Hi Julie,
First of all, a poem’s existence being acknowledged on the sphere is the first step in moving it forward or yanking it from the stage, so I thank you for that. I think I have to agree with you that I am making more of a declaration here than an argument, and sonnet-wise, a declaration is not enough.
My argument is meant to be that rhymers should accept on faith that their verse is superior to the alternative of free verse because few in the world of poetry now do. For convenience, I leave out the merits of blank verse and the perils of doggerel.
My title, “Candle Power” is the nomenclature for measuring the intensity of light. So my “”lit” has that literality. The slang term “lit” has long meant drunk and I am trying for a sort of drunken (if simplistic) ecstasy of rhyme. In modern slang, “lit” means excellent, and I suppose I am saying that rhyme is more excellent than non-rhyme, although I am sure many could argue my own rhymes are pitiable at best. And last, as in ”lit mags,” lit means literary. I see Eratosphere as one of the last bastions of traditional poetry, but even the sphere seems not much of a fan of old-fashioned populist verse with end rhymes in couplets like this has. I always like to play both ends when I am going for humor, so that a reader asks, is this tongue in cheek, head in ass, or not. Is he playing the fool or not? I’ve said it before, usually I am only fooling myself.
I’ve said all this hoping to prompt comments to help guide me where I want to go, or should go instead, and if that's back to the drawing board, so be it. Yours is a start, so thanks.
All the best,
Jim
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