ABSTRACT
Free verse is anything but free, this chapter claims, arguing that the absence of readymade markers of external form compels poets writing in free verse to use natural speech rhythms to imbue their lines with patterns of sound and meaning. In terms of the topics treated in free verse, this chapter chooses as its starting point the poetry of Walt Whitman, identifying the form of free verse with the need to exceed the boundaries of traditional forms when documenting the American experiment. The chapter goes on to consider the diversity of free verse, as well as the constant challenge it presents to poets to experiment and innovate.
