This is only a very brief introduction to the basics of metre and rhythm; enough to help you start thinking about sonnets and how to write their lines whilst paying attention to these aspects. First, we’ll look at regularity of rhythm and then, in part two, the effect of variation. People feel rhythm quite instinctively … Continue reading Metre in Sonnets – Part One
Author: Clifford Liles
Why Write a Sonnet?
In this series I have written about the creative process of poetry in some detail, but I would like to add some thoughts on the specific issues around writing sonnets. These questions to yourself come before you start to focus on elements of diction, rhetoric, syntax, or trope. The initial question is why have you … Continue reading Why Write a Sonnet?
Success as a Poet
How do you judge your success as a poet? It is certainly not in terms of an annual income from your activities, nor the number of poems written per annum. I believe it is fundamentally about your work being read or heard appreciatively by your readership. It starts with positive feedback from peers and friends … Continue reading Success as a Poet
In Apposition
In some of my earlier sonnets I tried to fit too much in. Every time I look at “Dissolution”, a very early work that was featured on a riverside mural, I am reminded of this. It was a historical narrative stuffed into fourteen lines. I have found the best works arise where I’m simply apposing … Continue reading In Apposition
Strategies for Writing a New Poem
I know some prefer to tap or scribble their way into a new piece of writing without forethought. Some are lucky enough to capture a stream of consciousness that can be edited into an original work. However, a period of reflection benefits my writing enormously, allowing me to find an angle on some initial idea. … Continue reading Strategies for Writing a New Poem
Clifford Liles 