Lyric Poetry

Free Verse

Poery that expresses the poet's thoughts and feelings. It does not tell a story, but it creates a mood through vivid images and descriptive words. Lyric poems may be made up of regular stanzas or they may have uneven stanzas. Many lyric poems use images, or pictures, from nature, Example: "Four Little Foxes" by: Lew Sarett Speak gently, Spring, and make no sudden sound; For in my windy valley yesterday I found New born foxes squirming on the ground-     Speak gently. Walk softly, March, forbear the bitter blow; Her feet within a trap, her blood upon the snow, The four little foxes saw their mother go     Walk softly. Go lightly, Spring, oh give them no alarm; When I covered them with boughs to shelter them from harm, The thin blue foxes suckled at my arm-     Go Lightly. Step softly, March, with your rampant hurricane; Nuzzling one another and whimpering with pain, The new little foxes are shivering in the rain-     Step softly

Poetry with irregular rhythms and varied line lengths. Since it is written in a way that is similar to ordinary speech, if it uses rhyme, the rhymes are loose and irregular. Varies in length and use of stanzas. The lines in free verse are organized according to the flow of the poet's thoughts, ideas, and images. Example: "The City is so Big" By: Richard García The city is so big Its bridges quake with fear I know, I have seen at night The lights sliding from house to house And trains pass with windows shining Like a smile full of teeth I have seen machines eating houses And stairways walk all by themselves And elevator doors opening and closing And people disappear.

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