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Forced Rhymes - Kim Rodrigues's Blog

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Welcome to my bio! I love poetry, of course, and enjoy interacting with other Soupers. I am originally from Upstate New York, travelled with the U.S. Navy and ended up in the Southern United States.

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Forced Rhymes

Blog Posted:3/22/2017 11:54:00 PM

Remember my fellow poets, forced rhymes are no good! Read your poems several times out loud! If it sounds funny (not haha) then it may need a change. I read my poems again, even after posting and will often edit.

And that one line you love so much may have to go. If it just doesn't fit, let it go. You can also try to rearrange but some things just can't be fixed.

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Kim
Rodrigues

Date: 3/23/2017 9:15:00 PM

Loving the conversation about this topic! I like the work comment, Doug! I have snuck in some short ones (LOL). Thanks and hugs, y'all! Southeastern USA slang for "all of you" ;)

Cyndi
Macmillan

Date: 3/23/2017 8:33:00 AM

There are several different variants of forced rhyme. 1) There is the awkward line formation that reverses the natural order of words just to maintain a rhyme scheme. 2) There is the ineffective use of a comma to put in that one word that rhymes. "He drove a car into her fence//She marched outside, incensed. (Ugh) 3) Similar to #2, is the use of a comma with any of the following words: too, also, indeed or some weak ending to a line that is used SOLELY for the purpose of rhyme 4) The word makes sense within the line, but the line makes no sense in the poem itself. The line itself was crammed into the poem in order to find a perfect rhyme for 'bludgeon.' 5) there's a line you want to write and it feels like it would add so much to your poem. It belongs there, but instead you shove in another line that rhymes and the reader can feel that omission. You bottled up the best in you just to obey a rhyme scheme and it shows. So, try either slant/off rhyme, assonance or consonance or change up your rhyme scheme to better allow your poem to naturally evolve. Forcing rhyme can stagnate your work and gag the creative process. Still, even after saying all this, I will say that rhyme can be beautiful and lend grace to a poem when the rhyme scheme plays second fiddle to the poem's content, its true purpose.

Doug Vinson
Date: 3/23/2017 11:04:00 AM

"Bludgeon," indeed, Cyndi. I think that is a weak time - when we have bashed so hard on a poem, pounding square pegs into round holes. We may get saturated by the violence, and lose perspective. Is the end result beautiful, like a moon of hammered silver rising in a dark sky, or will it be something that we ought to take another, better look at tomorrow? Probably the latter.

Doug
Vinson

Date: 3/23/2017 7:05:00 AM

Totally agree as well, Kim. When something doesn't rhyme properly, it's a real distraction, an enormous flat spot in a poem; far better to discard rhyme entirely and write the piece as free verse. I will say that many older and highly-acclaimed poems have some such awkward moments, but that's just my opinion, as is everything here. "That one line" - yes, sometimes it has to go, or another different poem will form around it. Unless we plot everything out in advance - which, again IMO, usually leads to an inferior poem - the writing process often takes us into unforeseen places, as if we are somewhat discovering the poem, rather than consciously, brutally, stodgily "just writing it."

Cyndi Macmillan
Date: 3/23/2017 8:22:00 AM

Stodgily! YES! Which is why I'm still playing on Soup instead of "just writing." :D I'll give myself just ten more minutes, then up go the sleeves as I 'Carry on writing." Cheers!

Barry
Stebbings

Date: 3/23/2017 5:01:00 AM

I completely agree, Kim. I come across this in my local poetry writing group where people are reading their work aloud. Forced rhyme kills good ideas. I try to tell people how important a syllable count is in aiding the flow of a poem. Favorite line line fixation is another one. It is sometimes necessary to let go off a favorite line for the value of the work as a whole.

Doug Vinson
Date: 3/23/2017 11:20:00 AM

Barry, I think Kim has it right - people should be reading their poems as they write them. Aloud, silently, or in a faint whisper (might be writing one while at work heh heh heh) to get the real feel of it; *how it sounds.* I look at the number of syllables too, but our wacky language sometimes throws a wrench in there and a line with plus or minus one or two syllables may be the best.

