I was recently occupied searching for poetry competitions to enter,(outside of Writing.com)and I came across one that I was interested in. I was dismayed however, to find that they
"Preferred free verse because we find it reads better"
To me this is a sad commentary on the direction poetry has gone in the last 100 years. While there are many fine published poets today who use free verse, I am running into many "poets" who use it because they have no knowledge of poetry composition. It is one thing to use free verse well; it is quite another to use it because you don't know anything else.
I am also running into quite a few reviewers who will criticize a traditional form just because they do not know it is a traditional form! You would not believe how many times it has been suggested to me that I remove "unnecessary" words from perfect Iambic Pentameter to "smooth out the rhythm"!
I applaud these reviewers for reviewing, but isn't it time we do a little study and find out what we are talking about?
Note: I am not at all lumping everyone here into one group. I recognize that there are many talented, distinguished poets on this site who do know which end is up. I will be referencing their work as often as I can, and will provide links to other pieces dealing with this subject. This work is designed for the new, aspiring poet or poetess.
And of course we will start at the beginning.
Section One. Reading:
Reading poetry is as much of an art form as writing it. Poetry is written with much more attention to meter (rhythm) than prose is. To read it correctly you must find that rhythm. Pay close attention to all punctuation in a poem because this will indicate pauses, stops, and other changes in the flow.
Often reading a poem out loud can help you find the correct rhythm, as well as reading it a second or third time. Often, if you get a chance, it is very helpful to hear the poet/poetess read the poem. This gives you firsthand knowledge of the intended rhythm.
It also helps to have a working knowledge of the different poetic meters. If you do not, I will include a link to a wonderful instruction site within the next section of this essay.
It is a pity to waste a beautifully written poem by not reading it correctly. Let us honor hard working poets by taking the time to really enjoy their masterpieces the way we should.
Section Two. Writing
This will be by far the longest section. I do not want to cover such literary and poetic techniques such as: Allusion, Metaphors, Hyperbole, Personification...if you want to learn about these-subscribe to the poetry newsletter. I simply want to cover basic poetry form and meter.
#1. Meter
Meter is the rhythm of the poem. Just as in music, each line of poetry has a specific rhythm or beat to it.(With the exception of free verse.) And like the whole note, (for those of you who took band) which represents four counts or beats, each poetic meter represents a different rhythm.
Sounds confusing doesn't it? Well it's really not that bad. For those of you who have a natural sense of rhythm, learning this will be a breeze. For those of you without, well, you have to love a challenge. Don't give up, for if you stick with this it will become second nature for you.
There are basically four categories of Poetic meter: Iambic, Trochaic, Anapestic, and Dactylic.
Everything is broken down into syllables. In fact, if you are new to poetic meter you can simply count syllables in your poems. If each line is equal (there are exceptions to this rule, but we won't cover them right now.) you can be pretty sure your work falls into one of these meter categories, even if you don't know which one it is!
Note: Before it throws you, I want to make clear that there are several usable terms for the rhythm in your poetry. Some refer to beats, some refer to syllables, others use feet, and some diehards even use the original latin term Ictus. All of these are correct so don't let any of them confuse you. I will be using syllable or beat just to keep things simple.
OK, Iambic and Trochaic
meters are based on multiples of two syllable groups. Make sense? Didn't think so.
How about this: It takes two syllables to make one Iambic or Trochaic beat. Where the stress is placed on the syllables determines which meter you are using. And, believe it or not, each set of syllables has a different name. Observe,
One Iambic beat is called Iambic Monometer.
Two Iambic beats is called Iambic Dimeter.
Three Iambic beats is called Iambic Trimeter.
etc, etc, and so forth.
Monometer (or two syllable beats) are the ones you will be least likely to run across. In fact, I have only seen Monometer written in the Iambic form. Until today. Here is an example of Iambic Monometer:
I fear
Today
Will pass
Away.
This is four lines of
Iambic Monometer however, watch this:
I fear today will pass away.
By putting all of the syllables together I made one line of
Iambic Tetrameter
Here is a small poem I found written in
Trochaic Monometer I swear I found this and did not make it up.
Fleas
Adam
Had'em
Brain smokin' yet? Alright, here we go.
Anapestic and
Dactylic meters are made up of groupings of three syllables each. Of course I mean three syllables to each metric beat. I could go on confusing you, but here comes your salvation. This is a link to a wonderful table of Poetic meter which will not only define each one, but will give you specific examples:
Enjoy!
