Rhyming shouldn't be stigmatized over poor examples or be embraced as the only poetic form available to the writer due to the many classical examples from centuries before. It should be used if the writer is comfortable with it, or it is a part of how they write, or what they are writing calls for rhyming. The writers below are all talented at their craft and have generously accepted to contribute to the article.
- What is your opinion on rhyming literature on deviantART?
Traditionally fixed literature in any place (not strictly deviantArt), can seem either very natural and effortless, or very forced. Although free verse tends to be significantly more popular here, there's something in a rhythmic poem that free verse does not always capture. Just like word choice or metaphors, the melody of a poem also helps in the telling of the story. - Do you have any tips for writers struggling with rhyme?
First know this: Rhyme does not constitute whether a poem is better or worse. What does, however, is being sure to select language that you feel enhances the communication of that poem. While rhythm and meters are fantastic, you should never trade the message of your poetry for the chance to rhyme "you" with "blue". What I'm saying is, if you can make the poem rhyme and flow without reconfiguring your sentences into unnatural paraphrases, then bye all means go for it! But at the same time, giving up the contents of a poem simply for the sake of rhyme defeats the purpose. I mean, what is poetry but self-expression? - Do you prefer a consistent rhyme scheme throughout? Why or why not?
In all honesty, I have no personal preference. A consistent rhyme scheme is always good in that, eventually I know what to expect and can focus more on the contents rather than the mechanics, but an unpredictable rhyme scheme is always that much more exciting!
- Do you have any advice for writers struggling to rhyme out here in the lit community?
Honestly, the simplest advice is probably the best: don't force it. I think a big reason some people have an aversion to rhyming poetry is that a lot of the time rhymes can feel forced. No one wants to see the same 20 words in a poem, just because they're easy to rhyme. A couple of other simple suggestions: read all types of literature and take inspiration from talented songwriters/lyricists. Oh, and listen to hip hop. All of those things will help expand your vocabulary. - How did you learn to rhyme the way you do?
I first got interested in writing in grade school. At that age, rhyming poetry is where it's at. When I hit high school, I started writing lyrics for bands I was in. Actually, I started writing lyrics for bands that didn't actually exist, but eventually started playing music for real and writing lyrics accordingly. When I first made the transition to poetry, I was heavily influenced by people like Ginsberg, Bukowski, and cummings, so I tried to stay as far away from rhymes as possible. As I got a bit more comfortable with writing, I started to let the rhymes sneak in a bit. I also started doing open mic nights, not only for poetry but also hip hop verses/attempts at freestyling, and that sort of brought me full circle on rhyming. Now I'm equally comfortable writing something that's rhyme-packed as I am writing something rhyme-free. - Do you have any specific method of selecting rhymes or is it spontaneous?
I definitely don't have any specific method. Like with all my scribbles, if it feels/sounds right, I'll use it. Almost all of what I write is heavily influenced by the sounds of the words when read aloud, rhyming or not. There are some instances when I'll set out to write a rhyming poem, particularly if the situation seems to suit a rhyme scheme. This tends to happen when I work with certain visual artists, like the remarkably talented o0Amphigory0o.
- Do you have any advice for writers struggling to rhyme?
Experiment. Create new rhyme schemes. Slant rhyme. Read words aloud to pick out suitable partners. Read other people's poetry. Try writing in a traditional fixed form; sometimes working within constraints gives you the most freedom. Browse a thesaurus or even just a dictionary for a new word. Use the alphabet trick: starting with 'a' add every letter to the beginning of your desired rhyme sound. Let the rhyme morph as you go to keep things fresh. around, bound, cound?, crowned, drowned, flounder, ground, etc. Do a crossword puzzle. Most importantly, never stop writing. Even a passing thought can be refined or expounded upon later on. Always be proud of your work. - How did you learn to rhyme the way you do?
Music, I suppose. I have always been a very lyrics-focused person. When I first started out my writing was heavily influenced by the music I was listening to at the time. I had just started college and was ravenously discovering new music via the culture-smash that is freshman year. All those new styles really got me experimenting with word choice and rhythm and rhyme. For a while I was very into rap. Not so much your average club rap but very well-crafted, eloquent rap. An expertly written sixteen bars can be the best kick-start to thinking in rhyme and rhythm. - Is there any specific reason why people should include rhymes in free verse?
