Rhythm in Contemporary Love Poetry

Rhythm is a key element in contemporary love poetry in every era, including the current one. It will likely continue to be important in every era, probably taking on as many different disguises, as it already has to date.

Critics of contemporary love poetry and others will admit that not everyone can relate to every rhythm expressed by contemporary love poets; nor is there any need for them to do so. Even contemporary love poets of the same era may not enjoy, or appreciate the rhythm of other contemporary love poets expressed in their work, but they are more likely than others to read them poetically.

Contemporary love poetry speaks with a distinct rhythm, touching and changing the hearts of humankind throughout the ages. Perhaps one of the reasons for the power inherent in rhythm has to do with different manifestations of the pulsating human heart, at different times in life.

Rhythm is an important aspect of contemporary love poetry, as it serves as a unifying factor. In other words, contemporary love poetry is more than just a list of disconnected words, thoughts, expressions and ideas. In fact, if it becomes fragmented in terms of its rhythm, timing and structure, it loses its meaning. It is like a broken story line with mere fragments of chaos and confusion. The rhythm of the soul is often expressed poetically, but when the soul is out of sync, so is the contemporary love poetry. It is like losing one's muse or source of inspiration.

The rhythm in contemporary love poetry is not just noise as such, but rather more like music. Noise is abusive, grating on the nerves of humankind, whereas music has a rhythm that meets the need of, or soothes the soul and awakens its expression further. Rhythm is often in sync with the surroundings of the contemporary love poet, like the lapping of waves along a shoreline. If the rhythm becomes tumultuous like a tropical storm heading into hurricane status, it arouses concern for the contemporary love poet who may, or may not be able to continue writing.

Storm surges in a contemporary love poet's life do not necessarily allow for poetic expression, as this is not the kind of rhythm that addresses, or encourages his or her thoughts and feelings to flow freely. Contemporary love poets, like the rest of humankind, instinctively desire to flee, or seek shelter from the storms of life.

Contemporary love poetry can prove to be a refuge from the storms of life for a contemporary love poet, critics or others. It can also be a source of important historical information for later eras, if the contemporary love poet records the events of the storms of life for posterity's sake. At times, its rhythm may appear to be disrupted and thus less evident in the contemporary love poet's literary work.

Life itself has many different rhythms and the contemporary love poet may have a sensitivity to them, even though the critic of his era, or later, may not. Rhythm in contemporary love poetry is much like the waves of gladness and sadness experienced by humankind. It reflects the glory days, as well as the gory days, both which are realities of life. Self glorification may reveal the peaks of poetic rhythmic waves, while valleys of sorrow have their own rhythm, as the contemporary love poet calls out to the divine for help in his darkest hour of need.

A true contemporary love poet does not seek self glorification, but rather understands the need to express his or her muse, as he or she is inspired. Picking up on the rhythm emanating from the source of his or her inspiration, the contemporary love poet writes on.