All brushed up on Poetic meter?
Good.
Keep an eye on that
Iambic stuff because you will probably see that the most.
You may find that you have difficulty distinguishing between different meters, especially if you do not have a prior heavy background in English lit and composition. Do not fear; you can still maintain fairly tight control of your poetry by keeping control of your syllables. Keep practicing and each poem you write will be better than the last!
Ready to move on?
Good.
#2
Forms
I was recently told by an aspiring poetess that she had no idea there were different forms of poetry. Everyone kept telling her it should be "abab" but nobody would tell her what that meant. Well, shame on everybody! Now, with that out of my system, let's talk about different forms. And I'll start with...
A.
Free verse.
Free verse is a poem that doesn't rhyme and doesn't have any set meter. Or sometimes it rhymes or has a faint meter. Or maybe it's poems given away to charity... nobody
really knows exactly what free verse is. I have heard so many arguments over free verse meter and techniques, personally I am tired of it. The good news is: you can do just about anything you want and claim it is free verse. Getting people to like it on the other hand...
Free Verse Examples:
 | ID: 940987
Title: Invalid Item 
Description: This item number is not valid.
By: Not Available. |
Here is my absolute favorite free verse poem.
  | ID: 973707 (Rated: E)
Title: Beloved
Description: A poem of longing for what cannot be.
Dedicated to my one true everything.
By: Morrigan Oran ![View raventaliesin's Portfolio. [Offline / Private]](http://imgs.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/costumicons/ps-icon-regular-10.gif "View raventaliesin's Portfolio. [Offline / Private]") ![Email User: raventaliesin [Offline / Private]](http://imgs.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/mail-off.gif "Email User: raventaliesin [Offline / Private]") |
Keep an eye on this poetess, she has some excellent work yet ahead of her.
As you can see, you can say some pretty powerful things with free verse. You may not take
all the liberties in the world, however, as you will see in the next example.
B.
Rhymes.
You know, Mother Goose, Dr. Suess, all those kids books we loved growing up? Those rhyming sentences we all thought were so clever when we were young. Sorry, but this is not
technically poetry.
Because these are rhymes without meter. A sing-song, nursery rhymey type of collection. Believe it or not I wrote one of these. I had an excellent writer on this site call me on my error of calling it poetry. I argued with him,(just my nature) but of course, he was right.
I will make an exception of course. Dr. Suess did like to write in Trochaic Tetrameter, so don't believe everything you read... make sure you check it out for yourself.
| ID: 936728
Title: Invalid Item
Description: This item number is not valid.
By: Not Available. |
You will realize that this is one of the highest rated items in my portfolio, so, this may sting a little bit for everyone out there who writes rhymes.
Hey guys and gals, this is kids stuff. Seriously, anybody can write a rhyme. I realize that nursery rhymes got/get published, but do you want to go down in history as a poet, or someone who was constantly running to their cupboard to fetch their poor dog a bone?
Poetry, like anything else worth doing, takes work. Hard work. If we don't want to do the work necessary to become good poets our readers will see right through us. I am terrified of
not improving my technique because sooner or later, someone will pick up on my laziness.
Do us all a favor,(including yourself) If you write poetry without any meter, don't put any rhyme to it!
I realize that I am very harsh on the subject of rhymes, however, I do not want to go further into detail here. If you have any questions about my views or opinions on this subject please drop me a note. The poetic world actually gives much more leeway to rhymes than I do.
B.5
Blank verse.
Let's cover this before I get carried away. Blank verse is in no way to be confused with free verse. Blank verse is lines of
unrhymed Iambic Pentameter! Believe it or not, this is a traditional form, and if you want to write within a form you must follow the rules. (You will learn with time that certain rules can be bent or broken, but only with terrible caution.} You will be surprised how much a form will add authenticity to your writing. So learn to use them well. Here is your link to blank verse:
http://www.uncg.edu/~htkirbys/ast1.htm
C.
Is For Couplets.
Now we finally get into a recognizable poetry form. Everybody knows what couplets are yes? No?
OK, how about this: did you know that there are two different kinds? Or... try five. We'll name each one and give you a link that will teach you what each one is. Pay close attention to the first two because these are the ones you are likely to run into most often.
