Free Verse

Free verse is a form of English poetry in which there is no meter and no rhyme. As there is no meter neither rhyme the poem does not produce any musical rhythm. Free verse is different from blank verse because blank verse contains meter but no rhyme.  In free verse the poet can express his/her emotions in most informal manner. It seems easy to write a free verse but in reality it is not that simple the poet has to write it in such a manner that it is clearly different from prose. The poem in free verse can be written of any length.

Some poets believe that though there is no rhyme and meter in free verse but the poetry should be written in such a manner that it still has certain rhythm and boundaries and should not be out of these boundaries. Many poets of the 19th and 20th century wrote poetry in free verse but they used certain poetic techniques in it to make it more like poems. Use of rhythmical words in one or two places, placement of punctuation and repeating similar patterns was common in the poems of some of the famous free verse poets.

Free verse poetry is very popular today the reason is that it gives liberty to the writer and he/she can express without any conditions and boundaries. 

History of Free Verse:

This form of writing poetry became very common after 19th century. Though use of free verse started in the 13th century but at that times it was not greatly admired and it does not become common among masses. French poets in the 19th century wrote several poems in free verse and from there it became common in English poetry too. Free verse was welcomed in English poetry because of many reasons. Among these reasons the most important is that free verse allows for spontaneity in writing. 

From Little Father by Li-Young Lee

I buried my father in my heart.

Now he grows in me, my strange son,

My little root who won't drink milk,

Little pale foot sink in unheard-of night,

Little clock spring newly wet

In the fire, little grape, parent to the future

Wine, a son the fruit of his own sun,

Little father I ransom with my wife

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Some say the wirld will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

Half Crying Half Laughing by Me:-)

It rained along with sunshine

A scene I never saw before

Heavy drops fell on the mud

I heard the thud

But drops vanished

Sun rays dry the thirsty soil

Sun is not sipping water out of mud

But blood but soul

Mud is all thirsty again

Scorching sun is burning with glow

Brightening again with full dignity

And rain cannot last mighty suns glare