Jim,
Let me quote my own poem to show how it's done
Here's my take on The Formalist (written after a scathing critique of one of my rare attempts at free verse):
Fenster the Formalist
"Dear Rose," he opened condescendingly,
"Your so-called poem fails to float my boat.
It doesn't showcase virtuosity
with rhyme and meter. Poetry should tote
that bale and lift that barge! You've heard the quote
from E. A. Robinson, who never stooped
to mere
vers libre for, he said, he wrote
badly enough already. Don't be duped
into complacency by Modern hacks
who, mostly women, gays and PhDs,
produce a plethora of "verse" that lacks
the artistry that's present in a sneeze.
In short," he said dismissively, "dear Rose,
it isn't metrical, therefore it's prose."
p.s. "Thank you for your comments" = "I'm going to pen a resentful sonnet about you later"
[This message has been edited by Rose Kelleher (edited July 08, 2005).]