There's a lot more to say on this poem in the Soul and Therapy sections, but every poem is also an example to learn different styles and techniques. In this poem I use internal rhymes to make up for irregular line length.
This poem is written in tercets with an ABA rhyme scheme and no particular meter. (There might be one I used subconsciously. If you can figure it out, let me know! Refer back to some of the earlier Artistic Tips to help you identify and count meter.)
The seemingly random capitalization in the last line of every stanza indicates where it could be a line-break making it a quatrain. I chose not to do that because I didn't like the rhyme scheme of ABCA and that with most of the stanza the line lengths would look incredible irregular. People often say that poetry should be focused on sound and rhythm because it's meant to be spoken. I highly disagree.
I'm more of writer than a speaker. I like the aesthetics of poetry sometimes more than the sound. I like the tricks you can only do on paper/writing that simply can't translate to audio/spoken word. I think visual word play is more fun and more clever than verbal word play. When you say a line, you can only say it one way and then it's over. How you delivered it determines it's meaning. But you can read the same line over and over again and have it have different meanings, even contrary ones, that each give the poem a new and different but equally valid experience. Your voice inflection indicates which words are emphasized, while random capitalization or italics or even color can create more of a drastic or subtle impact. It makes something stand out that you might not have expected. And then there's simply the aesthetics where the physical structure, the layout of the poem adds another layer whether it's a shape poem where the poem as a whole looks like the silhouette of something relating to the poem or random or irregular line lengths can be used to draw attention to certain lines or speed up or slow down the pace of the poem. It can do all that without sacrificing its cadence. To me it's like reading the book rather than watching the movie.
As you can see as I demonstrated below, in this poem I don't like the irregularity of the line length even though my usual style is couplets or quatrains. I like an even number of rhymes. I think it makes things flow better and is easier to write for me. So I utilized internal rhymes. Internal rhymes are exactly what it sounds like. It's a rhyme within one line as opposed to the end of two lines rhyming. I technically could still make it a quatrain with a AABB rhyme scheme (also demonstrated below) but that would makes some lines extremely and unintentionally irregular and in this poem it usually interrupts a very small phrase. Irregular line lengths can be a great artistic tool in writing poetry, but you have to do it right. And by do it right I mean do it "Wright" or however the hell you want to do it that feels right to you.
So when you have a rhyme you really want to use, but it just wouldn't be the best place to start a new line, just leave it as an internal rhyme. Internal rhymes don't mess with the rhyme scheme of the poem (if that's important to you). And it's good to mix it up with other poetic devices that you can use within a line. You probably know of alliteration but I'll make a video (when I don't have a cough or the sniffles; hopefully soon) explaining a couple more tools and the distinction between them.
Suicide Triggers
Tercet ABA
Trigger Warning? Where do I start?
This poem is written in tercets with an ABA rhyme scheme and no particular meter. (There might be one I used subconsciously. If you can figure it out, let me know! Refer back to some of the earlier Artistic Tips to help you identify and count meter.)
The seemingly random capitalization in the last line of every stanza indicates where it could be a line-break making it a quatrain. I chose not to do that because I didn't like the rhyme scheme of ABCA and that with most of the stanza the line lengths would look incredible irregular. People often say that poetry should be focused on sound and rhythm because it's meant to be spoken. I highly disagree.
I'm more of writer than a speaker. I like the aesthetics of poetry sometimes more than the sound. I like the tricks you can only do on paper/writing that simply can't translate to audio/spoken word. I think visual word play is more fun and more clever than verbal word play. When you say a line, you can only say it one way and then it's over. How you delivered it determines it's meaning. But you can read the same line over and over again and have it have different meanings, even contrary ones, that each give the poem a new and different but equally valid experience. Your voice inflection indicates which words are emphasized, while random capitalization or italics or even color can create more of a drastic or subtle impact. It makes something stand out that you might not have expected. And then there's simply the aesthetics where the physical structure, the layout of the poem adds another layer whether it's a shape poem where the poem as a whole looks like the silhouette of something relating to the poem or random or irregular line lengths can be used to draw attention to certain lines or speed up or slow down the pace of the poem. It can do all that without sacrificing its cadence. To me it's like reading the book rather than watching the movie.
As you can see as I demonstrated below, in this poem I don't like the irregularity of the line length even though my usual style is couplets or quatrains. I like an even number of rhymes. I think it makes things flow better and is easier to write for me. So I utilized internal rhymes. Internal rhymes are exactly what it sounds like. It's a rhyme within one line as opposed to the end of two lines rhyming. I technically could still make it a quatrain with a AABB rhyme scheme (also demonstrated below) but that would makes some lines extremely and unintentionally irregular and in this poem it usually interrupts a very small phrase. Irregular line lengths can be a great artistic tool in writing poetry, but you have to do it right. And by do it right I mean do it "Wright" or however the hell you want to do it that feels right to you.
So when you have a rhyme you really want to use, but it just wouldn't be the best place to start a new line, just leave it as an internal rhyme. Internal rhymes don't mess with the rhyme scheme of the poem (if that's important to you). And it's good to mix it up with other poetic devices that you can use within a line. You probably know of alliteration but I'll make a video (when I don't have a cough or the sniffles; hopefully soon) explaining a couple more tools and the distinction between them.
Suicide Triggers
Tercet ABA
Trigger Warning? Where do I start?
It gets better, but it never stops.
What I write; my whole life Is not for the faint of heart.
The knife stopped twisting, but the scars remain,
On my arms, my heart and my mind.
They heal but I still feel Every cut, every pain.
I don’t remember how many suicide attempts I’ve survived
Except that it was my favorite after school activity
From eleven to seventeen Poison laces any memories revived.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------Quatrain ABCA
Trigger Warning? Where do I start?
It gets better, but it never stops.
What I write; my whole life
What I write; my whole life
Is not for the faint of heart.
The knife stopped twisting, but the scars remain,
On my arms, my heart and my mind.
They heal but I still feel
Every cut, every pain.
Every cut, every pain.
I don’t remember how many suicide attempts I’ve survived
Except that it was my favorite after school activity
From eleven to seventeen
Poison laces any memories revived.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poison laces any memories revived.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quatrain AABB
Trigger Warning? Where do I start?
Trigger Warning? Where do I start?
It gets better, but it never stops. What I write;
my whole life
my whole life
Is not for the faint of heart.
The knife stopped twisting, but the scars remain,
On my arms, my heart and my mind. They heal
but I still feel
but I still feel
Every cut, every pain.
I don’t remember how many suicide attempts I’ve survived
Except that it was my favorite after school activity From eleven
to seventeen
to seventeen
Poison laces any memories revived.
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