1. Closed Heroic Couplet.
http://www.uncg.edu/~htkirbys/ast11.htm
2. Open Heroic Couplet.
http://www.uncg.edu/~htkirbys/ast21.htm
3. Enjambed Heroic Couplets.
http://www.uncg.edu/~htkirbys/ast2.htm
4. Tetrameter Couplets.
http://www.uncg.edu/~htkirbys/ast12.htm
5. Longer Couplets.
http://www.uncg.edu/~htkirbys/ast22.htm
Didn't know it was quite that technical did you? Actually all of these are fairly easy to use once you get the hang of them. And remember, there is always a way around any sticking point. For examble, you could write unrhymed couplets in
Iambic Pentameter and they would not fit into any of the above couplet forms. You could argue that they are written as "Blank Verse" though.
I had previously listed this piece as an example of Closed Heroic Couplets. I did so because, upon initial inspection, I believed it to be written primarily in Iambic Pentameter with some Anapestic feet thrown in. It was pointed out to me that I was mistaken, and after further study, I found this poem is actually the other way around. Primarily Anapestic with some Iambs included, this poem is actually an example of Tetrameter Couplets. My sincerest apologies to Spheric.
 | ID: 919451 (Rated: E)
Title: A Tiger Story
Description: There was an old tiger of yellow and black... - Traditional verse. Maybe a picture book.
By: Spheric ![View sphericalxs's Portfolio. [Offline / Private]](http://imgs.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/costumicons/ps-icon-regular-40.gif "View sphericalxs's Portfolio. [Offline / Private]") |
Well, now we are getting into the good stuff! Two verses is company but is three a crowd? Let's ask the amiable...
D.
Tercet
Tercets are groups of three lines, all of which end in rhyme. Well, what if all three lines don't rhyme?
Never fear, this is called a triplet. You probably won't run into these very often because writing in groups of threes is more difficult than multiples of two. A tercet is not the easiest form to use, but it can be quite catchy and very rewarding. Go ahead! Try one for yourself!
Here's your link for Tercet:
http://www.uncg.edu/~htkirbys/ast3.htm
And here's for Triplet:
http://www.uncg.edu/~htkirbys/ast13.htm
E.
Terza Rima
Now this form can be a lot of fun, but it can also be very frustrating. Be prepared to use up a lot of note paper trying to get this form perfected. It goes like this:
Terza Rima consists of consecutive triplets connecting to one another by rhyme scheme. Sometimes it will terminate with a couplet or a quatrain, or sometimes not. The rhyme scheme in this poem will be "aba, bcb, cdc, ded," etc. If you don't think that's hard give it a try! Here's an example of a Terza Rima that I wrote. You will notice that I did not end it with a couplet or a quatrain, but the first line is an extra. It does not actually fit the form, but I put it there to make the poem an acrostic as well.
| ID: 969614
Title: Invalid Item
Description: This item number is not valid.
By: Not Available. |
Here is your link for Terza Rima:
http://www.uncg.edu/~htkirbys/ast23.htm
Getting tired of forms yet? No? Well maybe a little? Don't worry, we only have a couple of hundred more to go.
Just kidding. I'm actually going to give you three more and then I will save the rest for future posts.
F.
Ballad Stanza ( or Common Measure )
Here's one you will probably still see some of today. I would encourage aspiring poets/poetesses to learn this form. It is very clean and fairly simple to use. It reads well and gives you enough liberty to say what you really want to say. Pay close attention to the rules:
Common measure is written in stanzas of 4 verses, the first and third verse in
Iambic Tetrameter and the second and fourth verses in
Iambic Trimeter. The rhyme scheme for this form can be "abab" or "xaxa". ( first and third verse unrhymed. )
Here is an example of Common Measure. You will notice that in the third stanza I break form, and I return to Common Measure in stanzas four and five.
| ID: 963974
Title: Invalid Item
Description: This item number is not valid.
By: Not Available. |
Here is your link for Ballad Stanza:
http://www.uncg.edu/~htkirbys/ast4.htm
G.
Heroic Quatrains.
This will probably sound familiar to you. Heroic Quatrains consist of four lines of
Iambic Pentameter with a rhyme scheme of "abab". You see this one alot in traditional poetry, and it is fairly easy and pleasant to write in.
This is an excellent example of Heroic Quatrains. I told you that you would be seeing more of this author.
 | ID: 919454 (Rated: E)
Title: To Know You Still
Description: You told me once we never really mourn... - Traditional verse.
By: Spheric |
Here's your link:
http://www.uncg.edu/~htkirbys/ast25.htm
Now on to one of my favorites.
H.
