Finding My Rhythm: Is My Poetry “Light” or “Informing”?

I try to have a new book ready in time for the annual Tucson Festival of Books, but behind the scenes of my science-based picture books is a world of meter, rhyme, and occasional controversy.

My poem, Reluctant, was recently published in the Arizona State Poetry Society’s annual anthology, Sandcutters. When I first submitted it to the Tucson Poetry Society for critique, however, it caused quite a stir.

The Struggle for Serious Critique

As an author of science-based children’s books, my goal is to educate while entertaining. Yet, when I share stanzas at poetry meetings, I’m often met with the polite comment, “Kids will love this.” While I appreciate the sentiment, I’m usually hunting for deeper feedback: Does the rhyme scheme hold up? Is the scientific information clear?

The idea for Reluctant hit me during a meeting where the other poets were sharing works that felt worlds away from my rhyming stanzas. The poem flowed out of me with very few tweaks, serving as a reflection on how my muse differs from the traditional poetic crowd.

Reluctant

By Elaine A. Powers

At the poetry meetings, I tend not to share, My poetry is very different, I’m aware. Others write of longing for their lost love— Me, animals that look like bird droppings from above. Others, slavery and lynchings—subjects that matter— Me, I’m talking about what’s said in bats’ chatter. Others, current situations that affect our lives— Me, amphibians that don’t metamorphize. Speed of rattlesnakes’ rattles, squirrels that live in the ground, Night-blooming plants, dinosaurs that in AZ were found. These are the topics that appeal to my muse, Wanting to share science and maybe amuse. So, at meetings I keep my rhyming to myself, But dreaming I’ll be added to someone’s bookshelf.

Defining “Light Verse”

The poem sparked a debate. Some members were concerned I felt truly “reluctant” to share, while one member suggested that light verse like mine should be encouraged.

This sent me on a research mission. “Light verse” is generally defined as poetry written to amuse. While I certainly want to entertain, my primary purpose is to educate both the child and the adult reading to them. Perhaps I write “Informative Light Verse”?

I felt a surge of pride reading that light verse is often distinguished by technical competence, wit, and elegance. To be mentioned in the same category as Dorothy Parker or Lewis Carroll is a dream!

The Science of the Rhyme

I refuse to let go of the energy that rhyme provides. People often criticize rhyming in children’s books, but I believe the lyrical quality enhances the message. When writing, I strive for consistency in rhythm, often utilizing common meters like:

• Iambic Tetrameter (da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM)
• Anapestic Tetrameter (da-da-DUM da-da-DUM da-da-DUM da-da-DUM)

I tend to write in longer sentences, matching the rhythm of long lines to keep the energy moving. I even sponsor a “Rhyming Children’s Poems” category in our annual contest to ensure children’s poetry gets the respect it deserves. After all, works like Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses stay with us for a lifetime.

Whether my work is officially “light poetry” or something else entirely, I am incredibly proud of the work I do. I’m not keeping my rhymes to myself anymore!

See my rhyming science in action! Check out my latest release, which combines catchy rhythms with fascinating facts about one of nature’s most unique amphibians. Explore “A Lotl About Axolotls” on Amazon