Hi Julie, I agree with much of what you say here with one glaring exception.
#5. Don't enjamb rhymed verse too much.
I went back to all the Nemerov winners and found that most winning poets enjambed the heck out of their poems. I kind of consider the Nemerov the"Cadillac" of formal poetry prizes. Many of the winning poets were not bashful with enjambments. I realize it's a relatively small sample, but it is the best I can find. My take on it is if the best poets are doing it then why shouldn't we? Several of those poets are members of the Sphere. I would love to hear from them and why they do it.
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