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Free Verse and Rhyming in Poetry

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redfarmer

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Free verse is often compared to poetry what abstract art is to art. One of the most recognized characteristics of free verse is that it often doesn't rhyme. However, I started thinking and wonder if rhyming is an essential characteristic of poetry. Can one still make good poetry if one pays attention to rhythm, meter, etc.?

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Below is an excerpt of Beowulf. You will notice no specific rhyme scheme or meter, although there is a tendency to use alliteration, rhyme and such of words in proximity to each other for effect.

All those structures are largely a stylistic constraint chosen by the author but not essential to poetry per se.

However, poetry should remain near to music. A poem should be intended to be read aloud and have structures and cadences conducive to such a reading. I find that much free verse doesn't do well being read aloud, and seems to be intended to be read silently. In that sense it is really just very oddly written prose.

Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,

þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,

hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.

Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,

5

monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah,

egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð

feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad,

weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah,

oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra

10

ofer hronrade hyran scolde,

gomban gyldan. þæt wæs god cyning!

Ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned,

geong in geardum, þone god sende

folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat

15

þe hie ær drugon aldorlease

lange hwile. Him þæs liffrea,

wuldres wealdend, woroldare forgeaf;

Beowulf wæs breme (blæd wide sprang),

Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in.

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Here is poem Iwrote in free verse when I finally decided to caste of religion and embrace Objectivism. tell me what you think and if you think it is in the abstract form of art?

No More

No more will I allow my death.

At the hand of the living dead

Who follow the sacrificial path.

That leads to unreason

Forcing me to be human no more.

No more will I bow down

To those who have lost all

Following sick passions

Abandoning their reason to feeling

Forcing me to be human no more

No more will I be meek

Waiting for prayers that will never be

Sitting around watching life pass by

While waiting on a Ghost to provide

Forcing me to be human no more

No more will a force dictate

Beating me down to the ground

Raping me of ever thinking

That I am worth anything

Forcing me to be human no more

I will no longer be a dependent

Leeching the blood of others

To live in a pseudo world

And not know who I am

Forcing me to be human no more

I will be a Man

Whose life is his, only his, and is an end itself

Whose only guiding light is Reason’s Fire

Who knows how to reach Life’s Purpose,

Which is to be a man of Ego and Self-Esteem

Who is able to Produce all his Desires

And his final and ultimate Value,

His own Happiness in Life

In this world and no other. And,

I will stand tall with Pride Beating

For I will be Human Once More!

Edited by Richard Roark
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