Free Verse Poetry & Group Poem Lesson —Gabriel
Free Verse
So far, we've been writing fixed-form poems, verses that are regulated by syllable count or rhyme scheme. Now it's time to break away and enter the world of free verse.
Free verse simply means that the poem does not have a pre-set form. However, this doesn't mean that you can write anything! Instead, you're responsible for finding a form that suits your poem's spirit and meaning. This responsibility makes free verse very demanding.
Let's take a look at a poet's use of free verse. Walt Whitman, one of America's greatest poets, celebrated life. He was a free spirit who didn't want to leave anything out of his poetry. Thus, he needed a form that could absorb his intention. Here is an excerpt from "There was a Child Went Forth." Read it out loud.
The early lilacs became part of this child,
And grass and white and red morning-glories, and white and red clover,
and the song of the phoebe-bird,
And the Third-month lambs and the sow's pink-faint litter, and mare's foal
and the cow's calf,
And the noisy brood of the barnyard or by the mire of the pondside, And the fish suspending themselves so curiously below there, and the
beautiful curious liquid,
And the water-plants with their graceful flat heads, all became part of him.
Notice the rhythm that Whitman establishes. The long lines, with their catalogue of objects, have a kind of prayerful cadence that makes the poem feel vast. Imagine if these lines were regulated to ten syllables and a rhyme scheme. Wouldn't the meaning of the poem suffer?
However, another free verse poem might beg for shorter lines and shorter stanzas. This depends on the tone and content of the poem.
Writing Exercise Prompt 1.
Compose a free verse poem. You might want to write the poem first, and then decide on the form. But before deciding on your style, ask yourself the following questions:
What's the tone of my poem?
What's my poem about?
How long should the lines be?
How long should the stanzas be?
When you're done, read your poem to a trusted friend. Be prepared to explain your free verse style.
Group Poem Writing Exercise Prompt 2.
Whether you try it in the classroom or at a party, this next activity is lots of fun.
Get in a group of five or six people. The first person writes the title and the first four lines of a poem. Then she folds the paper over, leaving only the last line visible.
The next person reads this line and continues the poem, adding four lines and then leaving one visible. This process continues until the final person writes four lines and an ending.
When you're all done, read the poem out loud. You'll be amazed at the twists and turns!