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Although an occasional narrative experiment might disrupt the format, what makes “Law & Order” special is precisely the fact that it has one, like a sonnet, a sestina, or an ottava rima.

The story’s structure resembles that of a sestina, the same elements — Jordan, Seinfeld, aluminum foil, Chore Boy and baking soda — recombining in different configurations throughout to dizzying effect.

There aren’t strict rules for what is poetry unless you’re trying to adhere to a specific form like the sestina, haiku or limerick.

Her own verse often drew on classical forms such as the villanelle, sestina, tritina and sonnet, and sometimes incorporated references to ancient mythology and medieval legend.

When asked to unpack the sestina, my go-to example has been Sherman Alexie’s “The Business of Fancy Dancing,” a vibrant argument for why we employ a poetic form dating back to the 12th-century troubadours.