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/
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.