informal talk about forms: the nuts and bolts of rhythm part 2

Following up on last month’s talk about the two “root” styles of verse, today we’ll explore metrical verse. Most formal poetry uses this as its basis.
Metrical verse
Most English verse uses an accentual-syllabic rhythm. While this could be four stresses in an eight-syllable line with no regard to the pattern, most accentual-syllabic verse uses meter: iambic [...]

Posted by Tom on 06.26.2008 at 12:01 am// Tagged: Informal Talk About Forms, Tom , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


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      "Adam Penna is on a roll. For nearly a decade, he’s written one poem every day, almost without fail. He writes for the love of poetry, believing that poems reveal truths that can easily be missed, and offer a way of connecting the universal human condition with individual experiences.

      Mr. Penna writes poetry because he believes it’s the best type of writing to distill the essence of a simple moment. Simply put, poems transform the ordinary into extraordinary, he said."

      Read the full article, which includes news about his *two* new books, published by different houses. "Success for an everyday poet" is written by Pat Rogers for The East Hampton Press & The Southampton.

      And visit Adam Penna's online poetry journal, Best Poem.

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      Have you visited The Page? It's a spot for gleaning bits of "poetry, essays, language, ideas."

      Cool content, and it looks good, too. Edited by Andrew Johnston, with contributions by Stephen Burt.

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      Dana and Jacob are at it again. If you are interested in learning more about The Seattle Poetry Brothel they are creating, visit My Gorgeous Somewhere for the scoop.

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      A new poem by Sean O'Brien, written in response to the latest phase of conflict between Israel and Hamas:

      Katyusha, Katyusha

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      One of our new participants, Lyn Hopper, will be using our writing prompts as a way to fulfill her personal challenge and be creative every day. Sound like something you'd like to do? I am sure you would be welcomed by Leah Piken Kolidas, the CED diva, into her creative fold.

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    Do one of the random writing tips listed above and invite a writing partner or partners to write a poem based on the same tip. Then share what you each wrote. What's similar and different about the way you each approached the assignment?


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    Write a narrative poem or an epic poem about an event in history that moves you. Do you feel drawn to a certain time period from the past? What about the music? It might be big band music, sixties folk rock, Duke Ellington jazz, Renaissance madrigals, Gregorian chants, sitar music, etc. Think of the food, the clothing, the setting and create a mood that’s evocative of the time period you’ve chosen.

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    A tough life needs a tough language - and that is what poetry is. -- Jeanette Winerson