Band Rising

The most popular style of our time is the ‘free verse’ style. This form originated in the late 19th century, with Walt Whitman being credited for it. Before this form was introduced, poetry was restricted to certain form.

Formal poetry generally follows a set pattern, in rhyme and meter. We commonly place a letter at the end of the last word in each line. Analyzing these patterns is called scansion.

For example if the first two line rhyme with each other, their letters would be AA. If the second set of lines rhyme with each other the rhyme pattern would be AABB. If the fifth line doesn’t rhyme a C would be introduced and so on.

Meter is the number of beats in each line. The beat most commonly used is “Iambic pentameter’. Individual beats consist of a short and strong pulse. Words with this beat are arrest, domain, forsooth, etc. The second syllable is accented.

OK, enough rules and on to the fun stuff. What do you start with when you tell stories or write letters? Do you begin with something you overheard? Witnessed? Read About? Start with what you are comfortable with, that’s the best way to start.

What type of poem did you have in mind? A Story? A comment? Or could it be a character study? Go through some examples to help get you started off on the right foot. It is common to get what is called “writer’s block”. If this happens, take a break, or come back to it the next day. If your out and something comes to you, jot it down.

Work on your poem for many weeks and take the last line of one of your poem and carry on from there, ignoring entirely what you drafted before. You will be surprised at what you are able to accomplish. Get writing!