Journal 5- Free Verse from Brooke Voisard

     Free Verse poetry is an American subculture, though it originated in France. American poets like Emily Dickinson revolutionized Free Verse poetry by taking it to new levels. Dickinson incorporated random capital letters and hyphens with no obvious purpose to create a type of Free Verse that was, and still is, unique only to her. It's a subculture that changes every day, and will continue to change.
     The reason I participate in writing Free Verse, and a reason I think everyone should, is because it's very cathartic. It's very freeing to just write what I feel and not worry about rhyme or meter. It's something for free spirits. It's also something to participate in if someone is looking for something different. When we think of poetry we think of hard rhymes, like nursery rhymes we heard when we were children, but Free Verse is different. It is always new and always refreshing, whereas there are only so many ways to rhyme box and fox.
     Another reason to get involved with Free Verse poetry is the learning it provides. It provides true insight into the feelings of the writer. Without having to worry about a rhyme scheme, any word is fair game. The weirdest, most obscure words can be used in Free Verse poetry, and there's an element of learning in that also. I like to read Free Verse because it expands my understanding of other people's feelings while it also expands my vocabulary. It's also expanding to read an ambiguous Free Verse poem and try to analyze it. It's insightful to try to figure out what other people are trying to say when there's no form to their writing.