I hear the metronome clock,

In Beethoven, Mozart and Bach.

A beat that's defined,

That sticks in my mind,

Each measure that's square like a block.

There's a cadence a parade band produces,

The timed steps the music induces.

My feet are just led

By the beat in my head,

From a march that is John Philip Sousa's.


In poetry, it is the same.

For every great poet you name,

It's word combination,

And accentuation,

That brought their verses acclaim.


Verbal symmetry is what is preferred,

With a rhythm that has to be heard.

There's a sense of assurance,

In sound reoccurrence,

With a predictable place for each word.


I know people's likes are diverse.

There are those who enjoy a blank verse.

But throughout all time

There's a rhythm and rhyme

That's the key to the whole universe.



Bob Aldrich