Two Styles of Poetic Attack

A poem is an army of words. Its purpose is to win over the reader or hearer to a richer and more attentive way of standing in the world. In the past the army marched into battle in formation, row after row into the fray, gaining new territory for our human experience. We know this as metered verse, formed by lines of regulated rhythm and a patterned rhyme scheme. The second poetic style is free verse. These poems fight guerrilla style, proceeding stealthily, seemingly disordered and disjointed, until you realize you have been taken by the poem and must surrender to its power.