How to Write
by cricketjeff on July 30, 2009. © Jeff Green, All rights reserved
I used to think that poetry was just about the rhyme
I didn’t really know about the flow
Some verses that I stopped to read would somehow fail to chime
A part of art was missing from the show
But then I learned di DUM di di and meters such as these
And finally I understood the way to make words please
You have to hear the meter like a tune inside your head
I like my rhymes to flow like Devon cream
Then fill the “DUM”s and “di”s you heard with words you should have said
And then you’ll have a poem like a dream
The meter doesn’t matter if it’s regular and strong
A sweeter beat will keep your readers bouncing right along
In English there are many ways to word a perfect phrase
So bend each line to make a perfect fit
Use language from these modern days, I think you’ll find it pays
Then see that no infinitives were split
Your message will be memorable if rhyme and flow are right
So take the time to be sublime, you’ll reach the highest height
A soft and gentle meter makes a love-song seem serene
A bouncy flow may make a reader laugh
Staccato beats are eerie and can set a horror scene
Then doleful trochees tell the aftermath
So rhyme away your stories with a rhythm and panache
And everything you write will make a more impressive splash!
English