William Faulkner, author of The Sound and the Fury, had a dictum which went something like this: “Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it." Hmm ... let's revise that a tad, shall we? Read, read, read loads of "good and great" rhyming poetry.
It is the work of the great poets who will teach you, and inspire, you best. With them as your benchmark, you will be better able to judge the caliber of your own work, as well as that of other rhyming poets, for yourself. Let us continue, now, with another key to writing in rhyming verse.
2. Immerse yourself in rhyming verse = READ!
Keeping company with seasoned, rhyming poets is not as daunting as it may appear. Within the two texts that I mentioned in Part 1, you will find a wealth of brilliant poetry. But, then the question is, "Where do I start reading?"
We will begin with The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It is a lengthy yarn that accomplishes much more than merely telling a tale. It lures you, much as it does the Wedding-Guest in the poem, into an intriguing atmosphere that you were not quite prepared for.
It is a fairly long poem, which was written in seven parts. This gives you an opportunity to linger with Coleridge's unique voice, see his descriptive word choices, sense his rhythm, and to feel how he moves you through his tale.
Read the entire poem once to experience this epic story. Then, read it through again, with a now educated and discerning eye, and you will begin to notice more of the subtle nuances and movements in Coleridge's lines.
Once you have read it through twice, you will be well acquainted with his approach to writing in rhyming verse. That is all that is intended in this exercise. No study, no tests, no keeping notes. Simply read it through, twice.
Most of all, enjoy the journey. And, if you should have any questions, or wish to share your insights with me, please make use of the comments section on this page. I will be happy to respond to you ASAP.
It is the work of the great poets who will teach you, and inspire, you best. With them as your benchmark, you will be better able to judge the caliber of your own work, as well as that of other rhyming poets, for yourself. Let us continue, now, with another key to writing in rhyming verse.
2. Immerse yourself in rhyming verse = READ!
Keeping company with seasoned, rhyming poets is not as daunting as it may appear. Within the two texts that I mentioned in Part 1, you will find a wealth of brilliant poetry. But, then the question is, "Where do I start reading?"
We will begin with The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It is a lengthy yarn that accomplishes much more than merely telling a tale. It lures you, much as it does the Wedding-Guest in the poem, into an intriguing atmosphere that you were not quite prepared for.
It is a fairly long poem, which was written in seven parts. This gives you an opportunity to linger with Coleridge's unique voice, see his descriptive word choices, sense his rhythm, and to feel how he moves you through his tale.
Read the entire poem once to experience this epic story. Then, read it through again, with a now educated and discerning eye, and you will begin to notice more of the subtle nuances and movements in Coleridge's lines.
Once you have read it through twice, you will be well acquainted with his approach to writing in rhyming verse. That is all that is intended in this exercise. No study, no tests, no keeping notes. Simply read it through, twice.
Most of all, enjoy the journey. And, if you should have any questions, or wish to share your insights with me, please make use of the comments section on this page. I will be happy to respond to you ASAP.
RSS Feed