Free+Verse

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__Free verse:__ a type of poetry that has no set meter, and can or cannot rhyme  __ QUACK! Poetic Forms __. Videocassette. Teacher's Discovery.

Some characteristics of free verse poems are:  o  Repetition  o  Patterns of stressed & unstressed syllables  o  Alliteration  o  Occasional rhyme inside the line  o  Occasional rhyme at the end of lines  o  Patterns of assonance(syllables where the vowel sounds are the same)  o  Imagery "Free Verse." __Prose and Poetry Techniques__. V&A. 11 Mar 2008 .

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Free verse was the most common in the 19th century French poetry and had irregular cadence. In English it is found as far back as the King James Bible, Walt Witman’s poetry from 1700, and during the Victorian era. Abraham Cowley in 1665 also used free verse. Free verse has been in use for centuries, and is still used today. Many poets like to have the freedom to tell a story without having rhythm or rhyme. Ust, Daniel. "The Many Births of Free Verse." __The Origins of Free Verse__. 2001 . 11 Mar 2008 .

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Here are some famous examples of free verse poetry.

I Dream'd in a Dream by Walt Whitman

I DREAM'D in a dream I saw a city invincible to the attacks of the whole of the rest of the earth, I dream'd that was the new city of Friends, Nothing was greater there than the quality of robust love, it led the rest, It was seen every hour in the actions of the men of that city, And in all their looks and words.

__"I Dream'd in a Dream"__, by Walt Whitman is an example of free verse because it does not have a set rhyme or meter. This poem uses personification, and follows its own rules. It does not have to have rhyming or a set meter, and is basically "free" from the rules of poetry.

Fog by Carl Sandburg

The fog comes on little cat feet.

It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on.

__"Fog"__, by Carl Sandburg, is an example of free verse because it also does not use specific rhyme or meter, because free verse does not have to ryhme and what not. This example also uses an extended metaphor, comparing the fog to a cat, and doesn't follow any specific rules. Free verse is one of the best types of poetry to use, if you don't want a bunch of specific rules.

Chakravarthula, Smitha. "Freedom of Free Verse." __Poetry Knowledge Zone__. June 20, 2004. 7 Mar 2008 [|http://www.boloji.com/poetry/learningzone/pkz11a.htm.

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[|Click here] to take a quiz on Free Verse and test what you have learned :)

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