what is free verse poetry

Free verse poetry is a form of poetry that does not use consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any musical pattern. It is an open form of poetry that follows the rhythm of natural speech. Free verse poems can have lines of any length, from a single word to much longer. Although free verse requires no meter, rhyme, or other traditional poetic techniques, a poet can still use them to create some sense of structure. Free verse is often inspired by the cadence of spoken language. It is a form of nonmetrical writing that takes pleasure in a various and emergent verbal music. Free verse is not bound by rules regarding rhyme or meter. It is a poetry of organic rhythms, of deliberate irregularity, improvisatory delight. Free verse is a literal translation of vers libre, which was employed by French Symbolist poets seeking freedom from the strictures of the alexandrine.