Well, anyone can do it. In the old days
of triolets and villanelles, the readership
knew the rules and could judge them well,
and be impressed. A competent versifier
could win praise without moving anyone,
really. They could all see for themselves
how hard it is. “I couldn’t do that.”
Some people need to be impressed
by art, before they can be moved. If
it looks like something they could do
themselves, there’s uncomfortable
accusation there. Why don’t they?
Why aren’t we all poets, then?
Free verse has no such outs. No shortcuts
to impress, to catch and wow by meticulous
use. No structure, no set forms.
No safety net, no trapeze, no tightrope.
Takes one hell of an acrobat to please
and impress just vaulting about freely
on the ground. But some of them can
fly.
I say there are excellent free verse poems,
as good as any rhymed. Better, maybe.
Lack of structure and forms means you
must invent your own in every poem
To captivate, transport or move
the reader
with only your chosen words
alone.
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