Frost, when speaking to a poetry class, and I'm paraphrasing here, said the the first line of any poem is the easiest one. From then on each following line is forced to conform to the structure of rhythm and rhyme.


Poem

The first line is mine free of restraint
The second will be rhythmic of necessity
The third adds rhyme as the next constraint
The forth is molded by the trinity



Poetry by josephus The PoetBay support member heart!
Read 632 times
Written on 2015-04-17 at 03:28

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Jamsbo Rockda The PoetBay support member heart!
Well done. A lovely explanation of perfect verse.
2015-04-19


Lawrence Beck The PoetBay support member heart!
Bravo!
2015-04-18


ken d williams The PoetBay support member heart!
To write poetry , as is , not as those say it should be
Is the poet , like you decide poetry truly is , is true poetry is
As poetry truly is
Ken D
2015-04-17


countryfog
Nicely done, and true. Even if one doesn't write rhymed and metered poetry, that first line does establish the form for someone like me who writes in lines of equal length, equal "breaths." I think that's the Eastern influence.

There is another bit of Frost advice I like - "write every poem as if it were your last." Sooner or later of course, it is.
2015-04-17