Nonce Quatrains
This is where reviewers who have not done their homework will get you. Nonce Quatrains are composed of four lines in which the
poet/poetess creates the form
for that particular poem! It still utilizes traditional poetry metrics, but the form is left to be determined by the author. This is great because it holds you to important rules of composition, yet it allows you to bend some rules in order to say what you really want to say.
Here are some examples on Nonce Quatrains. In the first one I really take advantage of the freedom found in this form by using 4 different meters.
| ID: 934212
Title: Invalid Item
Description: This item number is not valid.
By: Not Available. |
This is an example written by an excellent author here. Prepare to see much more of his work in the future.
| ID: 971426
Title: Invalid Item
Description: This item number is not valid.
By: Not Available. |
In the next example I use 2 different meters,
Iambic Tetrameter and
Iambic Dimeter.
| ID: 968391
Title: Invalid Item
Description: This item number is not valid.
By: Not Available. |
Although I list "My Dream, My Fear" as an example of Nonce Quatrains, it is actually a modified version of the "Rubaiyat" stanza which I will not cover in this essay.
Here is my absolute favorite example of Nonce Quatrains utilizing two different meters.
| ID: 972162 (Rated: E)
Title: "Wind Chimes"
Description: The wind is a powerful force…in more ways than one!
By: Tracy Lord |
Here is your link:
http://www.uncg.edu/~htkirbys/ast26.htm
There, that is a brief overview of just a few of the forms found in poetry. If you would like to do some further study on forms, please take a look at my essay,
OK, before we go on to reviewing, let's talk about some intangibles. Now remember, these are my opinions about intangible things, so you can take them or leave them. I would love to hear any comments or additions anyone may have.
1.
Inspiration.
We could discuss this all day and still not be done with it. So many people have different ways of getting inspiration and even different ideas of what inspiration really is! Since I am writing this I would just like to share with you my thoughts on this subject.
An inspiration is a thought or idea that touches you beyond your mind, really grabs your heart. I call them "gifts of the gods". Now grant you, we could write about any subject in the world, probably at a moment's notice, but would it be worth reading? An inspiration is a subject that you can't get off your mind, something that just needs to be written, and usually, you can tell if an author has actually been inspired or is just writing to write.( which is also exceptionally important.)
I have also found that inspiration is something you have to work at. ( at least I do ) Something you have to actually go out and look for. I recommend poetry contests and other prompts to actually get you thinking about different subjects and how you could write about them.
Here is a wonderful poem addressing that subject:
2.
Write about who you are.
Poetry is not the same as a story, its value is not determined by entertainment, but by its
feeling. If poetry does not make you feel some emotion it really is not that worth reading.
The same goes for writing it. Just picking a random subject and jotting down lines of rhymes will not necessarily create good poetry. Anybody can learn to use these forms well, but only a
poet/poetess can actually connect their pen to their heart. You must find some kind of emotional connection between yourself and the subject you are writing about. If you can do this I guarantee you will write poetry others will want to read. Here is an example of a poetess putting herself in another's shoes and
feeling the emotions of her subject. Notice how well she manages to convey those emotions on to her readers.
Here is an example from me:
| ID: 970534
Title: Invalid Item
Description: This item number is not valid.
By: Not Available. |
Emotional connection will make or break your poetry!
Here is an excellent link on poetry writing and other forms I did not cover!
Section Three:
Reviewing
Reviewing actually can be more difficult than reading or writing poetry, but it is very instrumental in helping you learn quickly. This is an area that I find many people do not take the care to research what they should, and thus give themselves a black eye.
When reviewing poetry take great care in identifying the form and meter of the poetry, and never,
NEVER, give an in depth, nuts and bolts review on a poetry form that you are not familiar with. That is one of the best ways to make yourself look like a fool. My answer? Do your homework. Become familiar with that form and then review it. If the poem really spoke to you and you have to comment on it do so, but that is not really a review.
A review is designed to help an author improve his/her technique. To properly review a piece you must break it down and critique it in several areas. Here are some elements to every review. A poem must be scored along these lines.
1. Spelling
2. Punctuation
3. Grammar
These make up an abbreviated poetry review; just because the author uses these three criteria correctly does not make it a good poem. Here are the harder categories in which you must learn to judge poetry to be a good reviewer.
4.Style
a.Meter
b.Form
5.Technique
a.Metaphor
b.Allusion
c.Syncope
d.Etc, etc.
6.Emotion
These are all aspects of a good review and should be learned by anyone who wants to review poetry. Oops! There I brought on the hard work again didn't I? Get used to it.
