The foremost advantage of free verse is having no restrictions and the absolute artistic freedom to express one’s thoughts and feelings. The poet is not obligated to insert an unnecessary word in order to fulfill a certain rhyming scheme, and there is no template or archetypes to act as literary crutches (Carey). Therefore, free verse requires greater imagination and authenticity, and the emotional content of the poem is unveiled with minimal ornamentation. Furthermore, by disposing the conventions of formal poetry, free verse tends to possess a more casual tone and is more accessible to the modern reader (Carey). In order to fully grasp the meaning of a formal poem, it is necessary to analyze and understand its rules; there is no such restriction with free verse. Free verse is oftentimes more effective and accessible for modern readers because it does not follow the conventions of traditional poetry and allows the poet more creative freedom.
However, free verse tends to be disparaged because it is perceived as “easier” and “less disciplined” than fixed form poetry. Robert Frost, one of the most famous American poets, once said writing free verse is similar to playing tennis with the net down. It is true that it is technically easier to compose in free verse and poets can get away with being sloppy and half-hearted because there are no formal, external demands (Carey). However, while it is easy to write a mediocre poem in free verse, it is just as challenging to write well in free verse as it is in fixed form. While free verse can be disadvantageous since it requires less effort and discipline, it is still not inferior to fixed form because it is equally difficult to write well in both forms of poetry.
Works Cited
Carey, J. W. “Why is Free Verse So Popular?”JWCarey, 2019.