Jan
Allison

Date: 3/23/2017 4:27:00 AM

I agree with you about forced rhyme and often edit my poems several times after I have posted them - rhyme is an issue especially with language differences - I found that last time I had a footles contest and I do try and give benefit of the doubt and use rhymezone if I am unsure:-) hugs Jan xx

Doug Vinson
Date: 3/23/2017 7:11:00 AM

Indeed, Jan. Perhaps we get "saturated" with a poem when we are making it, at times? I've often cringed when I read a poem of mine, after a little time has passed, and catch blatant errors and things which 'could be better' or 'really should be corrected' all the way up to "good grief, what was I thinking...?"

My Past Blog Posts


Dodoitsu-Don’t let my contest stall out Date Posted: 4/8/2024 5:10:00 PM
Keep getting bumped off-anyone else… Date Posted: 3/6/2024 12:41:00 PM
Dodoitsu Contest Date Posted: 2/28/2024 1:52:00 PM
A Poet Plus finalized Date Posted: 2/23/2024 6:29:00 AM
Curious about my puzzle Date Posted: 1/16/2024 7:28:00 PM
My contest Bells has been judged Date Posted: 12/12/2023 9:27:00 AM
My contest Bells Date Posted: 11/27/2023 4:24:00 PM
PS Issues Date Posted: 9/29/2023 8:22:00 AM
Choka contest finalized Date Posted: 8/20/2023 6:45:00 PM
How is Demetrios Trifiatis? Date Posted: 8/6/2023 6:32:00 AM
Syllable Count for my contest - Choka Date Posted: 8/3/2023 8:21:00 AM
Rain-Contest Finalized Date Posted: 7/31/2023 11:01:00 AM
Has anyone heard from Date Posted: 7/25/2023 1:45:00 PM
Successfully finalized contest Books Date Posted: 7/24/2023 3:09:00 PM
Books Date Posted: 7/23/2023 10:53:00 AM
TAKE A CHANCE ON A CHANSO FINALIZED Date Posted: 7/11/2023 6:28:00 PM
My contest update Date Posted: 6/7/2023 7:03:00 AM
Take a chance Date Posted: 4/26/2023 5:48:00 AM
Regarding Virelai - important Date Posted: 4/9/2023 3:17:00 PM
Finalized contest Virelai but PS has not posted winners yet… Date Posted: 4/8/2023 4:42:00 PM
Milton a first place winner the day he passed Date Posted: 12/28/2022 1:09:00 PM
Dot to Dot contest finalized Date Posted: 12/22/2022 1:56:00 PM
A Kyrielle about Water finalized Date Posted: 9/24/2022 7:33:00 AM
My contest Date Posted: 7/31/2022 6:40:00 PM
Digging into a poem Date Posted: 2/25/2022 12:13:00 PM

