Is Free Verse Poetry Relevant?
Why Free Verse Poetry?
A free verse poem contains little to no rhymes and has no clear rhyme scheme. The writer, not having to deal with a fixed structure can enhance the level of creativity exerted on his/her piece.
Sonnets, epics, and ballads are examples of poetic forms that require a writer to follow certain rules like meters, rhymes, or rhythm. Free verse poetry does not put a shackle to the writer's mind and let them experiment on various styles and create their own personality in the artistic field of poetry.
If you are someone who struggles in following the set rules of other poetic forms, then free verse poetry might be for you.
"Writing free verse is like playing tennis without a net." -- Rober Frost
Can I still use rhymes in writing free verse?
In free verse poetry, you can pretty much do anything that you think will make your piece better and cool-sounding. You can use rhymes whenever you feel like it and not worry about ruining everything (considering that you implemented it cleverly).
When writing a free verse poem, I use different ways to express the thoughts I have in my mind. While learning new styles and techniques, I get to have fun by exploring ways to write a piece that I'm happy with.
Tips on writing free verse that can be considered "good."
- Do not hold back. One thing that I struggle with when I was just starting to write in free verse is that I tend to hold back. I was used to writing lyric poetry that I find myself worrying about messing things up, but it was not the case. So I told myself to write to my heart's content and it all worked out.
- Try to play with your lines. As I said earlier, free verse gives you the opportunity to experiment with different styles. Finding new ways to express yourself is always beneficial.
- Feel it. Sure, this seems to be confusing. However, if you're someone who also feels it when a line does not look good or disturbing, you're free to try a different approach. (this applies generally to creative writing)
“Poetry might be defined as the clear expression of mixed feelings.” -- W.H. Auden
© 2021 Cresscobalt
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Comments
Thanks for sharing, Russel. 90% of my poetry is rhyming, though I don’t always follow strict form. I like to write free verse now and then but find I have to take more time over it and think about it more until I am pleased with the structure and the way the lines look and sound.
Ryming poetry to me flows more easily, though there is certainly a place for both.
