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This week: Going Beyond "Cat" and "Hat" Edited by: Crys-not really here  
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| Hello! I'm Crys-not really here ! It's always a pleasure to guest edit the Poetry Newsletter. Poetry is a passion of mine, and I'm not afraid to discuss what I love, and what annoys me, about it! I hope you learn a little something in the process, too. |
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Going Beyond "Cat" and "Hat": Using General Rhymes
Those of you who have read my poetry newsletters in the past know that I don't like poems that rhyme for the sake of rhyming. I believe that poets who rhyme need to do so purposely and well. Rhyming poetry can be effective, but poets need to do their research about different kinds of rhymes.
Most of us would rhyme "cat" with something like "hat." This is what's known as a perfect rhyme. Both words have the same number of syllables, the same consonant, and the same ending sound. Easy, breezy, "let's throw a couple of these in to make it rhyme" kind of rhymes. . .
But there are also kinds of rhymes that may not be so obvious. These are known as general rhymes. General rhyme refers to two or more words with a phonetic similarity. There are many kinds of general rhymes, some of the most common of which I'll now talk about.
 imperfect (near): rhymes between a stressed and unstressed syllable. For example: wing, caring. This rhyme has the same ending sound, but not the same number of syllables.
syllabic: rhymes where the last syllable of two words sound the same, but do not necessarily contain vowels. For example: cleaver, silver.
half (slant) rhyme: a rhyme with matching final consonants. For example: bent, ant. This rhyme is not perfect because the vowel sounds are not the same.
alliteration (head rhyme): Yes, alliteration is a type of rhyme! It's a rhyme where the matching consonants are at the beginning of the word. For example: short, shape.
Ok, so now you can recognize some types of rhyme. What do you do with them? How do you know when its appropriate to use one of these types?
First, I'd recommend paying attention to the poetry you read. Great poets will use these things to write poems that sound smooth and flowing when read aloud. (Remember, poetry is also a verbal experience. If your poem doesn't sound good to you when you read it aloud, then it also doesn't sound good in your reader's head!) You may not even be aware that your favorite poets are using these techniques. Keep an eye out for them and note how it effects your reading of the poem.
Then, try using some in your own poetry. If you tend to write poetry in strict forms, consider replacing some of your perfect rhymes with imperfect or near rhymes. Have fun with it! Playing around with form is not wrong. The poetry police will not come hunt you down, I promise! If you tend the write free verse poetry, you can use these techniques too. Remember, free verse poetry is not "poetry without rules!" (For more information see "Poetry Newsletter (May 19, 2010)" ) Poetry without poetic devices is actually prose. General rhymes, once you understand a few types, can be easy and accessible poetic devices to use in your free verse.
In both cases, a poet who uses different types of rhymes can prevent their readers from becoming bored or jaded with that type of poetry. It's no wonder some readers consider poetry with a rhyme scheme "sing-songy" when a poet uses only perfect rhymes. It's also no wonder that free verse poetry has gotten a reputation for being sloppy, when so many poets are ignoring the use of literary devices like rhyme in their poems!
I encourage you to give using general rhymes a try, and let me know how it goes!
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Submitted Poems:
From the poet: Crys In Winter Wonderland's newsletter on poetry about historical events brought to mind an entry I did for The Writer's Cramp a few months ago. The prompt was to use the line '"I may go to jail, but it's worth it."'. Well, our Founding Fathers faced that and more! So in response to Crys' invitation for submissions on that theme, here ya go. -Artemisia 
From the poet: I am new so I have been reviewing a lot. I try to be honest, fair, encouraging, constructive, etc... It is interesting that this letter speaks to rhyming when at least half of the items I try to review have neither rhyme or meter. Why call this poetry at all. Why not just put these random lines in paragraph form and call them what they are? These things are very hard for me to review though I have found some jewels. Any advice? -maiinkan
Hi, Rick! I suggest you check out "Poetry Newsletter (May 19, 2010)"  |
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You asked for poetry based on historical events. Well, I have several, mainly about historical events and a few about he deaths of notable people (Johnny Cash and Walter Cronkite as of now).
How do I go about submitting them? -(812) 874-3150
Great question! At the bottom of every newsletter is a place where you can send feedback to the editor. Right above that, you should see the words "Writing.Com Item ID To Highlight (Optional)" Copy and paste the item ID of the poem you want to send me in that box. That's it!
A very good newsletter. I am going to try to write poetry. -Tina M. Courtney  |
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Poetry: July 11, 2012 Issue [#5118]
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