What defines a poem? Must poetry and rhymes move together? Should a poem always make sense? Or does its purpose rest in provoking and unsettling? I let go of strict logic when I write. Whatever thoughts rise, I give them form. Some lines land, some do not. The fun sparks in the mix. A poem comes alive at the crossing of writer and reader.
New Poetry and Rhymes
All Kinds of Poetry and Rhymes
Poetry in all its forms, not bound to categorisations.
Poets
Poetry and rhymes here pay homage to literary icons. I write lines in the form of an acrostic, honouring their contributions.
Acrostics for Poets of a Past Era
Photographs
Poetry and rhymes accompany some of my photos. These poems follow a decasyllabic pattern and belong to the practice of ekphrasis. Their rhythmic structure uses AABB. My imagination opens when I start an image through poetic language. The poetry and rhymes may sound unusual by design.
A few lines follow an iambic pentameter in the vein of William Shakespeare. However, he often framed his verses in an ABAB rhyme scheme. Iambic pentameter prevails as the dominant poetic form in the English language. Its prominence arises from a natural rhythm close to everyday speech.
Nature is poetry. An ever-unfolding verse whispered by the wind and painted by the sun’s gentle touch.
Photograph Poems
Poetry and rhymes written for photographs.
Favourite poems include: The End Brings Relief, Abstract Tension, Incident Of Insanity, and Pity The Sadness.
Uncovering Hidden Depths in Metal
My journey into poetry and rhymes began in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It marked a time when Hair Metal and Rock hit their zenith. Bands like ALICE COOPER, BON JOVI, CINDERELLA, DANGER DANGER, DEF LEPPARD, GUNS N’ ROSES, JUDAS PRIEST, MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON, SCORPIONS, SKID ROW, STEELHEART, TYKETTO, WARRANT, WILDSIDE, WINGER, and many more dominated.
Numerous songs explored parties, romance, or enjoying life. These themes did not grip my curiosity. Yet a few bands wrote their lines with the depth of authentic poetry and rhymes.
A lasting impact on me came from the band SKID ROW. Their song ’18 And Life’ remains one of my all‑time favourites. The track recounts the story of a boy booted out by his father, left on the street with his companion. Alcohol and mischief walk alongside them. The spiral leads to catastrophe, and he shoots his friend, hence ’18 And Life’.
The writing brings together a quatrain and a formal verse structure with an AABB rhyme scheme. Its storytelling and poetic skill in ’18 And Life’ give the piece weight.
‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ by WARRANT stands as another great song. It relates the story of a boy and his father going fishing in the bayou. On their outing, they drift into a scary scene. Two men dispose of bodies in the water, none other than the sheriff and his deputy. ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ follows the same narrative frame as ’18 And Life’.
A Shift in Musical Tastes
In the mid-1990s, the era of Hair Metal came to a close. My musical preferences moved in a darker, more aggressive direction. I immersed myself in bands like CRADLE OF FILTH, DARK FUNERAL, DIMMU BORGIR, EMPEROR, IMMORTAL, KAMPFAR, LIMBONIC ART, MAYHEM, SATYRICON, and others of a similar ilk.
The Poe-etic Transition
Following my musical phase, I wandered into the eerie world of Edgar Allan Poe. His dark and enchanting poetry and rhymes played a melodic tune within my inner world. His poems reach further than any song lyric.
“They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.”
Edgar Allan Poe
Poe’s most well-known work remains ‘The Raven.’ He chose the rhythmic pattern and metrical feet with diligence. The poem has a rhyme scheme of ABCBB and leans on ‘or’ words. Poe drew on a lexicon of ‘lore,’ ‘door,’ ‘more,’ ‘floor,’ ‘Lenore,’ ‘evermore,’ ‘before,’ ‘implore,’ and many others.
AI art made by Midjourney.
I crafted an acrostic in honour of Edgar Allan Poe.
Master of the Macabre
Every content of his tales grows eerie,
Dwelling in darkness and never cheery.
Ghastly realms his unsettled mind would trace,
Awe-inspiring, his haunting and pale grace,
Raven’s croaking from a forsaken place.
A bleak heart within a troubled, sad soul,
Lonely spirit, where his thoughts used to stroll,
Lost in realms as darkened and black as coal.
Annabel Lee and Lenore’s dire lament,
Nevermore shall his profound words relent.
Poe’s legacy stands immortal and grand,
Ominous narratives at his command,
Eternal maestro of the morbid land.
Poetry and Rhymes in Contemporary Versification
Contemporary poetry often embraces free verse. Poetry and rhymes, however, have faded from the favoured gaze of many. Some tutors argue they belong to the past. They cite cases where rhyme feels forced and unnatural. In its clumsier forms, rhymed poetry can verge on Yoda‑like phrasing. It makes it unappealing to readers. Yet, well-crafted poetry and rhymes can resonate when the lines flow.
Old-world diction and clichés cast yet another crimson caution across the page. Indeed, we no longer speak as we did four hundred years ago. But why not zest a poem with archaic words to deepen its atmosphere?
What marks a cliché? Does it include well-known phrases like ‘the ball is in your court,’ ‘actions speak louder than words,’ or ‘bite the bullet’? Or does it also encompass the more familiar idioms like ‘break a leg,’ ‘don’t count your chickens before they hatch,’ or ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’?
And what about expressions like ‘tried and true,’ ‘warning sign,’ or ‘red flag?’ The truth remains because one person may see a cliché whilst another does not. Writers and poets who rely on clichés may lack imagination, and I understand this perspective. Yet deciding where a truism begins can prove elusive.