 Poetry: October 24, 2007 Issue [#2022] |
  Poetry
This week: Edited by: larryp
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Rhyming is the most overused yet least accurately utilized tool of a poem. If you are ever going to rhyme, do it with meaning. Just because five rhymes with hives doesn't mean you have to use it. If a word doesn't fit, don't use it. If a line doesn't work out the way you want, change it. Never force anything in a poem, especially rhymes. Many poets went their whole career without a single poem that rhymes.
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From the introduction, it may appear that this newsletter will undermine rhyming poetry - far from it. If you search my port, you will find many rhyming and non-rhyming poems. There will always be an audience for poems that rhyme and for free verse or non-rhyming forms. In this newsletter, we will discuss inappropriate rhyming.
In A Poetry Handbook, noted and honored American poet Mary Oliver states that it is not possible, or wise, to set absolutely firm rules for poetry. In the same paragraph, she adds, in almost any poem certain practices are appropriate, certain practices are not inappropriate.
In a section of her book entitled "Inappropriate Language," Mary Oliver discusses a topic that I struggled with when I began writing poetry a few years ago. I did not know what to 'name' this thing, but I did know that each time I utilized it in a poem, the wording sounded quite awkward. After reading Mary Oliver's book, I now have a name for this nemesis - inversion.
Inversion is changing the normal word order of a sentence. While it is found in non-rhyming poetry, it is most often discovered in rhyming, metrical poetry. As Mary Oliver states, it becomes instantly apparent why the sentence has been shifted about - so that the poet could employ the only rhyme he could think of. In my mind, this makes inversion a form of forced rhyming.
Inversion is not always wrong. When used in a proper manner, it enhances the reading of a poem. But when used improperly, to use Mary Oliver's words, it feels "out of whack," contorted, and we want things put back into their usual order. Improperly used inversion always stands out to the reader.
Something else that gets forced is inversion of the normal word order. That is something like "Jack run, now see." Some people do it because they think it's somehow "more poetic" but usually it is a sign of someone who has fallen in love with one particular word, and is dead-set on making another line rhyme with it. Or should that be: "On making another line rhyme, the poet is dead-set." If used in moderation, inversion is not bad. But when it's all over the place, it makes reading the poem more difficult, it scrambles the meaning, and it's a sign of lack of creativity and skill.
http://www.winterhome.net/personal/nexus/poetry/judging.htm
An example of inversion for the sake of rhyming may be something like:
On a warm summer day
In the oak tree's shade
I wiled the time away
For you, I stayed.
Here, the order of the last line is inverted merely to rhyme 'stayed' with 'shade.' When inversion causes a line to read awkwardly, we may need to consider the reason for the inversion.
Many poets have employed inversion, and employed it well. When we use inversion, we should always ask, "does it work here or do I need to revise and consider another rhyme?"
As Mary Oliver states in her book, Good inversion is wonderful. Good inversion is difficult to achieve. Bad inversion is never wonderful and rarely difficult to achieve.
In my personal experience, I have found, at times, I need to "change my mind" about making a certain rhyme. When we change the flow of a poem for the sake of a rhyme or lose meaning for the sake of a rhyme, we are forcing a rhyme. Forced rhyming is a great sacrifice to creativity and the quality of the poem. We will often need to refocus to avoid forced rhyming. With practice and patience, we can alleviate our poetry of inappropriate inversion and forced rhyming.
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In my last newsletter, "Poetry Newsletter (September 26, 2007)" , I issued a challenge to a take a cliche from a list by poet Frances Mayes and change the cliche, saying an old thing in a new way. Here are two poems and an exercise that were written in response to the challenge.
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A few rhyming poems from around the site:
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For more information about rhyming:
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Comments for last Newsletter:
Good newsletter, Larry. Clichés can take away from the imagery of poetry. ~~ Viv
Vivian  
I agree the abuse of cliches in poetry as well as other forms of writing tends to dilute it's meaning. But with all do respect, all words are a beautiful thing when used at a right time and place. We don't want to put limits on ourselves,right and wrong words. It appears to be human nature that in trying to arrive at that balence we overcompansate leaning to the opposite direction. The key is to find that perfect balence, when and when not to use cliches. always searchingh for the right words to express ones self. Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to share.NikGee
NikGee 
Ouch! I don't even write poetry, but your neewsletter on clichés applies to every writer. And you caught me. Though I'm an unlikely candidate for purple twilight, I know I've used and overused others in your list. And probably more you didn't include. Thanks for reminding me to scrutinize my language more closely.
Great newsletter!
Anne Light 
whilst we all strive to improve on everything we do we must be careful not to lose sight of why we do what we do.Poetry for me is an expression of ones true feelings moods at any point in time and its the poets decision or limitations that determine the outcome. Opinions should be shared but never forced.
barnesy
Have been packing up my Church office {for a month of Sundays} really, just two weeks but{feels more like a life time}{I am too pooped to pop}well we could go on but {I have to go see a man about a dog}Thanks for the break.Gives us a lot to think about
JudithJean France
A good Newsletter Larry. I don't think I use cliches much but I think many times I enjoy the reading of other poems when a so called cliche is the best way to say what the poet wishes to convey. I tried working with two lines and found different ways to make them work but the way I liked the best was:
At last deciding the letter to send,
'Tho it would signify a bitter end.
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