A rondelet
Free verse is king,
so it's thought... though -I- don't think so.
Free verse is king;
behave, and you may kiss its ring.
Are you a poet? Wanna go pro?
Well, rhyming submissions? Just: NO.
Free verse is king!
Skip to content
The Skeptic's Kaddish ๐ฎ๐ฑ 
So, as a rant in poem form, this is cute and clever.
But…have you ever read the poetry publications you presume will reject your style of poetry on the basis that it isn’t free-verse?
Well, look, now, clever & cute is a very reasonable goal!
I wrote this poem based upon what discussions that I’ve had on WP with poets that have tried to get published in different places… the consensus I’ve encountered is that free verse is all the rage nowadays in the poetry community, and rhyming forms are looked down upon by many people.
But -yes- I confess! I have no experience with these publications myself ๐
I’m all for clever and cute poetry!
But it did feel as though there were some assumptions being made.
guilty as charged!
Entertaining! Robert Frost once said that free verse is like playing tennis with the net down!
That is an amazing quote – thank you for sharing, Lov… I’ll add it to my collection ๐
โค
David
Yes! It has stuck in my mind ever since I came across it ๐๐๐๐
Haha this is just brilliant! And I think mostly true. Though I must admit it’s often rhyming poetry that hits to the core of this heart’s blue. ;)) xoxo
I made myself chuckle a bit when I wrote the ‘Just: NO’ part ๐
Don’t you just love those moments? If we can crack ourselves up I think we’ve done well in the poetry contest department. ;)) ๐๐๐
I so agree ๐
Clever! Yes, free verse does seem to be the poetry intelligentsia’s preferred mode. But who cares what they think? ๐
well I don’t care, per se, but I’ve been thinking of starting to submit poems to publications (which I’ve never done before)
Ah, gotcha. I guess it depends. A place like Poetry Magazine probably sticks to free verse a lot. But I’m sure there are plenty of others out there that don’t.
Offering my two cents- IMHO – I see good free verse as someone who has mastered checkers. But, good rhyming or patterned poetry is someone who has mastered chess.
In case it is not obvious, I believe you to be a championship chess master.
๐ณ Lauren ๐ณ
๐ Lauren – you are too sweet ๐
“Variety is the spice of life!” “Don’t fence me in!” ๐
๐ Cheryl – Yes! ๐
Poetry is like ceramics – everyone has to learn on the wheel (think strict technique) which I equate to the use of traditional forms and structures. Then the accomplished artist starts adding and subtracting from the thrown pieces until it becomes unrecognizable (invented forms). Finally they revert to the process that is akin to the untrained ceramicist (free verse). And eventually the untrained is accepted as a great artist. All the artists working to perfect their visions on the wheel are dismissed and art falls into the abyss. Is that where poetry is now? Are we headed to the abyss where those who like the challenge and beauty of the ode and the kyrielle are dismissed and anyone who can write a sentence (monostich, micropoem) is elevated to professional?? (steps off soap box and slinks away to write a Droighneach)
It makes me think of Picasso too… you know what I mean?
And where does that leave
those who in rhyme believe?
They conceive and conceive
but are not well received…
๐ thatโs the word on the street anywayโฆ
๐ A little bird told me so.
I’ve actually had formal poems accepted occasionally. But not that often. It’s a strange and restricting prejudice (as most are). (K)
โค KERFE โค
Missed you!
Thanks David. I’ve missed you too.
๐ค Kerfe ๐ค
It depends where you want to get published.
do you know of many publications that like rhyming poems, Scott? I’ve been told that free verse is much more mainstream these days โค
-David
Not really. I’m thinking of booklets of “inspirational” verse (quasireligious but no more specific than monotheism) you used to get in the mail. I don’t know that they do that anymore. That was about 20 years ago or so. If they take rhymed poetry, they tend to like banal poetry.
๐
Hahahaha, I am stuck for words here. Rhyme or freeverse…..I’d say both are princes fighting for kingship, and I’m a humble neutral caught between this war.. but honestly, I’d say it depends on one’s mood, don’t you agree?
It should – but apparently free verse is more popular in poetry publications…
Yupppp well, I’ve never read any poetry publications, so I wouldn’t know ๐.Mind recommending something for me?I’m curious
I’m not the best person to ask about that at all – this is what I’ve heard from other poet-bloggers… but I’ve been told that Spillwords is accepting of all sorts of poetry.
Spillwords published two of my rhyming poems (and two more are in review).
cool! ๐