My Recent Poems

Date Posted	PoemTitle	Form	Categories
5/9/2024	POINT	Concrete	angst,voice,
5/9/2024	IT s THE LITTLE THINGS LIKE TIM TAMS	Free verse	food,friendship,
5/9/2024	shroud of clouds	Tanka	storm,
5/8/2024	clementine honey	Tanka	flower,
5/8/2024	pointless	Concrete	angst,
5/6/2024	A Whole Lot of Cruis’n Going On	Free verse	music,
5/5/2024	Air Scented with Tacos	Limerick	angst,
5/5/2024	Mountebank	Other	humor,
5/5/2024	ZIP	Other	adventure,
5/5/2024	MOTHERs DAY-THREE YEARS LATER	Free verse	grief,mothers day,
5/4/2024	BEST TO RUN AND HIDE	Lyric	love,
5/4/2024	Green Nights of Hope	Sonnet	spring,
5/3/2024	Love	Sonnet	love,
5/2/2024	Marvelling in the Pink afternoon	Free verse	imagery,memory,
5/1/2024	No One Asks Why	Quintilla	appreciation,nature,seaso
4/30/2024	Nine Month Night	Quintilla	birth,
4/30/2024	Soiled Roots	Limerick	dog,humor,
4/30/2024	Holding Tight	Parallelismus Membrorum	age,memory,poetry,
4/30/2024	DONt WORRY LOVE	Hybronnet	first love,
4/30/2024	LIFE-with Dad	Acrostic	dad,daughter,
4/29/2024	Wanted That First Kiss	Pantoum	kiss,
4/28/2024	SIT-UPONS	Free verse	places,
4/27/2024	Clean Air	Kyrielle	nature,
4/27/2024	ABSOLVING SCARLET	Tyburn	lost love,
4/26/2024	Bamboo Tissue	Tyburn	seasons,
4/26/2024	Flower Tower	Tyburn	flower,
4/26/2024	DAWN OF QUICK PURSUIT	Sonnet	lost love,lust,
4/26/2024	PrEdIcAtEd on PeRcOcEt	Free verse	angst,art,drug,scary,surr
4/25/2024	UNSEEN FORCE	Free verse	storm,wind,
4/22/2024	Ties	Free verse	abuse,war,
4/22/2024	Wine Country	Narrative	family,travel,
4/22/2024	YOU CANt ESCAPE THE WEATHER	Rhyme	imagery,senses,sin,weathe
4/19/2024	Love Blooms	Ekphrasis	art,
4/19/2024	Repost today in honor of my 44th wedding anniversary	Rhyme	love,
4/16/2024	The Obsidian Plague of Midnights	Haibun	friend,grief,
4/16/2024	Twinkle Twinkle Little Tweets	Rhyme	bird,
4/15/2024	Reverse Grafitti	Other	imagery,
4/14/2024	Cabernet and Dragonflies	Free verse	engagement,imagery,
4/12/2024	Sock It To Me Spring	Free verse	spring,wind,
4/12/2024	in every swivel of my pen	Free verse	pain,
4/10/2024	Simply Birds	Verse	bird,
4/9/2024	Easter Bunny of Florida	Rhyme	animal,cat,god,grandson,
4/9/2024	Avoiding Chores for Poetry	Kimo	mom,writing,
4/9/2024	Speaking of Dreams	Verse	dream,
4/9/2024	Odd Man Out	Limerick	clothes,old,
4/9/2024	redheads	Haiku	america,bird,travel,
4/8/2024	Darkness Taken for Granted	Tanka	today,
4/8/2024	O Luna-O Soleil	Free verse	bird,christian,moon,song,
4/8/2024	The Sun Smiles at the Pain	Narrative	travel,
4/8/2024	ON THE FORECOURT OF THE STARS	Free verse	granddaughter,tribute,
