LESSON II. What Is Meter?

English is possibly the most difficult language of all in which to write poetry.

   Unlike other languages, it does not have a rhythm or a natural rhyme … so, in this age of fast everything's, and in the haste to write poetry, it is possibly the reason why meter and rhyme has become ignored and free form is so popular.

   I am not saying that Poetic Prose, Free Verse, or Free Style are any less poetry than metered and rhyming poetry.

   What I am saying is that poetry is a skill and takes time to master, regardless the form. Not only does it take time to learn the physical/technical skills of writing, but also the mental skills that separate the master from the apprentice, or the genius from the mundane.

   Free Form poetry, in the hands of a skilled wordsmith, has the potential to be amazing poetry, because of its freedom of format and to express and illuminate thought, feeling, emotion, and metaphorical imagery, etc; but, unless the wordsmith has the properly prepared skill and training, the majority of it is not even potentially fit for greeting cards.

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Meter/Cadence/Tempo/Rhythm/Flow

   Without some sort of meter, poetry lacks in rhythm, flow, or musicality, etc; those very aspects of poetry that make it smooth and enjoyable to the mind's-eye appeal of most readers.

   You'll often hear of "metered and unmetered poetry" … but, in fact, all well-written poetry has a certain kind of meter, tempo, rhythm, or flow, even Free Verse and Poetic Prose, or it would take-on a jerky, disjointed, stuttering, tripping feel when read aloud or internally.

   When one says, "metered", they are typically referring to lines composed in a set number of syllables, such as the Ballad, which is composed in Quatrain form (4-line verses) of eight-syllables, six-syllables, eight-syllables, and six-syllables, correctly displayed thusly: 8/6/8/6, which gives the lines a consistent, even, rhythm and flow of up and down beat or tempo.

  To illustrate this, let's examine two verses … one unmetered and one metered … both expressing the same meanings:

(unmetered)

Rhythms softly flowing are all right there inside my heart

only that you and I can ever really hope to hear.

And we will be promised a whole eternity

that we can hold onto all those little things so dear.

(metered)

Soft rhythms flow within my heart

no one but us can hear.

We're promised an eternity

for all that we hold dear.

   Now, compare the two verses: The first verse would be composed by a novice, unenlightened in the finer nuances of how to compose elegant poetry, and it reads rather awkwardly and complicated in spots, wordy, and disjointed in flow. Whereas, the second verse, as you can easily see, has a natural-feeling flow to its lines, is well-structured in 8/6/8/6 count, where there is order, is less complicated, easier to read and understand, and is more conservative in wording than verse one, composed in 13/12/11/14  counts.

   This example is not unrealistic, as the first verse would be written by a novice, passionate in their emotions, but unenlightened in the finer nuances of how to compose smoothly flowing poetry … the second by a skilled and educated poetry writer, with a refined knowledge of rhythm, meter, and musicality.

In feeling ~ felt it fall upon my hand,

a teardrop from my cheek fell soft and warm;

'twas not the common salty tear to land,

I knew at once, it fell there to inform.

in FEELing ~ FELT it FALL upON my HAND

a TEARdrop FROM my CHEEK fell SOFT and WARM;

'twas NOT the COMmon SALTy TEAR to LAND,

i KNEW at ONCE, it FELL there TO inFORM.

   Below, is a handy chart I created for my poetry class students that you might want to copy and print for your own use and easy reference when writing "set" meter poems.

   There are many metered forms of poetry; these are just simple examples to illustrate what meter/flow/rhythm is and why it's so important when composing more refined, exemplary poetry correctly, and there are many variations of meter.

   Some forms require shorter or longer meter, some a mixture of meter, and others ascending or descending meter … the world of poetry is virtually endless.

   You can spend a lifetime learning, practicing, and enjoying the art of metered poetry, and never know a dull moment while immersed in the wonder of it all.

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Be sure to ask any questions you might have, and/or to discuss anything

you believe is incorrect in my lessons or which you disagree with.

Dialogue is the best way to properly learn and understand.

I am "always" open for discussion. : )