Sir George Hayter's self-portrait (left) and Jean-Michel Basquiat's "Untitled."‘Messed Up Doesn’t Rhyme with Best’ by Phillip Whidden The Society April 13, 2021 Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry 5 Comments . Is poetry that’s free as free as all That? Surely it’s the poet who is free Or not. He makes the choice to make a sprawl Of words (and punctuation?) dribblingly Straight (straight?) along the right-hand margin, or Elects to wander from that side to God Knows where. Then reeling like a rummed-up whore The words or letters (only? maybe?) odd In some arrangement (disarranged?) dribble Below, blotched out with spaces here and there Without sound reason—barring to scribble Away in freedom, shapeless as despair. _This wouldn’t all be such a messy crime __If he chose—freely—steady beat and rhyme. . . Phillip Whidden is an American living in England who has been published in America, England, Scotland (and elsewhere) in book form, online, and in journals. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. 5 Responses Paul Freeman April 13, 2021 Perhaps a hybrid poetry would suit, instead of letting free verse get the boot. Mix black and white, the classic and the new, kiss warring tribes adieu, let words speak out above the mindset shout. Thanks for your ‘wonky’ sonnet, Phillip. I enjoyed it. I hope you like my hybrid response. Reply Paul Freeman April 13, 2021 Just had my third read. Any wonkiness irons itself out after the awkward enjambment with ‘That?’. Very clever. I can see this is a poem I’ll be coming back to. Thanks again, Phillip. Reply Daniel Kemper April 13, 2021 [Themselves] not free, but to [themselves] enthralled, the renouncers of structure are. But there is a way to keep the meter and rhyme and not exactly hybridize, but produce unique forms, like symphonies vs. chants… Reply Gail April 13, 2021 Every art starts with a self indulgent impulse. We accommodate ourselves to our fellows to find the friends we are willing to appreciate, and who will reciprocate. Classical forms support a generous urge to find many friends, when the artist possesses such an urge. Other methods do not exclude the possibility of a generous character in the artist, but it is more difficult to be certain it is present. Reply C.B. Anderson April 13, 2021 Thank you, Master Yoda. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Paul Freeman April 13, 2021 Perhaps a hybrid poetry would suit, instead of letting free verse get the boot. Mix black and white, the classic and the new, kiss warring tribes adieu, let words speak out above the mindset shout. Thanks for your ‘wonky’ sonnet, Phillip. I enjoyed it. I hope you like my hybrid response. Reply
Paul Freeman April 13, 2021 Just had my third read. Any wonkiness irons itself out after the awkward enjambment with ‘That?’. Very clever. I can see this is a poem I’ll be coming back to. Thanks again, Phillip. Reply
Daniel Kemper April 13, 2021 [Themselves] not free, but to [themselves] enthralled, the renouncers of structure are. But there is a way to keep the meter and rhyme and not exactly hybridize, but produce unique forms, like symphonies vs. chants… Reply
Gail April 13, 2021 Every art starts with a self indulgent impulse. We accommodate ourselves to our fellows to find the friends we are willing to appreciate, and who will reciprocate. Classical forms support a generous urge to find many friends, when the artist possesses such an urge. Other methods do not exclude the possibility of a generous character in the artist, but it is more difficult to be certain it is present. Reply
