--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In my opinion, it is easier to avoid…" description: "\"In my opinion, it is easier to avoid iambic rhythms, when writing in syllabics, if you create a line or pattern of lines using odd numbers of syllables..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/085/james-fenton-9438_avoid_in-my-opinion-it-is-easier-to-avoid-iamb_1631577.png" --- # In my opinion, it is easier to avoid iambic rhythms, when… ![“In my opinion, it is easier to avoid iambic rhythms, when writing in syllabics, if you create a line or pattern of lines using odd numbers of syllables.” quote by James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/085/james-fenton-9438_avoid_in-my-opinion-it-is-easier-to-avoid-iamb_1631577.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/085/james-fenton-9438_avoid_in-my-opinion-it-is-easier-to-avoid-iamb_1631577.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/085/james-fenton-9438_avoid_in-my-opinion-it-is-easier-to-avoid-iamb_1631577.png) > “In my opinion, it is easier to avoid iambic rhythms, when writing in syllabics, if you create a line or pattern of lines using odd numbers of syllables.” [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Using odd‑syllable lines can break regular rhythm, making poetry feel fresh and less predictable. **In simple terms:** Odd syllable lines create fresh rhythm. Key Takeaway Experiment with irregular meter. Themes poetry rhythm structure Mood thoughtful experimental Type educational artistic When to use this quote - songwriting - teaching - personal journaling Key Concepts prosody creative writing Questions to Reflect On - How does odd meter affect readability? - When is regular rhythm preferable? A Different Perspective Irregular meter may confuse readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Avoid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoid/) [Avoid Iambic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoid-iambic-489672/) [Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create/) [Easier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier/) [Iambic Rhythms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iambic-rhythms-489668/) [In my opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/in-my-opinion/) [Line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/line/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Odd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odd/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Pattern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pattern/) [Rhythms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhythms/) [Rhythms Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhythms-writing-489671/) [Syllabics Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/syllabics-create-489670/) [Syllables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/syllables/) [Using](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/using/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Syllabics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-syllabics-489669/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [As you get drawn more and more into other activities, like political activities, very demanding, you have to find different rhythms of writing; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/as-you-get-drawn-more-and-more-into-other-activities-like-political/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [It's one of the best leagues in Europe in football. Benfica in my opinion is one of the top 10 biggest clubs in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddy-adu/it-s-one-of-the-best-leagues-in-europe-in-football-benfica-in-my/) [Freddy Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddy-adu/) > [In my opinion, the BBC are one of the best producers of drama in the world, and it made me incredibly happy to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-pasqualino/in-my-opinion-the-bbc-are-one-of-the-best-producers-of-drama-in-the/) [Luke Pasqualino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-pasqualino/) > [You're allowed to rip-off another score so close that it's ridiculous. In my opinion it's ridiculous, how closely one can just rip-off a score…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-elfman/you-re-allowed-to-rip-off-another-score-so-close-that-it-s-ridiculous/) [Danny Elfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-elfman/) > [Playing in front of 25,000 people and millions more on television, and performing and doing what I worked so hard to try to accomplish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-connors/playing-in-front-of-25-000-people-and-millions-more-on-television-and/) [Jimmy Connors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-connors/) > [When I turned 59, I looked at that as the first day of my 60th year, so I've been 60 for the last 365…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-mosley/when-i-turned-59-i-looked-at-that-as-the-first-day-of-my-60th-year-so/) [Walter Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-mosley/) > [These measures may not constitute an absolute guarantee of peace, but, in my opinion, they constitute the greatest preventive measures ever adopted by nations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-kellogg/these-measures-may-not-constitute-an-absolute-guarantee-of-peace-but/) [Frank B. Kellogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-b-kellogg/) > [In my opinion, there's nothing new in the theatre, ever. Theatre-makers are thieves, in the honourable tradition of charlatans. They fake it very, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mcburney/in-my-opinion-there-s-nothing-new-in-the-theatre-ever-theatre-makers/) [Simon McBurney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mcburney/) > [In my opinion, the battles over birth control and Planned Parenthood are