This chapter on meter, rhyme, and form touched on a few interesting points that stuck out to me – one of them being that these skills are so much better cultivated when we understand the importance of how to hear the music of the language meter and rhyme brings to poetry. I felt that their point that we so often now usually read poetry to ourselves rather than read it aloud or hear it read aloud is very true, and I think it is a skill I definitely would like to be better at. The chapter’s argument that there is a push to bring back some of the old traditional forms of poetry, I agree that we should spend some more time with the classics because of that ear-training and just familiarity with how poetry can be and then this point that “a new cadence means a new idea” would still be valid as people go off and endeavor to cultivate their sound but still have that critical grounding and ear for the music of it. Another point I thought was interesting was this line that says, “Meter is a little added artifice, a heightening of the awareness that this thing you’re making is not just a journal entry or a record of your thought. It’s a way to work with those thoughts in a manner that constantly reminds you that language and rhythm – the way in which you say something – are as crucial as what you are saying”(143). I like the notion that though there is not one correct way or standard way now to write poetry, we have so much history in different techniques and meters and rhyme schemes that we can employ to give so much more depth and meaning to our poems that I feel is actually very liberating.
The chapter Meter, Rhyme, and Form brings up quickly breaking free from the restraints of meter to create a new rhythm and how being able to write in free verse can help make a poem more individual and express new feelings. I think its helpful how in the chapter it talks about listening to poems and how important hearing the words being said out loud is. I also had never heard of the word “scansion” until now. I actually really like Shakespeare, growing up reading his plays and sonnets so when his writing is used as an example to express how meter is the pattern behind the sounds of the words, I just found that interesting. Internal rhyme is something that I often do when I write my poems and it is amazing how many different aspects of rhyming there really is. I like the idea that the reader should not understand your rhyming pattern at first; it should not necessarily stick out. I just really found the whole chapter interesting because it dives into more of the history of poem techniques and on top of there not being a right way to write a poem, there is so much variation that can come about, it is meaningful. A poem can be literally written to how you prefer it to be, whether it is a sonnet, very formal with meter, rhymes the whole poem or maybe just throughout, etc. The options can be combined and it is nice to know your not limited in your writing.
This chapter focuses on stepping away from traditional meter to finding your own poetic meter to work with, especially how free verse allows for more freedom of expression in poetry, which I have found holds true for me. The chapter also mentions how saying words out loud can give you, the writer, a better feel for how the poem sounds and whether or not that poem reflects the way you want the reader to feel. The chapter claims that we should make a push towards moving back towards traditional meter and rhyme for the sake of teaching the ear to pay attention to this method of using meter to provide emotion to the poem. I found it interesting that there is such an emphasis on sonnets for learning rhyme and meter, as it was Shakespearean sonnets I learned about in high school, and it used to be that when I was younger, those sonnets were what I thought of when I thought of poetry.
This chapter began in a digestible way. The author talked about the transition from more structured poetry, like meter, rhyme, and form, to the contemporary way of doing poetry, which is more free-verse. The whole idea of poetry, and in this case, which structure you choose, if any, relies on expressing oneself. There isn’t a restriction on which style you could choose. Free-verse is encouraged it sounds like, but if an older form works better for the poet, then they should pursue that by all means.
One of the fundamental bases of poetry, which has been neglected more recently than it ever has been, is reading poetry out loud and listening to it, syllables, and all. Reading this in the book and then typing it out as I am now, makes me realize that this might help my own case in understanding poetry better. I know that when I read something out loud after reading it in my head, I tend to gain a better understanding of the material in question, no matter the topic.
Meter and rhyme are about the sounds of language. The reading says this, and the author goes on to reiterate that understanding these fundamentals will help the writing process. I would be interested in learning more about the word meter, which comes from the Greek for “measure.” This part of the chapter was confusing for me, considering that I do not have a strong foundation in the structure of language. The rhyming made a whole lot more sense and it spoke to me. Rhyming is something that I have purposefully avoided in my poetry this semester because I was afraid that I would focus too much on finding the right rhyming scheme instead of the meaning of the poem. However, I honestly feel more comfortable now after reading how it can be used properly.
I found this chapter to be very interesting. I understood the first two subjects: meter (essentially rhythm), and rhyme, but form still confuses me no matter how many times I read it over. This chapter focuses a lot about stepping away from the rules and moving more towards free form poetry which is what more modern day poems are. I find that when I read things about the technicalities that go behind poetry that the craft not only feels super overwhelming, but also I gain a lot of respect for the poets out there who are about to understand and craft these pieces of art on their own and without flaw. I believe that I will have a better understanding of what form entails after class on tuesday, but aside from that particular section, I found the chapter to be very easy to understand and interact with.
