Long or Short?

[Bob Pacey]

Spot on Manfred


Damm I wish I had noticed that first rotflmgo



Bob

[Stephen Whiteside]

I generally find shorter-lined poems more difficult to write, because it usually means I'm putting pressure on myself to find more rhymes.

If you are writing four line verses with long lines, especially if you settle for an ABCB rhyming pattern, you don't have to find many rhymes at all.

On the other hand, as David said, it can be difficult to keep track of the metre with very long lines.

[Heather]

Hi ho,

I'm probably mixing up all sorts of things here.

David's example:

When the sunset has gone from the hillsides, and the shadow of night slowly comes,
you can hear them, for they are still marching, to the sound of some far-distant drums.
In the silence their voices still whisper of the deeds that took place long ago,
and the breeze carries word of their story so that all who can hear it might know.

With 19 syllables, there is to my mind more flexibility in that line because of it's length - much more scope for the use of different words and arrangement.

Like Stephen, I also find the shorter lined poems harder, probably for two reasons - less room to move so to speak in terms of the words you can use and the restrictiion of rhyme and metre. For that reason I am very selective about the words I use. I have to be able to say a lot in a very short space so the words and their arrangment convey a lot. Look at Stephen's weather report poem - very economical with words but it gets the message across.

If a short line has a rhyme at the end - especially like the one I'm working on ABAB with only 8 syllables and then 7 syallables - very limited space to move.

And Mannie, I haven't found one up to the challenge yet. Line 'em up! I'm

[Neville Briggs]

If I'm allowed back from exile, my answer before, Heather, was because I believe that there is no formulaic answer.

It's like a painter, how big should the size of a canvas be, who knows ?, that's up to the artist, how many lines should be in each verse of a song, who knows ? that's up to the composer to decide.

It one of those things that is very hard to express I think. For poetry, I think it's about the rhythm of language, which is NOT the same thing as metre or syllable counts. Maybe a bit like the timing of the stand up comedian, some have a feel for it some don't, there is no formula that I have heard about.

I suggest that you will find the answer you need if you read a lot of poetry of all types, listening for the weight and flow of the lines. Read them out loud. that should give you a better idea than just reading.

[Heather]

Exile? What exile?

I've already made up my mind Neville - I find it more of a challenge to write something with fewer words in a line and with more rhymes in the mix.

And, I always read 'em out loud Neville. Poems are meant to be read out loud.

Heather