Musings on Poetic Rhythm, Meter, and Measure
Rhythm and flow are all about
the poem's percussive beats, the stress
of every lilt and swing throughout;
their rise and fall must not digress
too much beyond the form without
inspiring lyrical success.
Meter’s a trick of deft poets,
who know the cadence of their feet
give lines their tempo. And so it’s
like a poem’s pulsating heartbeat;
it’s hypnotic (and you know it’s
rhythmic),—so drink in its potent beat!
As one hears a poem’s rich measure
(the crests and troughs of its music,
the ebb and flow of its leisure),
it tunes like a score symphonic,
an orchestra of paced pleasure
with a sound and song that’s epic!
By Ngoc Nguyen
From: United States