Rap?

I’m a huge fan of rap. I’ve always thought of it as a sub genre of poetry. Good poetry doesn’t have to rhyme. However a good rap must rhyme. Similar to slam poetry the delivery of a rap is key. Most poetry is written to be read. Rap is written to be listened to. Usually rap is accompanied by an instrumental which helps set the rhythm of the piece. Rapping is almost obnoxiously rhythmic. The use of phonetics and tempo are usually apparent. Often times when reading a poem unless I say the words out loud the rhyme will escape me. All of the various literary techniques such as metaphor, simile, personification, are present but not as prevalent as rhyme. In my writing for the class I’ve tried to deemphasize the rhyme. It’s been hard to do, because rhyme really helps set the tempo and provide a musical feel for the piece. I’ve been working really hard on complex metaphors and stanzas with variations in spacing. The increased work in formatting hasn’t really impacted my rapping much. However I find I have been producing more meaningful lines in my verse that don’t rhyme. My usage of simile has been more frequent and abstract. I definitely feel it has been helping my rap to have a more well rounded feel.