4/8/2024	The Ocean is a Wild Beast	Other	sea,
4/3/2024	SHE HAD A FIVER IN HER POCKET	Free verse	money,
4/3/2024	AFT THE STORM	Narrative	longing,sea,
4/2/2024	Ode to Tulips	Ode	art,beauty,grief,poetry,
4/2/2024	Memories of a Childhood Home	Haibun	home,house,memory,
4/2/2024	On Guard	Free verse	weather,
4/1/2024	The Grime of Shoes	Rhyme	character,
4/1/2024	Collegiate Times	Tanka	nature,peace,
4/1/2024	My Ears are Like Nests	Verse	bird,
4/1/2024	Treasures of the Deep	Free verse	easter,sea,
3/31/2024	HAPPY EASTER	Verse	bird,celebration,easter,
3/30/2024	Voyage	Dizain	voyage,
3/30/2024	Woven Worlds	Other	nature,
3/26/2024	Son of Nain	Verse	christian,miracle,
3/26/2024	Practical Twins	Senryu	funny,
3/26/2024	Interview with an Alien-Part 2	Free verse	angst,
3/26/2024	S T I L L	Free verse	angst,
3/25/2024	Interview with an Alien	Free verse	angst,
3/25/2024	Leave No One Behind	Didactic	children,school,
3/25/2024	Mid Air-Tweet Tweet	Limerick	bird,cat,humor,
3/25/2024	WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT	Choka	song,
3/25/2024	In a Gentle Way	Tetractys	child,easter,flower,
3/25/2024	Wilma Wind	Personification	wind,
3/23/2024	Georgia in mid-March	Free verse	emotions,spring,wind,
3/23/2024	SHOWING OFF ON THE SPRINGs ZEPHYR-CREST	Pantoum	cute love,fairy,
3/21/2024	THE PEACEMAKER SLEPT	Pantoum	conflict,
3/21/2024	Remedial Romance	Free verse	sexy,
3/20/2024	Umbrella snapped	Senryu	silly,
3/20/2024	ANGER	Free verse	anger,
3/19/2024	Spring is Cold	Quatrain	spring,
3/17/2024	Black and White	Free verse	birthday,dance,friendship
3/13/2024	Pain on Repeat	Kimo	angst,
3/13/2024	TURNING OFF THE GHOST	Free verse	light,
3/12/2024	Revolution	Free verse	humor,imagery,
3/11/2024	Tearful	Quatrain	lost love,war,
3/11/2024	Milk Flows	Tanka	baby,food,mother,
3/11/2024	Horrible	List	angst,
3/11/2024	Aboard the Deck of Dopamine	Alliteration	adventure,sea,
3/11/2024	At Winters End	Verse	christian,easter,spring,
3/10/2024	I SAW A BIG MAN TODAY	Verse	success,
3/8/2024	OAHU RECOLLECTIONS	Free verse	america,memory,
3/7/2024	A COLD WINTERs STEAMY	Couplet	metaphor,sensual,winter,
3/7/2024	Retreating after a Routine Bust	Senryu	bird,humor,
3/6/2024	GAMBOLLING WITH THE SHEPHERDs CROOK	Couplet	animal,
3/6/2024	Bunnies	Rhyme	animal,
3/4/2024	Let Go	Verse	bird,metaphor,
3/2/2024	Lifetime with a Call Girl	Rispetto	humor,
3/1/2024	LION OF MARCHs HERE	Free verse	march,
3/1/2024	Drifting into the Man Cave	Dodoitsu	desire,
2/29/2024	dodoitsu diddly-do	Dodoitsu	silly,

