Mystical Angels

Why do some people think that poetry has to rhyme and/or use flowery/mystical phrasing?

Sure, it may be pretty, lyrical, and it may "sound" deep, but I find that form and structure restrictive to the creative force. My poems just come out as they are, words that flow. No hidden meanings, no fancy rhymes... just a feeling or an idea. Taking the time to rhyme would take away from it. "As the spirit wanes the form appears" - Charles Bukowski. In other words, when you start worrying about form, you've had it.

Public Comments

1. they don't get it or they haven't read enough poetry
2. That's the reason it is poety, otherwise it is prose. Poetry of prose, as long as it is not destructive in nature, good enough.
3. Simply put, most people simply don't understand the concept of poetry.
4. I think form is still important in free verse. There has to be some type of cohesion to a poem. People gravitate to rhyme and vomiting up the thesaurus because that's the type of poetry they're exposed to in school. If they were exposed to different styles of poetry early on maybe it would be different.
5. If you start taking Bukowski as your mentor, you've had it.
6. It sounds much better.
7. my opinion, Poetry is of the oral tradition, it need to be read aloud. Structure and form is important but I too like the simplicity of free verse. but free does not mean it is not work and there is no construction involved in writing. Two words from Bukowski " Tombstone still" referring to his quiet typewriter., suggest to me he has worked hard over the years at perfecting the construction of his "waning spirit" but above all things poetry requires cadence Flowery words mean nothing if they don't dance or sway or die. ca·dence (kdns) KEY NOUN: pl. ca·denc·es Balanced, rhythmic flow, as of poetry or oratory. The measure or beat of movement, as in dancing or marching. A falling inflection of the voice, as at the end of a sentence. General inflection or modulation of the voice. Music A progression of chords moving to a harmonic close, point of rest, or sense of resolution. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old French *cadence, from Old Italian cadenza, from Vulgar Latin *cadentia, a falling, from Latin cadns , cadent- present participle of cadere, to fall; see kad- in Indo-European roots