14 Fourteeners: Selections in Iambic Heptameter

In recent decades many standards of the classic arts have been altered (perhaps for better, but probably for worse) by the mainstream for the simplicity of the freeform. In the world of poetry we see this as an increasing dependence on the part of aspiring poets on what is termed 'free verse' or 'blank verse' which forsakes the structure of rhyme and meter which have classically framed much of the beauty found in English verse.

While iambic tetrameter (8-count) is typical of simple rhymed verses and pentameter (10-count) has been considered the standard for storytelling in English verse, it is also evident that use of the heptameter rhythm was widely used in works of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Now, in the twenty-first century, as a seedling struggling to break through the obstinate soil of entrenched academia, we may be witnessing a resurgence of the rhythm of the heptameter and perhaps a return to our classic roots in other art forms. Some will decry this as a step backward into the 'oppressive age' of sensible rhythm; some will wail because 'rhyming is old-fashioned' and unnecessary; but others will appreciate the natural flow and let their own tastes be their guide.

I present this small collection in the hope that the reader finds some inspiration in it; or at least some pleasure, some peace, or perhaps a tiny nugget or two of simple wisdom.