This chapter was super informative for me since I have not written or learned about poetry in more than a few good years. It is helpful to go back and learn about the foundations of traditional poetry again either to write that way or use that knowledge to write free verse. The authors explained it well that the writers were “ear trained” and knew how to hear the “music of the language”. They also explained that often people only read poetry nowadays rather than listening to it such as when it was part of oral tradition. This made me think of the interview with Donald Hall and how drawn in I felt while he read his poems. The authors’ advice to hear more poetry, either live, recorded, or reading it, is something that I definitely want to take and practice. I used to love reading poetry when I was younger and this is definitely something I now realize I miss. My 30 minute commute can definitely be more enjoyable if I found some recordings. I also do find it so important to understand the traditional forms before moving forward with newer forms because these tools can be utilized within free verse to enhance the writing. I definitely still need some practice reading and hearing meter but am hoping I will be able to use that in my own writing when I get the hang of it. It honestly is relieving to be reminded that rhyme does not have to be strict, but it could be slant-rhymes, eye-rhymes, or vowel-rhymes. I am usually hesitant to use rhyme in my poems because I do not want to sound nursery rhyme-y, but now I realize that I can use more subtle rhyming in ways that can enhance my writing such as emphasizing certain words or creating closure. I am looking forward to attempting some of these tools that the authors taught in this chapter.
I found the point that no one reads poetry aloud enough anymore, a very interesting concept. I know how to read poetry in my mind to emphasize words but reading it aloud is a different beast. But I find that reading my own writing aloud allows me to find out what flows best and whether I should alter or leave a line alone. I also thought the idea of multiple types of rhyme in free form poetry still being present was interesting. I wonder how many times I’ve added a slant rhyme to my work but haven’t noticed that that’s what I’m doing. The whole meter thing confused me a bit but I understand it. I think in the past I’ve referred to this as the “flow” of my piece without understanding the actual words or techniques for what I’m doing. I’m not sure if understanding the mechanics will actually help me write. I worry that it may be too much thinking while I’m trying to write. I’ll try to keep it in mind the next time I’m writing but I may just keep using the techniques without realizing and calling it my flow until I’m more comfortable with the ideas of these techniques.
When we looked at Donald Hall the idea of natural flow or rhyme/rhythms is super important for a poem to flow well. The same goes for this chapter. One thing that stood out to me was the idea that coming up with a new flow can make a free-form poem sound excellent. The idea of free-form is also interesting because there are no rules to it, the words we write should have a natural flow state that can make or break a poem. However, that is all subjective as poems change all the time and some people like Donald Hall will take or uh would take years to edit one poem. To the average person might seem insane, but to the artist, that is the goal. Just like music, poems must follow suit. The idea of metering a poem also helps as it can help certain words make sense. Reading older poems can also help inspire the author to formulate a sound that you can work with. It also might help inspire other works as well to table for next time. The idea of multi-rhyme in a stanza can work if formulated correctly. The staggering poem form is also interesting as it flows and yet abruptly stops. That is very interesting as usually there is a flow but also there does not have to be necessarily. Overall this chapter was helpful as it exposed me to new ways of writing poetry.
I really like how the chapter mentions that us as readers can miss out on a lot if we don’t read poems aloud. I completely agree with this, and I love that we read the poems aloud and to ourselves in class. I think it gives us all angles of the poem by having someone else read it in their own way, and then we can digest it by reading it alone. The chapter also made an interesting point about regionality. Where you are from may affect how a poem reads meaning we may mess up the intended meter if we stress the wrong syllable or word. I also liked that the chapter mentioned we can use rhyme but make it discreet. It called out that a lot of free verse poems can have a word a few lines before that sets up the final word of the poem. I also never realized that we can have rhyming words within the sentence or in the beginning of the sentence since end rhyme is so commonly used. Finally, I enjoyed reading the sonnet provided near the end of the chapter. The analysis of it made me realize that sonnets don’t have to sound sophisticated or like old English to be considered a sonnet.
