Free Verse Poems
A Summation By Em Cholette
Overview/History
Free verse poems do not have any specific beat or meter to them. In the second half of the nineteenth century, free verse rapidly became more popular and in the twentieth century it became the main form of poetry for a lot of poets. There is an on-going argument that free verse even has ties in the King James Bible (Simpson).
Purpose of Free Verse
Free verse doesn't have a one specific "use". It is most commonly used in contemporary poetry. Poets use it for creative break. Writing free verse gives you a bit more control of how the poem is. It gives you more freedom and more ways to be able to convey your message or feelings into the poem (LiteraryDevices Editors).
Characteristics of Free Verse
Free verse poems are individually unique. There is no set beat, rhythm, or meter to them. They do not have any set rules, yet they don't typically throw away every single rule in poetry. Free verse is also called vers libre which is French. Lastly, free verse poetry is based on natural or normal pause and rhythmical phrases unlike the constraints that make some other poetry sound artificial (LiteraryDevices Editors).
Example of Free Verse
Fog by Carl Sandburg
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
("Examples of Free Verse Poems")
Citations
"Examples of Free Verse Poems." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow, Corp., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2014. <http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-free-verse-poems.html>.
LiteraryDevices Editors. "Free Verse - Definition and Examples of Free Verse." Literary Devices. Literary Devices, n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2014. <http://literarydevices.net/free-verse/>.
Simpson, Erik. "Connections: Poetry: Forms: Free Verse (2)." Connections: Poetry: Forms: Free Verse (2). Creative Commons, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2014. <http://www.math.grinnell.edu/~simpsone/Connections/Poetry/Forms/free2.html>.