My Photos

ps_656b545e-27a8-4538-8917-579505463a2a.jpeg

Fav Poems

PoemTitle	Form	Categories
Indoor Sports	Free verse	fun,giggle,sports,
What I Love About the South	Free verse	humor,love,
In the Palm of His Hand	Rhyme	christian,god,gospel,jesu
Sleighbells Skewed	Limerick	holiday,nonsense,
Sound of Silence	Free verse	abuse,identity,silence,so
Tongue Twister Time	Rhyme	horse,race,
Gobsmacked Gams	Terzanelle	allegory,art,childhood,
Sweet Dixie	Sonnet	beautiful,deep,food,happi
Beneath the Milky Way	Rhyme	love,stars,universe,
The Wisdom of Winter	Quatrain	inspirational,life,metaph
The Name You'Ve Given Me-Video	Sonnet	love,
Evening Enchantment	Free verse	happiness,
Rize	Free verse	imagery,inspirational,nat
Slow Dance	Blank verse	dance,growing up,youth,
Naked	Verse	anti bullying,betrayal,bo
Emerald Forests	Sonnet	art,creation,green,meanin
Unicorn	Enclosed Rhyme	animal,encouraging,horse,
Expose the Naked Truth	Rhyme	betrayal,identity,
A Rainy Morning	Free verse	good morning,
The Peace That Passes Understanding	Rhyme	beautiful,hurt,longing,pe
Time To Go Out On the Piste	Monorhyme	friendship,fun,humorous,s
Naked Smile	Rhyme	faith,forgiveness,life,
He, She-We	Rhyme	anger,love,love hurts,
For They Had Deep Faith and True Loving Hearts	Sonnet	angel,appreciation,blessi
Toxic State	Free verse	future,universe,
Burning Ever So Bright	Acrostic	birthday,
The Tiger In You	Rhyme	abuse,anger,anxiety,child
Butterfly Dance	Haiku	butterfly,nature,
Whiskey	Enclosed Rhyme	addiction,christian,depre
Toxic State	Verse	angst,anxiety,fear,
The Trial of a Lord Part 1	Abecedarian	addiction,society,
A Rugged Piece of Wood	Rhyme	jesus,
The Last Old Fashioned Christmas	Rhyme	christmas,sad,
A Puppet On Your Strings	Rhyme	dance,desire,
New Snow	Haiku	snow,sun,tree,
Otherworldly I'Ll Stay:	Ottava rima	humor,humorous,
Yes Dear Lol	Rhyme	humor,marriage,
Slow Hand	Free verse	love,sensual,
Someone Said, Hey Christopher	Rhyme	humor,life,love,
She's Beautiful	Light Verse	beautiful,women,
Jeepin'	Light Verse	humorous,
Beneath the Covers	Free verse	good morning,
Gone To the Dogs	Footle	dog,funny,
Wear Green--Or Else	Limerick	humor,
Ode To the Dreamy Girl	Ode	abuse,books,dream,girl,
Dawning Desires	Free verse	good morning,sensual,
Spirit of the Wilderness	Quintain (English)	nature,
She Goes Back	Alliteration	anger,devotion,hope,passi
Humbling Firmament	Couplet	appreciation,love,sea,sta
Childhood	Concrete	humanity,
Seven Kingdoms	Crown of Sonnets	judgement,religious,spiri
Art-Frida Kahlo	Free verse	appreciation,art,suicide,
Environment	Haiku	death,
Contemplation	Haiku	imagination,night,sky,sta
That Old House At the End of the Road	Couplet	house,ocean,
Starry Starry Night - POTW	Dramatic Verse	anti bullying,art,beauty,
Cats	Rhyme	cat,
Sir Isaac Newton	Haiku	tree,
Standing At the Mountain	Prose	allegory,analogy,black af
Alchemy	Dramatic Verse	corruption,dark,psycholog
Trumping Kim	Rhyme	conflict,earth,metaphor,w
Sweet Lady, Why So Sad-	Free verse	art,how i feel,sorrow,
The Eyes Have It	Free verse	good morning,
The Silent Owl	Haiku	animal,bird,flying,moon,
Are There Birds In Heaven	Lyric	analogy,appreciation,bird
Lust	Free verse	allusion,celebration,colo
Dreams of Perfect Love	Rhyme	good night,
Saint Patrick's Parade	Limerick	humor,
Canyon of Cold	Dramatic Verse	dark,heart,spiritual,trut
Beloved Nicholas	Dizain	love,valentines day,
Recipe	Monorhyme	life,
For You a Quintain	Quintain (English)	beauty,emotions,sea,
Bush Fires	Haiku	earth,environment,fire,ra
Often I Wonder, Is It Worth It	Free verse	good morning,
Young At Heart	Rhyme	beauty,environment,how i
Poetry Is My Insanity	Free verse	imagination,
- Haiku X 101 - the Nature -	Haiku	beauty,nature,
The Shed	Free verse	father daughter,
Scary Stranger	Haibun	adventure,
Message In An Acrostic Contest	Acrostic	word play,words,
Message In An Acrostic Contest	Acrostic	romantic,
Eight Winds.	I do not know?	philosophy,
This Willow Tree - a Collaboration With White Wolf	Sonnet	feelings,i love you,longi
Welcome 2017 Embarkation	Shape	new year,
Sunday Morning - Me Singing -	Lyric	imagery,inspirational,
Deliver the Goods	Acrostic	birthday,
Come Dine With Me	Couplet	beautiful,cool,food,
The Warm Friend	Free verse	angel,fish,friendship,ide
Reckless Inspiration	Couplet	funny,
Beaches of Golden Sand	Rhyme	inspirational,
Forever Immortal Love	Italian Sonnet	i love you,marriage,
The Sugarville Sage	Rhyme	mentor,tribute,
Lucky Leprechaun	Limerick	dream,joy,life,
Utopia's Slippery Slope Continuum	Haiku	allegory,change,perspecti
When Kids Were Just Plain Kids	Rhyme	children,dream,fantasy,
Free Passage	Couplet	jesus,religious,spiritual
A Big Night Out:	Senryu	fun,funny,humor,humorous,
Weeping Willow	Free verse	love,nature,tree,
Springtime Dawns	Free verse	good morning,
Could It Be In Despair	Verse	death,lost love,love,