A little help please

a little help from my friends please

I am looking for some pointers 

from those who do not rhyme 

i find it hard to write a verse 

that does not jingle all the time 

please all the lovely people 

offer up your advice 

how can I write some divine words 

without it rhyming and still be nice 

anything will do 

so I can ponder for a while 

i want to learn to write poems

that do not rhyme and are not vile 

not knowing where to start 

I am coming to all of you 

I will throw my rhymes right out the window 

if that's what I have to do 

Reviews

[Davidgeo]

When I don't know where to start I pick a random spot then call it the 'middle' and work toward an 'ending' that validates a potentially satisfying 'beginning'. Sometimes it gets weird depending upon how you are defining the term 'satisfying' that day.

[KWP]

may I just say - you are both a muse and Inso at the same time - this was written 2014 !!!! My gawd - that's almost ten years ago my min has shed it's skin since then

someone told me recently - you are the type of person who likes to play in the traffic - it's not far from the truth ...

and you?

[Davidgeo]

Play in traffic? I used to live in traffic. Now I just like to watch the cars go by from the side of the freeway. It results in quite the show when the participants don't realize that order and safety is just random chaos when taking naps.

[Norman T]

Although I prefer writing in rhyming verse, I find that it can sometimes inhibit your "message". I use free verse, occasionally but try to establish a definite metre that echoes my thoughts. If I record it and listen to it I can see whether it sounds like prose or poetry. I feel that poetry must have rhythm (like a song), but the end lines do not necessarily have to rhyme.
I still enjoyed the style of your poetic plea, however, so don't throw your rhymes out of the window ((defenestration is not approved of in a sensitive society)

Norman

[KWP]

ahhhaaa thank you Norman and nice to meet you :) I would never throw out rhymes from my life as I find the rhyming part suits my personality .. I have been reading Maya Angelou again lately and have been reminded of how lovely rhyming is ...

thank you for your words and advice xx

[NoelHC]

OK, the synchronicity is just too damn funny. I just reviewed one of your poems (Simple Truths) in which I bemoaned my fate of being incapable of rhyming, and come across this ditty in which you want to know how not to rhyme!
I enjoyed the humor you showed in this one.

[KWP]

synchronicity is such a wonderful thing .... it happens everywhere and all the time ... do you notice that .... this was a moments thought and I am so glad people (like yourself) ave shared their wisdom and thoughts x x thanks Noel x

[Kieta!]

This is so nice! Sometimes I find that I cannot communicate my thoughts properly in a rhyming poem, but I can't bring myself to try writing a free verse poem (I prefer the rhyming kind). I'll have to try it sometime though :) Good job :)

[KWP]

yes... i just find it hard not to rhyme... my brain just shifts to singing a tune and the words come a jigging on out ... x

[Einstein Noodle]

i am too unkempt to offer advice .. that is why i mostly do write things in free verse .. (a distinct lack of discipline and residual rebellion) ... it is a journey and i can relate to your dilemma .. to add some structure i write haikus etc. and with collaboration wrote a sonnet .. all very satisfying and rewarding experiences .. but i gravitate back to what comes easiest for me .. you probably have somewhere you jot down ideas, certain words and phrases that pop into your minds heart .. maybe you can try expanding on them (throw away the couplets) .. perhaps find a good time to journal random thoughts .. without purpose .. as an exercise to free you from bondage :)
personally i admire people such as yourself .. its a gift to produce solid rhymes ..however, i think you will be rewarded for the efforts to expand your style .. you should go for it ..
your poem is humorous and brought me a chuckle this morning .. something i always welcome ..
E.

[KWP]

ha! I think you and I run in the same circles then... distinct lack of discipline (my last cafe was called The Renegades... i wanted it to have a little bit of me in it :) )

thoughts without purpose ... yes I like this ... these often come when I am out walking my dog .... i should write them down ..

I thank you for your words, I am at a point where I do wish to challenge myself a little further to develop my writing across the board... ahhh but there is always some new avenue around each corner worth exploring isn't there .....

Lovely to meet you xx

[Einstein Noodle]

yes there is .. and so nice to meet you too!

[Tom]

' To rhyme or not to rhyme, that is the question ' ? Personally my preference is poetry that rhymes and yours is little gem, though I do appreciate free verse poems if they are penned intelligently with purpose, so I'd say to you, just keep doing what comes naturally to you and let the ink flow !!

[charlie]

Hmm,.. perhaps instead you might first explore rhyme schemes and poetic forms that draw you into fields a little broader than the couplet and such. Rhyming is a very versatile and varied strategy in writing, and there are a lot of options available to writers: means to rhyme that don't seem so "sing-songy", and some of it has to do with rhythm and timing. Know what I mean?
Anyhow, free verse is also a very attractive form and a craft unto itself. I can totally relate to a desire to go there, and also to try different styles of writing. Might I suggest the obvious? - Try reading other writers and examining their craft.
With all that said, this rhyme poem is nicely entertaining. :)

[KWP]

Hello Charlie and thank you so much for your thoughts, there is always more to explore you are right, we can always dig deeper, delve a little further into the unknown abyss of life and of course poetry. You have given me the need to ponder and think some more, something I enjoy to the utmost... I am glad you enjoyed my little ditty, for that is all it was, written in a mere minute or two ....

tralalalalalalala ... as i dance off to the tune of a funny-a*s limerick :)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

this is clever, i don't want to rhyme but even in asking for directions, it happens unintentionally....

once in awhile i think in rhymes...and it comes natural to me to rhyme at end of lines or within the lines...
but most often, free verse is really natural for me...don't know how to suggest how not to rhyme...

i remember the Beats...and when they first introduced the free verse...the purists were outraged...
then years later poets were banning rhyme...now, anything goes...

i really like your writing KWP.
jacob

[KWP]

Thanks so much Jacob for you thoughts
... Tell me, are there supposed to be any beats or some kind of counting in free verse ?

[jacob erin-cilberto]

not really....free verse often has rhythm...just not the repetitive sounds...
look at ginsberg or ferlinghetti...when read aloud there is rhythm...

if you have a mind to, would love you to visit my page sometime...

and, you will find free verse galore there...
jacob

[KWP]

Thanks Jacob ... I will check out those poets and definitely visit your Page again ... I believe I have done so before but perhaps was a little blown away at the level of your poetry ... :-)

Thanks again for your thoughts x x

[Muse]

Fabulous...love it! We've all been there! I remember writing those poems where the last word of each sentence had to rhyme perfectly...it was so grade school. lol How I got a way from that. Honestly, I started doing a lot of reading. And when I found something I liked, I studied what that writer did. Everything from syllable count...the use of rhyme. And I would try to mock that while using my own words of course. Try a prose or two. That's also another good way to stop caring about rhyming so much...and just worry about rhythm. With time you'll find what works best for you. In my opinion writing is like art, there isn't any right or wrong. Bad grammar? Yes of course...but you can still be original in your written delivery.