Here are some more of my personal rules for reviewing.
1.
Distance myself emotionally.
I do not want to review the poem emotionally first, because this will cloud my perception of the rest of the criteria. (if you notice, I do a lot of reviewing before I ever write anything in the review slot.}
2.
Be honest. If you see a mistake mention it. If you see something you don't understand, query the author. Perhaps the author made a mistake, or maybe, it was you! Take the time to do these fine writers' work justice.
3.
Be tactful. Don't just come out and tell someone that their work blows, because it probably doesn't. Remember, that is their baby and they have a lot of emotional ties to it. Perhaps all they need to do is learn a little bit about poetry in order to write better. Or maybe it is just not your style. I have reviewed poetry written in styles that I did not like, but gave them high ratings anyway, because they fit all of the reviewing criteria. The fact that I didn't like it did not mean it wasn't a good poem, it simply was not my style. Their rating probably went down in the emotion category, but not a great deal.
4.
Praise everything and anything worth praising.
I would definitely hate to be the one that discouraged a timid new writer by giving overly harsh reviews. Always keep in mind that their next work will be better just because they wrote this one.
Of course, reviewing is a two way street. Here are my
opinions on how to deal with a review.
1.
Remember that every review is simply someone's opinion. People make as many mistakes in reviewing as they do in writing.
2.
Don't take it too personally. You have to be tough to take reviews. If you get a hard review realize that not everyone is going to like your poetry. If you get a good one or a "gusher" don't let it go to your head. Sometime someone will be along to knock you back down a peg or two. Take pride in your work but be moderate about it.
3.
Answer every review. Good or bad. Easy or hard. I always like to use the words "Thank you" at least twice in every response. (Or mix it up with "I appreciate" etc.,etc.) Good responses to good reviews will probably generate more reviews. Good responses to hard reviews will show them that you are willing to learn, and will most likely leave the reviewers thinking, "What a good sport".
4.
Defend your position.
This is a touchy one so read closely. You wrote what you wrote for a reason. Examine it to make sure that the reviewer does not have a legitimate complaint. (Mispellings, bad punctuation, bad grammar.) In your response
explain to the reviewer why you did or said what you did. It is possible that they just misunderstood your meaning.
On that note, don't ever get into an argument about it. All responses should be tactful, courteous, and kind; even if your review was not! If you explain your position to a reviewer and they still disagree- agree to disagree. Let it go. Noone ever fondly remembers someone who bullies their way into winning an argument. If
you know you're right, that's enough. Go ahead.
There is never a reason to be a jerk in your responses to reviews, but there is never a reason to be a pushover about it either.
5.
Communication is the key. If you get a review you don't understand or don't agree with, communicate with that reviewer. Ask them why they feel that way, or said what they said. I have made some good friends out of hard reviewers just because I took the time to find out that we were both saying the same thing. We just had different ways of expressing it. You can learn a lot from a reviewer, but you must also give him/her the chance to learn from you.
Here are your links for reviewing:
Of course I am looking at other pieces dealing with the subject of reviewing, I hope to put many more links on here eventually.
If anyone has written poems in these forms here, I would love to add a link to your work. Of course any questions or comments about this piece just send them to me. I do hope to soon provide links to some of the other poets on this site who can answer any questions about poetry.
Remember, like anything else, poetry is an art form that is always changing. These traditional forms will stay the same, but new techniques and traditions are being added every day. Poetry really is one place where you are limited only by your imagination.
My thanks to the University of North Carolina, Greensboro for providing such excellent material on their website.
Keep writing and I hope to see you in print!
![View fyndorian's Portfolio. [Offline / Private]](http://imgs.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/costumicons/ps-icon-maple_leaf-60.gif "View fyndorian's Portfolio. [Offline / Private]"){kind=icon}
![View shaara's Portfolio. [Offline / Private]](http://imgs.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/costumicons/ps-icon-peacedove-60.gif "View shaara's Portfolio. [Offline / Private]"){kind=icon}
![View storymaster's Portfolio. [Offline / Private]](http://imgs.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/costumicons/ps-icon-quill_n_ink-90.gif "View storymaster's Portfolio. [Offline / Private]"){kind=icon}
![View storymistress's Portfolio. [Offline / Private]](http://imgs.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/costumicons/ps-icon-rocking_horse-90.gif "View storymistress's Portfolio. [Offline / Private]"){kind=icon}
Login To Leave Feedback
