Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.” — Henry David Thoreau
What are the rules of poetry? There are none!
Yes, there are various forms of poetry that have rules, the sonnet, the haiku, limerick and others but for poetry in general there are no hard, fast rules. Don’t let anyone tell you that there are a set of rules you must follow when you write poetry, it just simply isn‘t true and in modern times poets have stretched creative liberty to the limits with positive results. Doesn’t that make you feel amazingly free, to know you can just write without being burdened with a set of rules to follow? Most of our lives are encumbered with too many rules. Why bring more unnecessary restriction on ourselves in the expression of our poetry? Writing poetry should be liberating, not constricting. Take yourself and your readers on a journey with unexpected twists and turns, keep creativity alive and pulsing with freedom.
Free verse is a beautiful thing, a conversational, yet condensed form of expression. Better to have no rhymes than to have forced ones. Poetry, whether in rhyme or free verse should flow well and move the reader naturally from one line to the next, one thought to the next, so that the entire expression is smooth and effortlessly absorbed into the consciousness. A poem should leave a basic thought or thoughts with the reader, thoughts to ponder , thoughts to inspire questions or reaffirm inner truths. Thoughts to bring a smile or tear. Emotions to be felt and savored.
What about punctuation? Well that’s debatable. Some poems I don’t punctuate, some I use only a minimum of punctuation and others I fully punctuate. I think it depends on the poem itself. Some poetry, especially story-poems need punctuation for the clarity of the story and the comfort of the reader. Established form poetry must be punctuated to remain true to form. Some poetry is only marred by the use of punctuation which interferes with the flow.
It’s so thrilling, yes thrilling is the word, to know you have the whole universe as your inspiration and in the case of fantasy or science fiction, perhaps universes that exist only in your imagination to inspire your writing.
Why restrict yourself with “Poetry rules”? Let your poetry be as free as your imagination. Experiment with new forms, new and different ways of expression. Write outside the box, for the most beautiful things should be free and they are never seen if they are locked in boxes.
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