I love reading poetry aloud, and I especially like the fact that this chapter goes into depth about how we don’t do it enough. Reading it aloud is one of the best ways to enjoy it in my opinion, listening to the words and savoring the feeling of the syllables, rhymes, and rhythm on your tongue. There’s always a point in a poem where you can just know that this point is the best spot in the poem. The syllables and stress meld perfectly in that spot, the word means everything that the author wants it to mean, and there isn’t any way for you to replace the word and have it deliver the same meaning. The best part is that when you read the poem aloud, you can always tell this the best part. It’s like the words dance off of your tongue. Another thing I like about the chapter is the idea that, just because a poetry style is antiquated, that doesn’t mean you can’t use it. I have a very love-hate relationship with iambic pentameter because I hate the actual process of constructing a poem in that style, but I love how it turns out. When the syllables turn out just how you want them to, or the words line up perfectly (unstressed to stressed syllables), it’s like a little burst of happiness.
The number one take away that stands out to me about this chapter comes in the first few paragraph where the author suggests that there is a crucial difference between reading and speaking poems. This is something I wholeheartedly agree with as a writer, not only for poetry. When a writer focuses on their work for a prolonged amount of time, reading it becomes difficult with glazed over eyes. Instead, it is far more helpful to read the work aloud. Doing this causes our brain to pause in a variety of areas for dramatic pause, emphasis, or even picking up on errors. Brining it back into the scope of poetry, just reading a poem can sometimes put a barrier between reading and understanding. Yes, reading the poem may tell you about the imagery and similes they use, but you don’t “feel” the poem. There could be a connection, but it is far weaker than the spark of reading aloud. When someone reads a poem aloud, the audience is able to gain another level of connection, understanding, or perspective. It also presents the poem in a whole new way. The poem’s use of punctuation and form allows for pauses and even play while reading. It is an entirely different experience. So, when we utilize tools such as meter and rhyme, one’s poetry can be elevated and transformed through the way it “sounds”.
This chapter fascinated me since I was wondering when we’d start learning about not just how to write poetry, but the art and arithmetic behind it. I’ve been learning about iambic contamiter and heroic cuplets and rhyme scheme in my English 200 class with Professor Tuttle this year, so I’ve been eager to explore those concepts in poetry. I also thought that when not copying but creating your own poetry was interesting, the “echo old moods” was interesting. The feet bit confused me, and so did the meter part of the reading since I wasn’t fully sure how that should be read aloud.
12 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 9”
This chapter on meter, rhyme, and form touched on a few interesting points that stuck out to me – one of them being that these skills are so much better cultivated when we understand the importance of how to hear the music of the language meter and rhyme brings to poetry. I felt that their point that we so often now usually read poetry to ourselves rather than read it aloud or hear it read aloud is very true, and I think it is a skill I definitely would like to be better at. The chapter’s argument that there is a push to bring back some of the old traditional forms of poetry, I agree that we should spend some more time with the classics because of that ear-training and just familiarity with how poetry can be and then this point that “a new cadence means a new idea” would still be valid as people go off and endeavor to cultivate their sound but still have that critical grounding and ear for the music of it. Another point I thought was interesting was this line that says, “Meter is a little added artifice, a heightening of the awareness that this thing you’re making is not just a journal entry or a record of your thought. It’s a way to work with those thoughts in a manner that constantly reminds you that language and rhythm – the way in which you say something – are as crucial as what you are saying”(143). I like the notion that though there is not one correct way or standard way now to write poetry, we have so much history in different techniques and meters and rhyme schemes that we can employ to give so much more depth and meaning to our poems that I feel is actually very liberating.
The chapter Meter, Rhyme, and Form brings up quickly breaking free from the restraints of meter to create a new rhythm and how being able to write in free verse can help make a poem more individual and express new feelings. I think its helpful how in the chapter it talks about listening to poems and how important hearing the words being said out loud is. I also had never heard of the word “scansion” until now. I actually really like Shakespeare, growing up reading his plays and sonnets so when his writing is used as an example to express how meter is the pattern behind the sounds of the words, I just found that interesting. Internal rhyme is something that I often do when I write my poems and it is amazing how many different aspects of rhyming there really is. I like the idea that the reader should not understand your rhyming pattern at first; it should not necessarily stick out. I just really found the whole chapter interesting because it dives into more of the history of poem techniques and on top of there not being a right way to write a poem, there is so much variation that can come about, it is meaningful. A poem can be literally written to how you prefer it to be, whether it is a sonnet, very formal with meter, rhymes the whole poem or maybe just throughout, etc. The options can be combined and it is nice to know your not limited in your writing.
