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Poetry People

With silent curse I said this all was verse
Not to be described as poetry.
Those arguments that I did rehearse
I now see as ones to disagree.

Free form’s for those of educated bent
But most of the time people love some rhyme;
A view high-brows under-represent
Preferring an unstructured paradigm.

Where feeling is more and rhyme is abhorred
Rhythm is banned, as are meter and pace;
Stories and drama are rarely explored –
With meanings in place through crafty blank space.

The radical form is the mandatory norm,
What once was daring is now mundane;
It’ll be rejected if it’s not free form –
Write in that vein or be dismissed with disdain.

It’s not polite to be that uptight;
Some free-formers brook no compromise;
Sure of themselves – they know they’re right:
The unstructured prize they eulogize.

They’re not wrong and nor are they right.
Some poets undoubtedly can
Make free form excite – a real delight,
But don’t pan those who prefer to scan!

Let’s cut to the chase, you of the free form race:
A change of view is long overdue.
Poets who rhyme do have a place –
It shouldn’t be taboo to hold that view.

Rhyme has its own renown – just don’t diss it down
Accept what it offers with structure and verse.
Don’t be stuck-up – don’t sneer or frown,
Accept such verse is neither better nor worse….

 

video online at http://rhymesplus.com/index.php/life/poetry-people/

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Comments

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M.C. Newberry

Sat 10th Sep 2016 14:50

Very enjoyable in its style and
presentation - with a proper point
to make.
I confess to being prejudiced in favour of rhyme and rhythm
and certainly go along with Harry's view that those from
the great age of popular/theatrical song writing have been
carrying the torch. I enjoy free lines when they are written
with passion and conviction about their subject and consider "The Burning of the Leaves" by Laurence Binyon
to be a memorable example of the genre. It is therefore unfortunate when examples merely offer the excuse for
mundane meanderings of a forgettable sort - often like
some cuttings from a provincial newspaper -that appear
written for the same "followers of fashion"...with a nod
and a wink for those involved in competitions.

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Harry O'Neill

Wed 7th Sep 2016 22:54

Timely and well put John, what you say is - in the main - very true. Submitting a rhymed poem to a competition is , I would say, pointless. Free has now absolutely solidified into practically the only form which is accepted. those very few rhymed poems which sometimes `get through` usually do so because of their fashionable - or unusual - theme.

I sincerely think that this is why poetry is practically ignored by the general reader (who sticks to novels) and why so many free poems look like (sometimes pleasing) short snips from novels.

The eyes of the none poets glaze over when listening to the free stuff at a reading, and only come back to life when the rhymester gets up to read. (and not only the funny stuff)

Rhyme has been in the keeping of the musicians of the great age of popular music which may now be coming to a close...It`s about time that poetry grabbed it back.

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