Poetry Motivation - March 2005
Rhyme or Free Verse?
Oh no, some are probably saying right now. Some don't consider rhyme as being poetry any longer.
Anyway, rhyming poetry has been around since the earliest record of poetry existed. It is around us every day. One could hardly imagine one country music song that isn't filled with rhyme. Although rhyming poetry is very much poetry, so is free verse, haiku, sestina, and many other styles.
There is a place for all of the styles of poetry within our world, and we shouldn't attempt to define poetry by our own standards. What right do we have to say someone's writing is not poetry?
The very word "free" within free verse eliminates the many restrictions that have been placed on poetry in the past.
If you read many of the guidelines for submitting poetry to modern and traditional magazines, you will see that more and more are accepting experimental poetry.
Okay, now everyone is probably thinking that this is supposed to be a motivational column, so what does all of this have to do with motivation? That question, of course, can be answered simply by stating that no matter what style you prefer to use for your poetry, don't let anything slow you down as you.....WRITE ON!!