group of words that will possibly be used. From the opening, we can also recognize his use of figurative language and techniques. By incorporating the two factors into his poem, Updike conveys the complexity between the novelists and the characters in the novels relationship. At a glance, it’s obvious to see that Updike's poem is short and choppy. This format and technique makes the poem more direct but less straightforward. Although it goes directly to the point, each line has a deeper, complex meaning.