This chapter focuses on stepping away from traditional meter to finding your own poetic meter to work with, especially how free verse allows for more freedom of expression in poetry, which I have found holds true for me. The chapter also mentions how saying words out loud can give you, the writer, a better feel for how the poem sounds and whether or not that poem reflects the way you want the reader to feel. The chapter claims that we should make a push towards moving back towards traditional meter and rhyme for the sake of teaching the ear to pay attention to this method of using meter to provide emotion to the poem. I found it interesting that there is such an emphasis on sonnets for learning rhyme and meter, as it was Shakespearean sonnets I learned about in high school, and it used to be that when I was younger, those sonnets were what I thought of when I thought of poetry.
This chapter began in a digestible way. The author talked about the transition from more structured poetry, like meter, rhyme, and form, to the contemporary way of doing poetry, which is more free-verse. The whole idea of poetry, and in this case, which structure you choose, if any, relies on expressing oneself. There isn’t a restriction on which style you could choose. Free-verse is encouraged it sounds like, but if an older form works better for the poet, then they should pursue that by all means.
One of the fundamental bases of poetry, which has been neglected more recently than it ever has been, is reading poetry out loud and listening to it, syllables, and all. Reading this in the book and then typing it out as I am now, makes me realize that this might help my own case in understanding poetry better. I know that when I read something out loud after reading it in my head, I tend to gain a better understanding of the material in question, no matter the topic.
Meter and rhyme are about the sounds of language. The reading says this, and the author goes on to reiterate that understanding these fundamentals will help the writing process. I would be interested in learning more about the word meter, which comes from the Greek for “measure.” This part of the chapter was confusing for me, considering that I do not have a strong foundation in the structure of language. The rhyming made a whole lot more sense and it spoke to me. Rhyming is something that I have purposefully avoided in my poetry this semester because I was afraid that I would focus too much on finding the right rhyming scheme instead of the meaning of the poem. However, I honestly feel more comfortable now after reading how it can be used properly.
I found this chapter to be very interesting. I understood the first two subjects: meter (essentially rhythm), and rhyme, but form still confuses me no matter how many times I read it over. This chapter focuses a lot about stepping away from the rules and moving more towards free form poetry which is what more modern day poems are. I find that when I read things about the technicalities that go behind poetry that the craft not only feels super overwhelming, but also I gain a lot of respect for the poets out there who are about to understand and craft these pieces of art on their own and without flaw. I believe that I will have a better understanding of what form entails after class on tuesday, but aside from that particular section, I found the chapter to be very easy to understand and interact with.
This chapter was super informative for me since I have not written or learned about poetry in more than a few good years. It is helpful to go back and learn about the foundations of traditional poetry again either to write that way or use that knowledge to write free verse. The authors explained it well that the writers were “ear trained” and knew how to hear the “music of the language”. They also explained that often people only read poetry nowadays rather than listening to it such as when it was part of oral tradition. This made me think of the interview with Donald Hall and how drawn in I felt while he read his poems. The authors’ advice to hear more poetry, either live, recorded, or reading it, is something that I definitely want to take and practice. I used to love reading poetry when I was younger and this is definitely something I now realize I miss. My 30 minute commute can definitely be more enjoyable if I found some recordings. I also do find it so important to understand the traditional forms before moving forward with newer forms because these tools can be utilized within free verse to enhance the writing. I definitely still need some practice reading and hearing meter but am hoping I will be able to use that in my own writing when I get the hang of it. It honestly is relieving to be reminded that rhyme does not have to be strict, but it could be slant-rhymes, eye-rhymes, or vowel-rhymes. I am usually hesitant to use rhyme in my poems because I do not want to sound nursery rhyme-y, but now I realize that I can use more subtle rhyming in ways that can enhance my writing such as emphasizing certain words or creating closure. I am looking forward to attempting some of these tools that the authors taught in this chapter.
I found the point that no one reads poetry aloud enough anymore, a very interesting concept. I know how to read poetry in my mind to emphasize words but reading it aloud is a different beast. But I find that reading my own writing aloud allows me to find out what flows best and whether I should alter or leave a line alone. I also thought the idea of multiple types of rhyme in free form poetry still being present was interesting. I wonder how many times I’ve added a slant rhyme to my work but haven’t noticed that that’s what I’m doing. The whole meter thing confused me a bit but I understand it. I think in the past I’ve referred to this as the “flow” of my piece without understanding the actual words or techniques for what I’m doing. I’m not sure if understanding the mechanics will actually help me write. I worry that it may be too much thinking while I’m trying to write. I’ll try to keep it in mind the next time I’m writing but I may just keep using the techniques without realizing and calling it my flow until I’m more comfortable with the ideas of these techniques.
