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IS VERS LIBRE really free - Brian Strand's Blog

About Brian Strand

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ENGLISH OPEN FORM https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/open_a_1727822 POET https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/poetry_is_a_recited_art_1716883

https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/an_emperical_poetry_view_1691678

+ Creator of the footle & hiku (definition -as below)

*FOOTLE (singular)* is,a two line lines,2 syllable verse with an integral title-Light Poetic verse form,witty,pertinent,topical etc (technically a trochaic monometer and not necessarily in rhyme).

+'hiku' explained -I use hiku for the English language free verse thereof to distinguish from translations of the cultural Japanese haiku.

HAIKU is a centuries old Japanese traditional phonetical & cultural poetic form whereas HIKU is a relatively recently reference to the 75year old established ' haiku in English.'

Hiku being an imagist tristich like its elder cousin,without a title,and with a similar economy of words ,inherently enigmatic & with a caesura or an ellipsis and surprise ending. A similar sense of pause the aesthetic insight flowing from perception gained from 'one breath length ' composition that flowed from the Japanesese 17 onji sound inherent in the Japaneses haiku.

Without of the ' invented' syllabic( 5-7-5 ) line restrictions of the ' haiku in english ' the hiku is the 'free verse' version of the 'invented''5/7/5 haiku in English. ..similar but different ,a present tense poetic in another language - hiku is the written or recited equivalent to arts 'gestural spontaneous happening' . A verse freed from strict syllabic constraint within its triplicity of format& is inherently enigmatic & often with a caesura and surprise ending( VERSUM )to give a 'turning' to the line.

The hiku maybe a horizontal single* line,(often broken line at the caesura),a vertical line(usually a painting(haiga) ,a couplet** or a tristich* with shape-like variations.

Plus * OPEN(organic) FORM VERSE using spaces&breaks without grammatical symbols ,the ' open' relies upon 'the one breath limitation' & so inherently requires the 'reader' (reciter) to input and responds thus making this enigmatic form a two way interplay & interpretatIon unique to the moment& changing according to mood is inherently variable.

MY POETIC BIO

Alliteration,the starting place,

alongside cinquains,

apace in time,crystalline

lanterne and rhyme.

Inspiration drew forth footle

,broken monoku &emagi

for a while short imagist

was my style.

Sequenced longer poems

metamorphose within

this crysallis

changing into ekphrasis.

Open,and free to be,

as you see,

structured prose poetry.

With cadence and pause,

others hear my voice

Open VERSE now this poet’s choice.

4 POETIC TENETS - https://creativepoetics.blogspot.com/

+Gestural abstraction- my art style

https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/just_saying_my_art_an_emperical_view_1686489

more gestural art of mine here https://gesturalart.blogspot.com/

https://mychristianverse.blogspot.com/

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IS VERS LIBRE really free

Blog Posted:9/19/2020 1:28:00 AM

No...I would say Vers libre(verse libre) is not (was never) free verse in the loose manner in which it is used in the common place as in sites such as this ,where it is so often a quick substitute for I do not know .

bcause.....literally it translated as 'verse freed' ....not verse free ..and abandoned to its own devices!!

historically..the history of verse libre shows it cannot be 'free verse' as now utilised.Quite the opposite in fact as the term vers libre ' was before the term free verse' circa 1900,and. from its French 'symbolist roots sprang the English 'Imagist 'genre that so influenced our 20th century poetic( and still does.)

for..The French symboliste poetic avant-garde school of the late 19th century,poets wished to liberate techniques of versification in order to allow greater room for "fluidity", and as such were sympathetic with the trend toward 'freer 'verse.

which..It was to become at the heart of the 'Imagiste' movement(less a movement, for as Rene Taupin remarks

'It is more accurate to consider Imagism not as a doctrine, nor even as a poetic school), but as the association of a few poets who were for a certain time in agreement on a small number of important principle,

Taupin a French translator, critic, and academic who lived most of his life in the United States compares the effects of Symbolist poems with those of Imagist poems and the different uses of imagery.As Imagism duly became a genre ,which in turn laid the foundations for so called 'Free verse' ('open poetry), ..

....as it became a discipline and acquired status as a legitimate poetic form and thus

Perhaps verse libre is be articulated (as in this 'definition'. ...

..Vers libre is an open form of poetry that abandons consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or other forms of musical pattern.

and

thus tends to follow the rhythm of natural speech.

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Beto
Riginale

Date: 10/5/2020 1:12:00 PM

Brian, would you please elaborate on your intriguing comment below: "Haiku is a unique literary phenomena rather than a mere poetic genre:"? thx ~Beto

Brian Strand
Date: 10/5/2020 3:23:00 PM

It seems to have become an expression of zen in a literary form and is therefore almost untranslatable to our English minds.There are a couple of books that could elaborate this viewpoint

Brian Strand
Date: 10/5/2020 3:19:00 PM

Beta,my comment refers to the haiku from a Japanese perspective and from all I have read (studied ) thereon the haiku had (and still has) a literary (and more) in the hearts and minds of that country and its culture.

Beto
Riginale

Date: 10/4/2020 1:59:00 PM

Brian, I concur with your words re FV, perhaps due to my math background wherein the beauty of a proof lies in its conciseness and my experiences with the SF Beats in the late '50s. I have always been drawn to FV and, more recently, haiku. I would add that the concise character of haiku is a predecessor of Imagism. Also, Pound's rules of Imagism (1913): "Direct treatment of the "thing," whether subjective or objective." "To use absolutely no word that does not contribute to the presentation." "As regarding rhythm: to compose in sequence of the musical phrase, not in sequence of the metronome." ~Beto

Brian Strand
Date: 10/4/2020 3:12:00 PM

and Beto ..Haiku was indeed the 'seed' for imagism (especially to Adelaide ,the queen of American cinquain fame)but in reality Haiku is a unique literary phenomena rather than a mere poetic genre,influential though it maybe in English speaking circles.

