Meter and Rhythm- the most common mistake.

Meter and rhythm are in my mind the most overlooked aspect of new writers. They are what dictates the flow of a poem and they are invariably tied together. As I stated in my previous posts, it is not my intention to give an english lesson. I will let you research meter on your own, for now I would like to address the rhythm or flow aspect of poetry.

This to me is the biggest mistake new poets make. They get set on one line or one phrase and ignore the rhythmic flow of the poem for the sake of using that line. For a poem to flow it must have the same number of syllables for each matching line in the scheme. Below are two examples of rhyming text, one has perfect rhythm, one does not...

My love is like a river- 7 syllables
Ever changing as it goes - 6 syllables
My heart is like ship- 5 syllables
That follows it where it goes- 6 syllables

My love is like a river- 7 syllables
Ever changing as it flows- 6 syllables
My heart is just a vessel- 7 syllables
That must follow where it goes- 6 syllables

You will notice how the second text example doesn't just rhyme, it flows perfectly. It is balanced... the first example rhymes and says the same thing but it is awkward and uneven sounding to the ear.

"but I like what I am saying, how do I make it fit?" If you want the poem to flow and it doesn't, you must find a different way to say it. Either change the first line to fit the second or vice versa... try omitting un-needed descriptors or changing the rhyming word altogether so that you can achieve the same end.

I want my love to see me as I really am
I want her to love me for me
I want her to know what it is I feel inside
I want her to really see

example 1

I want my love to see me
For the man I am inside
I want my love to know me
For the love I cannot hide

example 2
I want my love to love me
For what I truly feel
I want my love to know me
To know that I am real

If you are stuck for a rhyme, try the alphabet trick. True rhyme means that you should not rhyme one word with the same word, so go through the alphabet adding each letter to the rhyme word. Remember, multi-syllable words can be used as long as they fit the rhythm.

example:Love = above, all of, be love, dove, glove, meaning of, morning dove, proud of,speaking of.... you get the idea. There are rhyming dictionaries in the library or online which will help you a lot if you have trouble, but I find most times just going through the alphabet works for me.