'He who knows not both knows neither'

April 17, 1984

There's nothing like pure rhyme to satisfy To join with meter, reinforce a thought; To send imagination shooting high With all the unexpected bounty brought. But these require obedience. Free verse Demands a stringent discipline within And yet regards outside control a curse; Rebels against all outer discipline. This inner discipline is cherished much: The self control, economy, restraint, The search for just the perfect, needed touch To turn the poet to the struggling saint. Add rhyme and meter then for liberty: The outer discipline that sets you free.