How Rhyme Flows From the Soul With Poetic Word Play
A creative writer at heart, Janis was first published at age 11. Most of her poems express core issues of love, loss, trauma, and healing.
Poetry Stirs Deep Within the Poet's Soul
A tatoo of the word "poetry" symbolizes the closeness of the art to the poet's soul.
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Poetry as Creative Play on Words
Poetry can simply be referred to as a creative play on words. Using the different verse forms gives poetry its structure, rhythm, and appeal.
However, form and structure alone does not the perfect poem make. There is no such thing as perfection in such a subjective art form as poetry, except of course, in the eye of the beholder.
But the one sure thing about poetry is that, for most poets, it is a sacred process out of which poets, and rappers alike, share from the deepest and most intimate places of their souls.
That process is what makes the act of writing poetry and rhyme an extraordinary vehicle whereby the gift of powerful expression is created and shared with others.
In the poem below, "Word Play," the author shares the sacredness of this process, in no particular structure or verse form. It could very well be categorized as inspirational poetry.
A Thoughtful Poet Seeks Inspiration
In deep thought, the poet waits for poetic inspiration to emerge internally, then externally.
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Word Play Defined
"Wordplay" or "Word play"
- A witty or clever form of verbal expression, meant for fun and amusement
- Commonly used in literature, poetry, spoken word, or hip-hop rap genres
- There are many forms of word play techniques, e.g., pun, spoonerism, slang, acrostic, euphemism, and oxymoron, just to name a few
- Most notable writers of early wordplay: Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, P.G. Wodehouse, and Shakespeare
- Contemporary masters of wordplay: George Carlin, Groucho Marx, Bob Dylan, Big Daddy Kane, Eminem, and Jay-Z
Poetic Performers Are Entertainers
A poet enjoying his spoken word performance and interaction with his audience.
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Words Flow Through the Pen
A poet's words flow from soul to pen, from pen to paper.
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Words Form at the Keyboard
A keyboard is where creation begins for the poet.
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The Sacred Process: A Poem
"Word Play"
Quiet expression in word form
Bursts in living color
No need to say it loudly
As the words speak for themselves
Flowing in from dark places
Illustrated by arrangements
So original in their display
None of which are the same
The light of my keystroke
Ignites one letter at a time
Creating each word play
As verses are formed
Spirited words generate
Moving from pen to paper
Uncontrolled in the moment
A surge begins to gel
Verses come alive with meaning
Expressions of thought and feeling
Infinitely depicts experiences
In descriptive word play
I wait to see what comes
The shape and form it takes
Naturally, without a plan
Each word born out of seed
Seeds planted from lessons
Things seen and heard
Encounters to pull from
People I've met along the way
Life is rich with this soil
Out of which I grow
And capture in verse
Immortalizing word play
Sharing with others in echoes
Bouncing from present to future
Through open eyes and ears
Received by hearts and souls
All Rights Reserved JLE
Words Grow Out of Creativity
A poet's words grow out of the keyboard from seeds of creativity.
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Words Play on the Microphone
The spoken word poet's microphone is ready for the colorful play of words.
Morgue File Public Domain
Wordplay Tutorial for Poets and Rhymers
Words of Poetry
Sources on Word Play
- Wordplay - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Definition of wordplay from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary with audio pronunciations, thesaurus, Word of the Day, and word games.
© 2013 Janis Leslie Evans
