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Writing in rhyme 101

6/6/2013

2 Comments

 
"Wow!  You can rhyme?"  What a sweet acknowledgement that has been, and yet how sad.  Since the early 1900's, give or take, the popular notion of rhyming has been discredited as a passe writing form.  Negatively censured as being "romantic," this style of poetry has been pushed aside in favor of prose, and other modern forms, for much of the twentieth century.

I have no issue with modern, avant garde artists; they breathe new energies into poetry.  I like to stretch the limits occasionally, also.  For instance, it was invigorating when I attempted to emulate Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and other beat poets, for a while.  What I learned from them enhanced my work in ways that I could not have anticipated.  That experience also grounded me in the knowledge of who I am as a rhyming poet.

What bothers me, though, is that the current voices of modern poetry still tend to teach predominantly about prose,  admonish all other forms of writing, and to relegate anyone who rhymes to the back of the room.  It is disquieting, dangerous, and dishonest that blossoming poets today are dissuaded from becoming lyric poets.

That I, as a modern-day rhyming poet, have come as a surprise to so many of the poets I meet proves only to illustrate today's writing climate.  I am hoping to help dispel this current trend by releasing my work into the mix, and by encouraging others to give rhyming works a chance.  After all, all forms of poetry are viable.  

To any and all who are interested in writing lyrical poetry, my advice is that you begin by reading the works of the lyric poets, as I did .  Immerse yourself in the poetry of Edgar Allen Poe, Edna St Vincent Millay, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, to name a few, and over time, you will become acquainted with the subtle nuances in their work.  Find and  follow their timeless templates.  It is always a worthy endeavor to learn and to write poems that rhyme.





2 Comments
Barbara
6/15/2013 05:03:04 pm

Poetry seems to be that art which many people write, but very few actively read, especially others' work. Rhyming poetry, like iambic pentameter, has reminded me of a heartbeat in that they both have rhythm (and that we all need some form of expressing ourselves, much like we require hearts to continue with life).
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

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barbara
6/16/2013 02:32:43 pm

Hello Barbara. Yours is a brilliant insight on rhyming poetry! I can hardly begin to tell you how much this means to me. I have skirted around the heartbeat link with repeated rhythm in my work, though not nearly as directly or as elegantly as you've expressed it. Hmm... this may make it into a future poem. If/when it does, I would like to dedicate that poem to you. Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback, and for the inspiration!

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    About the author:

    I've written many poems over the years.  This blog is a preview of my books: Echoes, Neo-Victorian Poetry (April 2013), Echoes ll, More Neo-Victorian Poetry (May 2014), Echoes lll, Even More Neo-Victorian Poetry, (August 2016), A Compilation of Echoes. (September 2016), and When None Command (April 13, 2019)

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