Question for experienced poets [i swear i'm not asking you to read my poetry]?

Question

how do you feel about writing poems in specific forms [sonnets, villanelles, etc.] before moving on to free verse? i've always loved to write poetry and i've been taking it more seriously lately but words in free verse come pretty easily to me and its what i love to write. however, the more i learn about my favorite poets the more i hear that they started out with traditional forms before discarding them later on. so i'm thinking, who am i to be writing free verse when allen ginsberg struggled writing sonnets for years before he wrote howl. what do you all think about this? is writing poetry in a specific form a good poetic exercise? should i not worry about it all? is it important and i've just been neglecting it this whole time? thanks!!

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Writing in form has its rewards and shortfalls, first you know when to turn the line and when the poem is done. The more important thing to know is what the poem needs and how to determine that. This only comes from years of study (independent or school), lots and lots of reading and taking the time to determine why you are writing about and what you are writing about.

I think you should know, as a student of poetry, what is available to you and it is always good to grow and discover new things, but its not overly important. If you'll look at these boards you'll see a lot of rhyme but very little form.

Good luck.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

thank you, this was definitely the answer i was looking for.

Answer 2

i think that it is fun to try to fit and reword a free verse poem into a specific form it really depends on my mood when i'm writing on what i do with the words on the paper, and honestly if you want a specific form then do that but if your heart tells you to write something then write it because anything that comes from ones heart is beautiful

Answer 3

If you feel the poetry it will flow naturally. Write what you feel. Your expression will come from the heart and mind and no book can replace that.

Answer 4

It's always good to practice different forms!

Source(s):

http://www.notebookinhand.com creativity forum, they'd love to hear this question!

Answer 5

I think that sometimes people, especially people new to poetry, think of free verse as somehow less exacting, or requiring less effort. But what free-verse poets often learn is that just because the rules of structure and rhythm aren't predefined, doesn't mean that their words should be chosen less carefully. Ginsberg's Howl, like you mentioned, is written in free verse but the attention to phrasing, rhythm, word choice, reveal, arc, and theme are as meticulous as if he had needed to adhere to iambic pentameter.

So to answer your question, I'd say that structured poetry is an excellent way to practice expressing yourself clearly and fully while still constrained by rules of meter, rhyme, etc. But if your heart lies with free-verse, that's what you should write. Practice with one, write with the other.