Cadence and Rhyme

If you have ever attended a poetry reading, there are some people who read
verse much like prose. There are others who always read verse like a school kid:

ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-da
ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-da
ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-da
ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-da

That can get pretty old, pretty quick. It can put an audience to sleep pretty
quickly, too.

I had a chance to hear Patrick Stewart recite Shakespeare. Stewart is a master
of the art. Here is a link: Sonnet 30

Learning to read poetry aloud will enable you to read poetry to your lady and also facilitate poetry recital if you choose to memorize your poems. It also helps you become more adept at writing good poetry by understanding how verses flow. When you read it, does each line flow smoothly? Are there lines that make you stumble or lose your place?

Cadence is not necessarily like the school kid reading rhythm I mentioned above. Cadence is really movement. It is flow. It does not have to be regimented. Poetic verse should be easy to read, not tie your tongue in knots. 

Rhyme does not have to be perfect or exact. In a phonetic sense, words that sound similar are fine. Works with the exact same ending sound, like box and sox are also fine. Words don't always have to rhyme, but rhyme helps tie everything together. To most people, poetry means rhyme and cadence. Any deviation is considered poetic license, oddly enough.

Here is an example of a poem where I use rhyme a little differently:

The Morning
by Mickey Maguire

The sun poured through my window
as yet the day was new
The songs of feathered minstrels
reminded me of you

Had this been a morn in spring
then, outside I would go
to see the dew-kissed petals
of the beautiful rambling rose

My thoughts, once more, return to you
the weekend that we shared
finding you beside me
to see you smiling there

Such joy has filled my lonely heart
I'm thanking God above
'cause loneliness has gone away
replaced by joy and love

My heart is light, I'm smiling
for I've been greatly blessed
Mornings when we're arm-in-arm
are the ones that I love best

The second verse, lines two and four end in “go” and “rose” respectively. The
third verse uses “shared” and “there” in the same manner. The use of rhyme is
important only in that it helps the ebb and flow of verse. It ties lines together and facilitates the reading of the piece.

Don't struggle with rhyme if you cannot find the right words to express yourself.
Rhyme is a tool, but, it is not an end-all. It is obvious that some people have
found the need for rhyme confining at times, hence the popularity of free-form
verse in some circles. It has become more popular among educated young
people, perhaps because of the sense of freedom that it espouses. There is less
structure and rigidity of thinking.

Here is a sample of a poem that does not steadfastly adhere to rules about
rhyme:

I Give to Thee My Heart
by Mickey Maguire

Oh, 'Tis true
it is but you
that bringeth me
to sigh

For I can see
thy pretty smile
and a twinkle
in thine eye

Maiden there
Oh, lady fair
Sweet Mary Rose
none can compare

I give to thee
my heart

Rules of rhyme are pretty much ignored in this poem. There is rhyme, and there
is not, depending on the verse. In fact, cadence is not perfect in this poem,
either. It did express my thoughts at the time I wrote it perfectly. That is really
what matters most.

What you want to learn from this post is that rhyme and cadence are tools,
like basic sentence structure is a tool. Basic rules of sentence structure are building blocks for anyone learning to write. So are rhyme and cadence.