Okay, is there really a test to take in order to get a poetic license -- not that I know of. That doesn't matter though. Poetic License is just a way of saying that you can bend the rules of proper grammar, style, or even fact to reach a desired special effect. Or, in some cases, it allows you to ignore those rules completely.
For instance, when you are writing dialog it is common to take poetic license. This is because most people don't actually speak grammatically correct.
Example:
"I do not want to go to the store with you Steve. Do you want to play Basketball with me instead?" Tom said.
"That sounds like a good idea, Tom. I will go to the store later tonight before it closes," Steve replied.
Vs.
"I don't want to," Tom said. "You want to play ball instead?"
"OK," Steve said. "I'll go when we're done."
While this may not be the best example, I think you can understand my point. Don't you? Maybe?
We see writers taking poetic license frequently in music lyrics. Words are manipulated and sometimes mutilated in the name of popular music. And while I haven't found a teenager yet that doesn't like music of some sort, if you mention poetry, they tend to freak out. However, when you look at the lyrics of any song, you are in fact looking at a form of poetry. If you ever get the chance to hear a wonderful speaker recite poetry, you will be able to hear the lyrical rhythm in their voice.
Poetry strictly as poetry has various forms just like fiction novels. There are epic, haiku, comedic, romantic, long, short, meaningful, sentimental, depressing, gross, insightful, silly, rhyming, even some that don't really rhyme much at all. Some of the better known poets that I enjoy are Edgar Allen Poe, Shel Silverstein, Emily Bronte, Lewis Carroll, J. R. R. Tolkien, Robert Frost, and Rudyard Kipling.
"Wait," you may say. "Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland and J.R.R. Tolkien wrote the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings series."
Yes! They did. If you read these books, you will note the poems, riddles, rhymes that sprinkle the pages of the stories. Even if you watch the movies you can notice the poetry in them.
Also, if you have ever read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum AND seen the classic movie with Judy Garland, you will see that Hollywood definitely took a poetic license when making the movie. Hint: What color are the shoes???
There are many, many modern poets as well. Not counting the numerous lyricist that I enjoy on the radio or other music player, poetry in the form of poetry is still alive. In fact, I intend on having some modern poets on this blog. One is even lined up already.
Therefore, if you or someone you know writes poetry... please feel free to contact me. I know several local poets and I would love to put a collection together.
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