primarily neither political nor religious. This is an issue of equality for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-decrow/in-my-opinion-the-battles-over-birth-control-and-planned-parenthood/) [Karen DeCrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-decrow/) > ['The Impossible Dream' is, in my opinion, one of the greatest songs ever written. Here is a man, an old man, a very old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lee/the-impossible-dream-is-in-my-opinion-one-of-the-greatest-songs-ever/) [Christopher Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lee/) > [History shows, in my opinion, that no nation can survive the tension, conflict and antagonism of two competing languages and cultures. It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lamm/history-shows-in-my-opinion-that-no-nation-can-survive-the-tension/) [Richard Lamm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lamm/) > [Content that's generated out of America, whether it be film or music, has, in my opinion, much greater impact in sustaining our credibility and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyor-cohen/content-that-s-generated-out-of-america-whether-it-be-film-or-music/) [Lyor Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyor-cohen/) > [For me, a $20 wine that drinks like a $40 wine in terms of complexity and interest is a value, while a $5 wine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/for-me-a-20-wine-that-drinks-like-a-40-wine-in-terms-of-complexity/) [Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/) > [In my opinion, the Bay is a trendsetting area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/too-short/in-my-opinion-the-bay-is-a-trendsetting-area/) [Too Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/too-short/) > [I don't like the idea of a book being a test or being used for a test. The way - in my opinion -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avi/i-don-t-like-the-idea-of-a-book-being-a-test-or-being-used-for-a-test/) [Avi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avi/) ## More by James Fenton > [Among those today who believe that modern poetry must do without rhyme or metre, there is an assumption that the alternative to free verse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/among-those-today-who-believe-that-modern-poetry-must-do-without/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [When we study Shakespeare on the page, for academic purposes, we may require all kinds of help. Generally, we read him in modern spelling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/when-we-study-shakespeare-on-the-page-for-academic-purposes-we-may/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [There is no objection to the proposal: in order to learn to be a poet, I shall try to write a sonnet. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/there-is-no-objection-to-the-proposal-in-order-to-learn-to-be-a-poet/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [Poetry carries its history within it, and it is oral in origin. Its transmission was oral. Its transmission today is still in part oral,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/poetry-carries-its-history-within-it-and-it-is-oral-in-origin-its/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [A glance at the history of European poetry is enough to inform us that rhyme itself is not indispensable. Latin poetry in the classical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/a-glance-at-the-history-of-european-poetry-is-enough-to-inform-us/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [In song the same rule applies as in dramatic verse: the meaning must yield itself, or yield itself sufficiently to arouse the attention and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/in-song-the-same-rule-applies-as-in-dramatic-verse-the-meaning-must/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [Great poetry does not have to be technically intricate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/great-poetry-does-not-have-to-be-technically-intricate/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > ['Love' is so short of perfect rhymes that convention allows half-rhymes like 'move.' The alternative is a plague of doves, or a kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/love-is-so-short-of-perfect-rhymes-that-convention-allows-half-rhymes/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [Lyric poetry is, of course, musical in origin. I do know that what happened to poetry in the twentieth century was that it began…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/lyric-poetry-is-of-course-musical-in-origin-i-do-know-that-what/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [At somewhere around 10 syllables, the English poetic line is at its most relaxed and manageable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/at-somewhere-around-10-syllables-the-english-poetic-line-is-at-its/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [In rap, as in most popular lyrics, a very low standard is set for rhyme; but this was not always the case with popular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/in-rap-as-in-most-popular-lyrics-a-very-low-standard-is-set-for-rhyme/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [The Italian word 'stanza' means 'a room', and a room is a good way to conceive of a stanza. A room, generally speaking, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/the-italian-word-stanza-means-a-room-and-a-room-is-a-good-way-to/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [Some people think that English poetry begins with the Anglo-Saxons. I don't, because I can't accept that there is any continuity between the traditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/some-people-think-that-english-poetry-begins-with-the-anglo-saxons-i/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [Nobody really knows whether they are a poet. I knew I was interested from the age of 15.