An Attempt At Unrhymed Verse

Wendy Cope

 People tell you all the time,
 Poems do not have to rhyme.
 It's often better if they don't
 And I'm determined this one won't.

                              Oh dear.

 Never mind, I'll start again.
 Busy, busy with my pen...cil.
 I can do it if I try--
 Easy, peasy, pudding and gherkins.

 Writing verse is so much fun,
 Cheering as the summer weather,
 Makes you feel alert and bright,
 'Specially when you get it more or
     less the way you want it.

Commentary

Here’s one more by Wendy Cope, increasingly a favourite along with Sara Teasdale thanks to Minstrels. Pencil and gherkins. Isn’t that just so much an effortless effort…

I loved it.

— Monica


The Wondering Minstrels, poem #1764 · 21 September 2005

Guest poem submitted by Monica Bathija

Fair use

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From the Wondering Minstrels mailing list, 1999–2008.

Lucille Perkins Robinson · 10 January 2007

I liked the rhyming portions. the other sounds more like you were just grabbing out of the air to make sure it didn’t rhyme.

Lucille