I don't see how you can say "fire" with just one syllable if you are going to pronounce the vowel the same way you'd pronounce the pronoun "I". If you pronounce it more like an "a" so it sounds a lot like "far", I can see, but saying "I" puts my mouth out of position to attach an "r" sound without saying it "err".
But in general, I think you're right to question the idea of avoiding words that have regional differences in pronunciation. On the one hand, you want to avoid having readers stumble over a line because they pronounce things differently. On the other hand, you may want to trust the reader to be aware of alternative pronunciations and use them where necessary to maintain the meter. I generally take the former approach, especially when I'm writing children's verse.
|