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/nobody-really-knows-whether-they-are-a-poet-i-knew-i-was-interested/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [Modernism in other arts brought extreme difficulty. In poetry, the characteristic difficulty imported under the name of modernism was obscurity. But obscurity could just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/modernism-in-other-arts-brought-extreme-difficulty-in-poetry-the/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) [Explore all 72 James Fenton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) ## More Avoid quotes > [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/) [David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I love the sea, but I avoid any sort of seaside resort that has skyscrapers or seaside entertainments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-blake/i-love-the-sea-but-i-avoid-any-sort-of-seaside-resort-that-has/) [Quentin Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-blake/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [I avoid processed food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-hopkins/i-avoid-processed-food/) [Bernard Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-hopkins/) > [I avoid envy at all costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-winkleman/i-avoid-envy-at-all-costs/) [Claudia Winkleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-winkleman/) > [Patients' lives are more important than embryos. I do want to avoid the use of embryos if possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinya-yamanaka/patients-lives-are-more-important-than-embryos-i-do-want-to-avoid-the/) [Shinya Yamanaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinya-yamanaka/) > [I studiously avoid any academic dissections of the play and any kind of previous experience of playing. For me, it's all in the play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/i-studiously-avoid-any-academic-dissections-of-the-play-and-any-kind/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [The mark of the man is how he responds to situations. You're not going to avoid tough times. We're all over the barrel some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-short/the-mark-of-the-man-is-how-he-responds-to-situations-you-re-not-going/) [Martin Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-short/) > [God knows we are subtle creatures who are more than able to use candour to avoid acknowledging our deceptions of others and ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/god-knows-we-are-subtle-creatures-who-are-more-than-able-to-use/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [Because Techstars is an intensely productive three-month program in which product development and iteration are primary goals, we're constantly looking to streamline our program…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cohen/because-techstars-is-an-intensely-productive-three-month-program-in/) [David Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cohen/) > [Pacifism as a mass movement aims to avoid suffering; pacifists often say that no cause is worth suffering or dying for. The ethos of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-michnik/pacifism-as-a-mass-movement-aims-to-avoid-suffering-pacifists-often/) [Adam Michnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-michnik/) > [Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/last-but-not-least-avoid-cliches-like-the-plague/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [When I was younger, I used humour as a tool to avoid getting too serious with people - if there was deep emotional stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-perry/when-i-was-younger-i-used-humour-as-a-tool-to-avoid-getting-too/) [Matthew Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-perry/) > [I'm quite tactile, so I like fabrics that feel good. I try to avoid fabrics that crease - especially with my son. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-kerr/i-m-quite-tactile-so-i-like-fabrics-that-feel-good-i-try-to-avoid/) [Miranda Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-kerr/) [Browse all 985 Avoid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoid/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In my opinion, it is easier to avoid iambic rhythms, when writing in syllabics, if you create a line or pattern of lines using odd numbers of syllables.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Fenton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/in-my-opinion-it-is-easier-to-avoid-iambic-rhythms-when-writing-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Avoid" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/in-my-opinion-it-is-easier-to-avoid-iambic-rhythms-when-writing-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/085/james-fenton-9438_avoid_in-my-opinion-it-is-easier-to-avoid-iamb_1631577.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/085/james-fenton-9438_avoid_in-my-opinion-it-is-easier-to-avoid-iamb_1631577.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/085/james-fenton-9438_avoid_in-my-opinion-it-is-easier-to-avoid-iamb_1631577.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In my opinion, it is easier to avoid iambic rhythms, when writing in syllabics, if you create a line or…” — James Fenton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Fenton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In my opinion, it is easier...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/in-my-opinion-it-is-easier-to-avoid-iambic-rhythms-when-writing-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/in-my-opinion-it-is-easier-to-avoid-iambic-rhythms-when-writing-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```