Poetry Exercises: Form
 

One way to practice poetry is to tackle the many forms that have been designed over the centuries. In the 21st century, we often take the free verse form for granted. Many of us will look at free verse as a free licence to do what we want with poetry, but this shouldn't be the case (and it can be argued that such a standpoint enables the production of many mediocre and bad poems that could otherwise be better). Many of the better poems in free verse were written by poets who have a mastery over forms. They could write good sonnets if they wanted to. It is their understanding of meter, rhythm, and such that empowers them with such a command over the free verse form.

In my own development of writing poetry, I have decided to tackle the various forms so that I can get a better understanding of words and how they fit together in meter and rhythm. Rhyme often comes into play as well, which is often discarded in the free verse form. However, many poets use rhyme in different ways (i.e. not at line endings) to play with language, so experience with rhyme is a good skill to develop as well.

I challenge you to pick from the various forms of poetry out there and to write some poems using them. You can find a good list of forms here: List of Poetry Forms

Here are some examples of mine from my blog:

"Apples & Oranges" (Companion haikus)

I. Apples

I say what I want
Doing what I want as well
I admire you


II. Oranges

You are fulfilling
Trying to please everyone
You are resentful

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"Villanelle I"

There is much left to try;
Despite what you don't know,
Look beyond even the sky.

If you don't at least think,
Or, better, go and show,
How can you say you'll try?

We fear we'll only sink:
We all pace to and fro,
Yet forever there is sky.

Give a grin and a wink—
Say you'll give it a go:
We all should at least try.

Sometimes we tend to shrink,
And hang our heads down low—
Shelter from the rain-filled sky.

Type it out or use ink;
Get it out row by row.
If you don't even try,
You will never touch the sky.

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"Villanelle II"

You are living, and we are dead;
We may never have even met.
Who are you who's left in our stead?

What sort of people will you be,
When your most dire days are set?
You are living, and we are dead;

You too will soon pay death's grand fee,
A mover now a silhouette.
Who are you who's left in our stead?

Life is nothing more than a spree,
Looking back and soon you forget:
You are living, and we are dead;

Watching how seven becomes three—
Your counting only leads to regret;
Who are you who's left in our stead?

This is a place you cannot flee—
In fear and anger and upset,
You are living, and we are dead;
Who are you who's left in our stead?

Use this thread to provide constructive feedback to others as well. The point of this is not to produce our best work; it is to learn how language works in a specific context so that we can rethink how we write in other forms (even beyond free verse). Feel free to break form (even the best do it) if it will help you get something out. Note my "Villanelle I" has done so by dropping the refrain and playing with "sky" and "try" compared to "Villanelle II," which uses the proper refrain form.

Remember, don't get hung up on how "good" or "polished" your work is here. This isn't a place to post your masterpiece; it's a place to play and learn (i.e. try to break out of your haiku comfort zone :p).