[John Riley]

I have two questions. What is a flexible iambic line? Lines of irregular length? If so, does that meet the requirement established for formal poetry used here at the Sphere?

Second, are there differences in standards for metrical poetry used here and what is considered to be formal poetry outside of the Sphere?

Thanks

[FOsen]

Iambic lines with frequent substitutuions - trochees, anapests.

[ChrisGeorge]

Hi Julie

Excuse my ignorance and possible impudence, but aren't you actually asking whether there is a difference between free verse and prose? That is the only way your question might make sense. As has been discussed, blank verse has meter so it is definitely not the same thing as prose, and of course blank verse is very different from free verse, which, as Robert Frost remarked, is like playing tennis without the net.

Chris

[Gregory Dowling]

Chris, if you want an answer from Julie you might want to send her a PM alerting her to the revival of this thread, since she actually asked the question you refer to nearly two years ago.

[Michael Cantor]

Are you on a treasure hunt, Chris? Last week you revived a thread on Betjeman that went back to 2008. Now this from 2005/2003.

If you're going to resurrect old threads, why not indicate you're doing so? Many of us can't remember what we had for breakfast, let alone what we said five years ago, so there's the danger of (a) wasting time by rewriting and restating something you already said in years earlier, or - even worse - putting up a comment that directly contradicts the one you made previously. I am large, I contain multitudes - but I hate to demonstrate it publicly.

That said, I agree with the importance of lineation cited by Quincy (and, through him, by Ray), and Sam and others - plus meter - as what differentiates blank verse from prose. There is a musicality and sonic and emotional rhythm that these elements bring to blank verse that almost never exists in even the most lyrical prose. (This is at least partly due to my particular ear and taste, but when I do come across prose that particularly excites me with its "poetic" sense, I often find that it is essentially metrical.)

Somewhat off-topic question: at one stage I was writing little but formal, rhymed verse; but for the past few years I find myself moving more and more into blank verse, and free verse with a metrical undertone. What I am also experiencing is that I seem to have more difficulty in finding a home for blank verse that for formal verse of equal (in my estimation) quality. There are a few quality journals that appear to like free verse, but over the broader range my sense is that blank verse falls in the cracks - that the form-friendly journals tend toward rhyme, and the free verse-oriented journals obviously brint free verse - and that when they want to broaden their range they favor rhyme and classic forms, rather than blank verse. Does anybody lese share this feeling?

[ChrisGeorge]

Originally Posted by Michael Cantor

Are you on a treasure hunt, Chris? Last week you revived a thread on Betjeman that went back to 2008. Now this from 2005/2003.

If you're going to resurrect old threads, why not indicate you're doing so? Many of us can't remember what we had for breakfast, let alone what we said five years ago, so there's the danger of (a) wasting time by rewriting and restating something you already said in years earlier, or - even worse - putting up a comment that directly contradicts the one you made previously. I am large, I contain multitudes - but I hate to demonstrate it publicly.

Hi Michael

I have been using with greater frequency the "Who's on line" option which frequently leads me to these neglected threads, often being viewed by "Guest" rather than by a member. It has been a pleasure to find a number of worthwhile past discussions that are hidden away. I have been delighted to learn some things I didn't know. You should try it... or maybe you have.

You and Greg are probably correct that the posting member should indicate that they are reviving an old thread, and thanks to you both for pointing that out.

Best regards

Chris