Rhyme is intoxicating. It draws the reader in and keeps them entertained. It establishes a rhythm that aids readability and that is, without the aid of music, the quickest way to establish the momentum of your piece. A dense rhyme scheme can convey tenseness, unease, or vigor. A casual dancing rhyme can read as peaceful, alluring, and safe. And mixing the two can cause all kinds of fun. Besides that, rhyme keeps the writer's mind entertained and whirring along. And an entertained writer is a prolific writer.
- What is your opinion on rhyming literature on deviantART?
I think it's a mixed bag, really, though I think that its this way simply because of the nature of deviantART. The site is, ultimately, for learning and developing a particular craft, whatever that craft may be. A lot of people just starting out writing poetry seem to have a preconceived notion that rhyming poetry has to have one (or more) of three things: Perfect end rhyme, end-line punctuation, and rhymes in couplets. These three things, when used sparingly, can be effective tools in the poet's toolkit; however, overuse of these things, along with the lack of concrete imagery, can lead to some really stale work. - Do you have any tips for writers struggling with rhyme?
Don't be afraid to make a mistake. Try something that is outside the box. And be ready to put in a lot of work – it is harder to make a rhyming poem that effectively conveys what you want to convey, because there are so many traps, clichés and pitfalls you have to look out for.
If the flow of a poem is becoming disjointed, try rewording lines or phrases to create a greater sense of enjambment. End punctuation is great, but only use it (as with anything in poetry) if it truly adds weight to a poem.
When using rhymes (and especially end rhymes), it is important to come up with rhymes that are surprising and unexpected – I know that when I am reading a piece, nothing turns me off of the work more than rhymes I can guess before I even reach them. Slant rhymes (i.e. near rhymes) are excellent to employ in these situations. - Do you find slanted or perfect rhymes to work better than one or the other when writing? Or do they each have their own uses?
I think they each have a place in poetry; I am not of the camp of handicapping a poet by not allowing him or her to utilize every tool in his kit. What it all comes down to is the manner in which a poem's content is told, and certainly there are better and worse ways of going about doing this, but nobody can tell you what they are; you just have to experiment.
I enjoy perfect rhymes more when they are dealt with internally or in places where enjambment is maintained. In these places, perfect rhymes are not as noticeable because there isn't as much emphasis placed on them as in places that have an end stop, for example. At an end stop, because the rhyme is the last word before a complete thought and pause, a reader has more time to reflect on the rhyme employed. If it is a stale or uninteresting rhyme (a "Hallmark rhyme"), it increases the likelihood that the reader will find the work, as a whole, uninteresting, regardless of whether or not the work contains merit elsewhere.
I also think that slant rhyme can be effective in places where refrains or monorhymes (rhyming a word with itself) are used. In my nested villanelle, "Into the Light," on of the refrains ends with the word 'mote,' but in the last quatrain of the piece, which contains all four refrains found throughout the poem, I altered this word and offered a slant rhyme, 'moit,' instead. This is significant not only for the slight difference in meaning, but also for the unexpected change. At this point in the poem, a reader (whether aware of it or not) has been trained to hear 'mote.' The introduction of a slightly different word offers surprise to close the piece, but the substitution of the word does not disrupt the flow of the poem.
- What is your opinion of rhyming literature in deviantART?
i think there are true talents who shine as well as those who are still honing their skills...then there are just hacks like me! - Do you have any tips for writers struggling with rhymes?
don't stress. there are usually several different ways to make any given point. if one path seems stuck in a non- or half-rhyme play with how you are saying what you want to say and you may find the phonic convergence you are looking for.
also:
if it feels forced or off, it probably is...although learning to use off kilter meter and rhyme to unsettle the reader is a secret of poetry ninjas everywhere...well, it's not so much of a secret anymore. - Do you think it's practical to include rhymes in free verse?
i don't know about practical, but i do it. for me, poetry is organic (even if i am maintaining a strict form), and organic isn't always what we mere humans would consider practical.