When we looked at Donald Hall the idea of natural flow or rhyme/rhythms is super important for a poem to flow well. The same goes for this chapter. One thing that stood out to me was the idea that coming up with a new flow can make a free-form poem sound excellent. The idea of free-form is also interesting because there are no rules to it, the words we write should have a natural flow state that can make or break a poem. However, that is all subjective as poems change all the time and some people like Donald Hall will take or uh would take years to edit one poem. To the average person might seem insane, but to the artist, that is the goal. Just like music, poems must follow suit. The idea of metering a poem also helps as it can help certain words make sense. Reading older poems can also help inspire the author to formulate a sound that you can work with. It also might help inspire other works as well to table for next time. The idea of multi-rhyme in a stanza can work if formulated correctly. The staggering poem form is also interesting as it flows and yet abruptly stops. That is very interesting as usually there is a flow but also there does not have to be necessarily. Overall this chapter was helpful as it exposed me to new ways of writing poetry.
I really like how the chapter mentions that us as readers can miss out on a lot if we don’t read poems aloud. I completely agree with this, and I love that we read the poems aloud and to ourselves in class. I think it gives us all angles of the poem by having someone else read it in their own way, and then we can digest it by reading it alone. The chapter also made an interesting point about regionality. Where you are from may affect how a poem reads meaning we may mess up the intended meter if we stress the wrong syllable or word. I also liked that the chapter mentioned we can use rhyme but make it discreet. It called out that a lot of free verse poems can have a word a few lines before that sets up the final word of the poem. I also never realized that we can have rhyming words within the sentence or in the beginning of the sentence since end rhyme is so commonly used. Finally, I enjoyed reading the sonnet provided near the end of the chapter. The analysis of it made me realize that sonnets don’t have to sound sophisticated or like old English to be considered a sonnet.
I love reading poetry aloud, and I especially like the fact that this chapter goes into depth about how we don’t do it enough. Reading it aloud is one of the best ways to enjoy it in my opinion, listening to the words and savoring the feeling of the syllables, rhymes, and rhythm on your tongue. There’s always a point in a poem where you can just know that this point is the best spot in the poem. The syllables and stress meld perfectly in that spot, the word means everything that the author wants it to mean, and there isn’t any way for you to replace the word and have it deliver the same meaning. The best part is that when you read the poem aloud, you can always tell this the best part. It’s like the words dance off of your tongue. Another thing I like about the chapter is the idea that, just because a poetry style is antiquated, that doesn’t mean you can’t use it. I have a very love-hate relationship with iambic pentameter because I hate the actual process of constructing a poem in that style, but I love how it turns out. When the syllables turn out just how you want them to, or the words line up perfectly (unstressed to stressed syllables), it’s like a little burst of happiness.
The number one take away that stands out to me about this chapter comes in the first few paragraph where the author suggests that there is a crucial difference between reading and speaking poems. This is something I wholeheartedly agree with as a writer, not only for poetry. When a writer focuses on their work for a prolonged amount of time, reading it becomes difficult with glazed over eyes. Instead, it is far more helpful to read the work aloud. Doing this causes our brain to pause in a variety of areas for dramatic pause, emphasis, or even picking up on errors. Brining it back into the scope of poetry, just reading a poem can sometimes put a barrier between reading and understanding. Yes, reading the poem may tell you about the imagery and similes they use, but you don’t “feel” the poem. There could be a connection, but it is far weaker than the spark of reading aloud. When someone reads a poem aloud, the audience is able to gain another level of connection, understanding, or perspective. It also presents the poem in a whole new way. The poem’s use of punctuation and form allows for pauses and even play while reading. It is an entirely different experience. So, when we utilize tools such as meter and rhyme, one’s poetry can be elevated and transformed through the way it “sounds”.
This chapter fascinated me since I was wondering when we’d start learning about not just how to write poetry, but the art and arithmetic behind it. I’ve been learning about iambic contamiter and heroic cuplets and rhyme scheme in my English 200 class with Professor Tuttle this year, so I’ve been eager to explore those concepts in poetry. I also thought that when not copying but creating your own poetry was interesting, the “echo old moods” was interesting. The feet bit confused me, and so did the meter part of the reading since I wasn’t fully sure how that should be read aloud.