• Ask the Editor: The Particulars of Prose

    I’d venture to say that when most people hear the word “poem”, they think of rhymes and jokes – either due to high school Shakespeare or college limericks about drinking. The other side of poetry, non-rhyming and more thematic, tends to either elude or scare people. The fall of the line break is unpredictable. It’s harder to compose without a consistent rhythm. However, depending on how you look at it, prose frees you as a writer. When writing prose, you have unlimited space to make your words dance. Plus, it’s up to you what kind of dance it will be.…

  • Ask the Editor: Varying Rhyming Patterns in Poetry

    The debate on rhyming in poetry produces skewed results. Should poets use end rhymes or not? Some argue that rhyming in poetry creates a natural rhythm that cannot be produced in any other form. Others encourage poets to do away with rhyming, as it creates a distracting predictability. Below is a brief list to shed light on rhyming patterns that deviate from your average end rhyme pattern. The key here is to challenge yourself to be inspired by an innovative rhyming scheme that retains the musical tones in your writing without the cliché predictability. Half Rhyme/Slant Rhyme/Off Rhyme. This rhyme…

  • Portrait of Poet: Xulon Press Presents Heather Mavis Owen

    Poetry is a feat not many can achieve. Only a true wordsmith is able to string together multiple lines of rhyming ends that read like a rhythmic melody in the reader’s ear. Writing poetry takes due diligence and patience because one must wait for the perfect words to come to mind, which is why, for centuries, poetry has been one of the most respected styles of writing. Our editorial team couldn’t let National Poetry Month pass without highlighting Heather Mavis Owen’s poem, Black Mountain Choir of Wales, in which the poet uses the Aberfan Disaster of 1966 as her inspiration for…