Do you consider poetry that doesn't rhyme poetry?

Question

Or do you consider it a 'short story'? I write rhyming poetry mainly but sometimes when I just want to rant (lol) I write non rhyming stuff.

I don't know why but I never really considered it poetry as such... what do you think ?

Answer 1

It's hard to write comical poetry that does not rhyme. Try it, you'll see what I mean. Rhyming , in itself, is an art form and gives the writer a great sense of achievement especially when the rhymes are not forced but flow, naturally.
No, poetry does not have to rhyme, but it still requires 'structure'. that means stressed and unstressed syllable counts, suitable punctuation to show where pauses are required and end-stops to indicate the completion of a thought.
I believe most people write poetry to be read by others and to provde some kind of emotional impact .This being the case, it is good practice to ensure sound 'structure' so that the poem can read as the writer intended. So often, modern poets drown in their own cleverness by presenting incoherent unstructured lines of wordage that only they can understand; what one eminent critic describes as "bum-dribble". You only have to read some of the offerings in the Guardian reviews or the Spectator to understand what I mean.
Personally I am inclined to agree with this critic.
I like rhyming poetry that is metrical and rolls easily off the tongue.

Have fun with your poetry. Benvee

Answer 2

I don't think I'll ever figure this one out. "What is poetry?" is a complicated question. Does poetry need meter? Not everything called "poetry" today has a sustained meter.
Does poetry need a shorter line length than a short story? Then a lot of works would be excluded.
Can a song be poetry, or is it excluded because it is sung, even though-- a long time ago-- poetry was usually spoken (and maybe sung) aloud?
Does poetry need words? I think that's the only one I can decide on. I think poetry needs words, but I've had people disagree with me.
If you take poetry classes in college these days, you'll often hear the opposite of your opinion. A lot of students claim that the poet isn't free to express herself until she has broken free from the prison of rhyme and form. This opinion is so popular today that it seems, ironically, narrow-minded. Free verse is supposed to be liberating, but I've met many adherents who don't seem liberated enough to consider all forms of poetry, and give rhyme a chance.

I hope I've helped some.

Answer 3

Poetry: "An imaginative response to experience reflecting a keen awareness of language. Its first characteristic is rhythm, marked by regularity far surpassing that of prose. Poetry’s rhyme affords an obvious difference from prose. Because poetry is relatively short, it is likely to be characterized by compactness and intense unity."
The definition does not say that poetry is Sentences that rhyme at the end.

Poetry is anything that is made up of words (often more intelligent or flourishing), has line breaks, and is deemed so by the author. Line breaks is the most important determinant of poetry and cannot be considered a short story if it has short lines.
If it doesn't rhyme, it may be considered "free verse" or "open".

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What you say
(if it doesn't rhyme it's not poetry)
is like saying that anything of a certain category is not in that category if it is not the most popular one according to society
(if you're a girl and your hair is cut short you don't look like a girl)
(if it flies, it can't be a mammal--like a bat)

Answer 4

Definitely. Most of the modern poets I like write poems that don't rhyme, although they often still write within the constraints of verse forms of one sort or another.

One of the first things we do when doing poetry with students in Year 7 (1st year of secondary school) is to consider how something that doesn't rhyme (most children's idea of a poem is something that rhymes) can still be a poem and what makes language 'poetic'.

Some poets do also write 'prose poems' which are poetic in their use of imagery, description, rhythm, etc,, but are not in verse form at all.

Obviously I have no idea what your writing is like and where it might fit into all this.

Answer 5

It is absolutely considered poetry even if it doesn't rhyme.However it is important to have rhythm, which is different than rhyme.If it sounds more like a letter to a friend, than I would consider it a short story.Some very great poetry does not rhyme, but flows off the tongue.

Answer 6

Yes, I think all poetry must rhyme. If it doesn't rhyme then it should take on the changed roll of prose

Answer 7

Is there one definition of beauty?
Is music still music if it isn't metered?

What is born in the heart, channelled through talented minds, presented to the world as a gift, accepted gratefully, and then preserved and shared....is art. Poetry is art, musings...art, rants...art.

There is poetry in a teardrop, which is silent to all but he who sees, and understands, shares, and remembers.

You are an artist.

Answer 8

Good question! It should be called "Free Flow" or something, true poetry should have an element of control and craftsmanship for me. So no, I don't consider it poetry, but a separate form all of its own.
Cheers, Steve.

Answer 9

the style of poetic writing is up to the author. although rhyming poetry was once the norm, it is no longer.

Answer 10

Yes! Non-rhyming poetry is referred to as "free verse". One famous practitioner was the poet e.e. cummings.