Attempt Light Verse-- You Could Do Worse

By Guy Belleranti

 
Do you enjoy playing with words? Do the funny and ironic aspects of life tickle your fancy? Then perhaps you should try something new and put some of your observations into rhyme using light verse.

Light, humorous verses were among the first manuscripts I sent to publishers when I began writing in 1993. I had always loved the clever writings of Ogden Nash and Shel Silverstein, so I studied the work of these and other "funny" poets in more detail. I soon discovered that the subject matter in light verse is infinite-- ideas can be found in work, leisure, parenting, and more.
 
I also deduced several primary characteristics light verse seemed to have:

a) inventive and exact rhyme
b) a fun sense of play
c) a situation with which the reader could identify
d) a little twist at the end.

In addition, I found that the meter of one line must match the meter of its rhyming line. In other words, the syllable count and rhythm of rhyming lines must be the same. For example, note lines two and four in the following verse of mine originally published in Mature Living:

The airline's fare seemed more than fair,
But I am not impressed,
For while my flight traveled east,
They sent my luggage west!

Sometimes line one rhymes with line three and line two rhymes with line four. A poem of mine from SHORT STUFF Magazine:

"I can't do a thing with my hair!"
Is what many people bawl.
"Be happy," is what I declare,
"It beats having none at all!"

Or line one rhymes with line two, line four rhymes with line five, and line three rhymes with line six. For example from Kids' Highway:

               Timber!

Poor Messy MacPerson
Thought nothing was worse than
Being asked to pick up and put things away.
Soon his mess grew so high
That it toppled-- oh my!
Poor Messy's been missing from then to this day.

But how, you ask, does one find markets for light verse? Well, I went to the library and perused both the current Writer's Market and stocked magazines. Then I visited bookstores, searching for publications not available at the library. Finally, I wrote for sample copies and writer's guidelines to publications I couldn't find.  

The markets were varied: general interest magazines, retirement publications, religious, children's, writing, even mystery magazines.  

Good and non-predictable rhyme is important in all light verse so I followed the advice of humorist and light verse great, Richard Armour-- I bought a rhyming dictionary (The Complete Rhyming Dictionary, edited by Clement Wood).

Now I was ready to start writing. I looked at ideas I had amassed (always keep an idea file) and set to work. I had two young children at the time, and found in them the beginnings of inspiration.

Two examples from SHORT STUFF Magazine:

My children usually
Wipe their shoes,
But not where I would
Always choose!

And:

My children have an honesty
That is quite hard to beat,
Like telling friends and neighbors things
I wish they wouldn't repeat.                    

 
Then there was my fondness for photography. From Mature Living:

From still lifes to some action shots
My vacation scenery lingers.
I captured all I could on film,
Including parts of my fingers! 

 
From my lifelong love for mysteries came the following, published many years ago in Mystery Time:

      The Search Is Over

We met in the store's shadows
And I stifled a gasp.
My fingers snaked out, grabbing
Her stiff spine in my grasp.

"I've had my eye out for you,"
I said softly in glee.
"You're one of my favorites-
A classic mystery."

 
Two important points to remember when writing light verse is to be short and to the point, and like I stated earlier, to have a little twist at the end. One of my verses published by Just Right in the Spring 1995 issue and by Writing-World.com March 18 2004:

       Shortcomings

Writing short and precise
Is the method preferred.
But, unfortunately,
I get paid by the word.

However, payment by word, by line or by poem actually isn't so shabby. I've sold countless pieces to many publications in addition to those listed above. The following are a few you might like to try yourself: 

Capper's
Editorial Department
1503 S.W. 42nd Street
Topeka, KS 66609-1265

http://www.cappers.com/

This is a biweekly publication that uses five to six poems in each issue. Verses should be easy to read with down to earth themes and four to 16 lines; pays $10 to $15 on acceptance; sends tear sheet on publication. They also occasionally reprint poems on their website and then pay you again.

------

Mature Living
One LifeWay Plaza
Nashville, TN 37234-0175

A monthly Christian magazine designed for adults 50 and older. The Cracker Barrel Department uses brief and humorous verses four to eight lines; pays $15 shortly after acceptance; sends three copies on publication.

-----

Jack and Jill
Children's Better Health Institute
1100 Waterway Blvd.
P.O. Box 567
Indianapolis, IN 46206
Daniel Lee, Editor

http://www.cbhi.org/cbhi/magazines/jackandjill.shtml

Poetry and light verse for children ages seven to ten; pays $25 and up; sends copy on publication.
-----

Hopscotch
P.O. Box 164
Bluffton, OH 45817-0164

http://www.funforkidzmagazines.com/frameset.html?target=hs

Target audience: girls six to 13. Send for theme list (or look it up on their website); pays $10 minimum a few months before publication; sends sample copy on publication.

-----

Boys' Quest
P.O. Box 227
Bluffton, OH 45817-0227

http://www.funforkidzmagazines.com/frameset.html?target=bq

Target audience: boys six to 13. Send for theme list (or look it up on their website); pays $10 minimum a few months before publication; sends sample copy on publication.

-----

Whatever the market, I would advise that you read a sample or two and the writer's guidelines before submitting.

To conclude, writing light verse is fun, and there are many paying markets. In addition, it is a great training ground for tightening up writing skills, as every word is important. So the next time you feel the urge to have some fun, and to maybe even make a little money at the same time, try your hand at light verse. You could do worse.

Guy Belleranti writes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, puzzles, and humor for both adults and children from his home in southern Arizona. A few of the places his work has appeared include Woman's World, The Saturday Evening Post, Capper's and the LA Times Kids' Reading Room. A number of his short stories are also available at Fictionwise.com. His homepage on the web is: http://www.authorsden.com/guybelleranti.

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