Brian Strand
Date: 10/4/2020 3:12:00 PM

Thanks Beto,sadly too late methinks to alter the popular conception of FV,except amongst 'thinking poets' for my part I vow only to refer to it as ' VF' (verse freed).

Constance
La France

Date: 9/21/2020 9:00:00 AM

Brian, I feel Free Verse does have rules for although free in a sense, it asks for staggered lines, the use of metaphors and pauses in the right places, it is not just a jumble of words spilling out _Constance

Beto Riginale
Date: 10/4/2020 2:32:00 PM

Constance, while I agree with most of what you write, I don't think FV "asks for staggered lines." For instance, Ginsgerg's "Howl" has none at all. The PS copy is incorrectly typeset. Also, WCW did not use staggered lines (with but a few exceptions) until the late '40s. ~Beto

Brian Strand
Date: 9/21/2020 9:04:00 AM

Sadly,from the many I read in my contests ,they are as you say 'just a jumble'

Craig
Cornish

Date: 9/21/2020 8:51:00 AM

Interesting blog Brian- I agree

Brian Strand
Date: 9/21/2020 9:01:00 AM

Cheers Craig appreciate your comment

Andrea
Dietrich

Date: 9/19/2020 5:46:00 PM

Yes, poetry without musicality! That is why it's difficult for me. I write with meter in my head. Also it's not so easy to create unusual imagery. If one just writes basic stuff, that is more like prose or narration. To be a good free verse poet is NOT easy!

Brian Strand
Date: 9/19/2020 10:04:00 PM

Reading aloud Andrea,is the key to the quality of all poetry ,whatever label is attached .More on poetics however in a future blog methinks.

My Past Blog Posts


SUMMER SAYING send-a-soupmail Date Posted: 7/10/2025 11:47:00 PM
JULY JOY list Date Posted: 7/8/2025 1:35:00 AM
SUMMER SECRET hobby hint Date Posted: 7/6/2025 1:43:00 AM
JULY JUBILEE backward glance Date Posted: 7/3/2025 12:59:00 AM
JULY FOURTH your call Date Posted: 7/1/2025 12:53:00 AM
JULY JAMBOREE in a word Date Posted: 6/29/2025 12:51:00 AM
SUMMER SYLLABLES (2) tri-syllabic Date Posted: 6/27/2025 1:03:00 AM
JUNE JUNIORITY blast from the past Date Posted: 6/25/2025 2:00:00 AM
SUMMER SYLLABLES - (1) distich Date Posted: 6/23/2025 12:09:00 AM
SUMMER SENTIMENT opinion piece Date Posted: 6/21/2025 12:09:00 AM
SUMMER SHADORMA an apt pun Date Posted: 6/19/2025 1:01:00 AM
JUNE JOURNEY rhymed couplet Date Posted: 6/17/2025 2:13:00 AM
SUMMER SLANG in a word Date Posted: 6/15/2025 1:45:00 AM
JUNE JUEJU bio Date Posted: 6/14/2025 12:57:00 AM
SUMMER CVC phrase Date Posted: 6/12/2025 2:26:00 AM
SUMMER SIMILE popular phrase Date Posted: 6/11/2025 12:29:00 AM
JUNE JUXTAPOSE oxymoron Date Posted: 6/9/2025 12:29:00 AM
JUNE JINGLE apt ad Date Posted: 6/7/2025 12:43:00 AM
PERSONALISE PENTECOST alliteration Date Posted: 6/3/2025 12:38:00 AM
JUNE JOLLY chiasmus Date Posted: 6/1/2025 2:09:00 AM
A MAY MOTIF flower Date Posted: 5/28/2025 2:50:00 AM
MAY MONOMETER footle Date Posted: 5/26/2025 3:09:00 AM
MAY MUSE after style of Date Posted: 5/24/2025 12:59:00 AM
MAY- METAPHOR defined Date Posted: 5/22/2025 2:04:00 AM
MAY MEMORY in a line Date Posted: 5/21/2025 12:49:00 AM

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6/23/2025	SIGNIFICANCE	Verse	senses,word play,
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6/17/2025	TETRACTYS ekphrasis- exampled DIDACTIC 3	Ekphrasis	art,music,poetry,word pla
6/16/2025	CRAPSEY'S AMERICAN CINQUAIN exampled DIDACTIC 2	Cinquain	poetry,word play,
6/16/2025	TANKA-in-english SHOW TELL exampled DIDACTIC 1	Tanka	poetry,word play,
6/15/2025	ENGLYN a quatrain	Englyn	lost love,
6/11/2025	FOOTLE 'E'nd of 'L' ine 'F'orm - 2 forms in one-an innovation	Rhyme	word play,
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5/8/2025	V E DAY - EIGHTH of MAY	Footle	anniversary,memory,war,
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4/27/2025	FREE VERSE what it is	Didactic	poetry,word play,words,
4/27/2025	MAKIING A GESTURE	Clerihew	art,word play,
4/27/2025	ACRONYM F poetics	Bio	appreciation,poetry,
4/26/2025	ACRONYM E art	Epigram	art,word play,
4/26/2025	POETRY PARAPHRASE E monstich	Alliteration	art,poetry,
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4/18/2025	ART REP-AR-TEE G	Epigram	appreciation,art,
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