I've been writing poetry since like, 8th grade [I'm a junior in college now.] While it has gotten EXPONENTIALLY better since then (as it should), and while I generally like it, I feel like it's probably really sucky from other peoples' perspectives. since I'm so tied to at least half of the lines in a stanza rhyming (or near-rhyming). Also, I'm really attached to the amount of syllables in every other line being exactly the same (or at least close)...so it ends up sounding really structured and I feel like good poets don't do that sh*t. How do I get away from that? I try to write less structured poetry...without rhyming and without lines with the same amount of syllables, but I just really think it sounds awkward and am much happier with it once I change it back.
*edit: cyranae, i did take an AP Lit&Comp class in high school, which unlike other AP courses I've taken, was easily as challenging as the courses I'm taking at present. While I have indeed been exposed to poetry, different literary devices, etc, and have read more than my fair share of Shakespeare, I don't know how to *write* like him. Although I will look into taking a poetry course.
*edit: cyranae, i did take an AP Lit&Comp class in high school, which unlike other AP courses I've taken, was easily as challenging as the courses I'm taking at present. While I have indeed been exposed to poetry, different literary devices, etc, and have read more than my fair share of Shakespeare, I don't know how to *write* like him. Although I will look into taking a poetry course.