“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist”- Pablo Picasso.

Traditional poetry has a lot of rules.

If you’re writing a sonnet, you have to know the meter, rhyme scheme, subject matter, and the volta, or twist.

If you want to write an Etheree or a Nonet, you have to keep your syllables and poem length in mind.

If you’re writing a traditional Hailku, you have to remember the syllables per line and the nature theme.

These are a few examples of common forms with rules, and some are more strict than others. However, without the rules in place, they wouldn’t be the forms we know and love.

You can’t write a Ghazal without the repetition and rhyme scheme, nor could you write a Pantoum without the repeating lines.

The rules are there to keep traditional forms alive in this modern age- but that doesn’t mean you have to follow them all the time.

Once you understand the rules of the poem and why they exist, you can break them.

For example, I broke the rules of the Dizain for my poems “Chopping Block” and “Ten” by keeping the 10 lines of 10 syllables but omitting the rhyme scheme.

I kept the rules for “Waverly Hills,” and while I enjoyed the challenge of using the rhyme scheme, I prefer the modified versions because they give me more room for creativity without straying too far off the path.

And there’s my secret- the word “modified.”

By calling them “modified dizains,” I can tell my readers to expect something that feels like a traditional dizain but has my twist on it. Same with “modified sonnets,” “modified etherees,” “modified ghazals,” etc.

However, I’m only able to make these modified versions because I learned how to create the traditional ones first.

So, the lesson here is that once you know the rules, you can break them to suit your needs.

And it’s not just in terms of poetry. Other forms of writing can benefit from this, as well as art, music, movies, and other creative endeavors.

Put in the work. Learn the rules. Then make them your own.

That’s what I do!