Use of rhyme and meter

[SarahJF]

How integral, would you say, is the use of rhyme and meter in poetry? I'm wondering because I think it's one of those things that, done well, makes a good poem appear 'finished', 'polished' and 'almost-great', but, done badly, makes a good poem appear stinky. A great poem, of course, is a great poem, regardless (I'd say).

So it's like a picture frame - a good one tips mediocre work into the 'polished acceptable', and a bad one makes good work appear lousy.

But, use of rhyme or meter could well be much more integral than that. I'd love to know what people think. I'm kind of tottering along experimentally with rhymes and meter, so can't really comment as am at the 'loook, if I blur it all together and forget that it has to make any sense I can rhyme'. I'm wondering if people write the things first, then add rhyme, or if the rhyme and meter just happen along as they're writing it down?


Sarah

[HowardM2]

Blurbs--the neverfailing fount of all knowledge poetical (http://www.everypoet.org/pffa/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9966).

[SarahJF]

Thank-you!

I'm on page four, but have had to stop reading temporarily because this:

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SacredDivinity:

poetry,
not to me,
and proabaly not to you.
but someone who has no idea
of what we are talking about
may think otehrwise
and proabably will.


**I think you
horgle schnickle
may think otherwise.

My God!
I just realized that we've been having an exchange with George W. Bush.

made me laugh so much I've had to temporarily stop. Haaaaaaaa!

Sarah