Monday, April 25, 2011

Metrical Poetry - Rhyme, Meter, and Rhythm

Our focus in poetry so far has been centered on themes, images, and figurative language.  This week, we turn our attention to the "rhythm" of a poems - the rhyme, meter, and structure of formalist (closed-form) poetry.

<--Week 11 - Week 12 - Metrical Poems
Meter - Rhyme (coming soon!) - Sonnets


Meter: The Rhythm of Poetry


Meter in Poetry
Poetry can drift into the reader's mind as gently as music - writing with this effect requires an understanding of rhythm. In English, rhythm comes from the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line.

Teaching Meter
Don't got rhythm? Don't worry - these exercises will help you develop a better feel for the metrical rhythm in your poetry. You can also share these with your creative writing students to reinforce your lessons.

Rhyme (coming soon!)


Sonnets: The Terrible Little Beasties of Poetry

Sonnet Themes
This is the "deadly little beast" of the poetic world - fourteen lines, themes of love, and nearly every great poet has written at least one.

Writing the Sonnet
Writing a sonnet? Here's some advice on how to begin.

Sonnets, Villanelles, and the Closed Forms
This post links to a thorough description of the closed forms.


<--Week 11 - Week 12 - Metrical Poems
Meter - Rhyme (coming soon!) - Sonnet Themes

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