Free Verse
I now delight
In spite
Of the might
And the right
Of classic tradition,
In writing
And reciting
Straight ahead,
Without let or omission,
Just any little rhyme
In any little time
That runs in my head;
Because, I’ve said,
My rhymes no longer shall stand arrayed
Like Prussian soldiers on parade
That march,
Stiff as starch,
Foot to foot,
Boot to boot,
Blade to blade,
Button to button,
Cheeks and chops and chins like mutton.
No! No!
My rhymes must go
Turn ’ee, twist ’ee,
Twinkling, frosty,
Will-o’-the-wisp-like, misty;
Rhymes I will make
Like Keats and Blake
And Christina Rossetti,
With run and ripple and shake.
How pretty
To take
A merry little rhyme
In a jolly little time
And poke it,
And choke it,
Change it, arrange it,
Straight-lace it, deface it,
Pleat it with pleats,
Sheet it with sheets
Of empty conceits,
And chop and chew,
And hack and hew,
And weld it into a uniform stanza,
And evolve a neat,
Complacent, complete,
Academic extravaganza!
poem by Robert Graves
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
The Rhyming Flu
It’s 1: 15 A.M.
I’m sitting here in bed;
I want to go to sleep,
But rhymes are in my head.
I just came upstairs;
I was just on the com,
Working out a poem;
For Ainaa to recite in the morn.
The problem with rhyme and I;
Is that it starts and never stops,
Remember it’s one o’clock;
But rhymes still pulse my thoughts.
So I’m writing this very rhyme;
Hoping my rhyme runs out,
But such a hope’s impossible;
When my rhymes are as abundant as trout.
I know what you all are thinking:
“This rhyme is simply a gimmick;
This boy’s not really sleepy,
He’s wide awake with this limerick.”
“This story of sleep is really;
Just some tricky plot,
To make you think he flows out rhyme;
Like water from a cracked pot.”
But, nay, it is true;
I’ve got the rhyming flu,
I’m hoping that by writing this rhyme;
All my rhymes shall be through.
Aha, I know the cure;
The medicine’s no longer obscure!
To end this awful rhyme;
I need a word that does NOT rhyme!
I’ve heard of the word before;
It’s like English’s Achilles heel,
No matter how hard you rhyme;
Its un-rhyming-ness is an iron veil.
Touché now rhyming flu;
This word I give to you!
Try rhyming the word ‘month’
…Ha-ha, you can’t now, can you! ?
The rhyming flu has left me…
I can feel it leaving my mind…
Ahhh… I am so relieved…
The clock says it’s now sleepy time...
…zZzZZZ
poem by Warren Chan
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Guy With No Last Name
There's a guy with his first name on his truck,
he lives on a street that rhymes with Buck,
get that word out of your mind, it's not ___.
He makes bids on jobs with concrete,
I hear it's messy and not very neat.
He has a dog whose name rhymes with Lake,
He's cute (the dog) make no mistake.
Now the last time I saw him he wagged his tail,
I had a treat for him, I forgot it, oh well.
I wonder if the dog is still alive,
I haven't seen him for a very long time.
Who knows, I hope he's fine.
That being said, I have no more words to rhyme.
Written by Suzae Chevalier on March 14,2011
poem by Christina Sunrise
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Line By Line
Writing line by line
Can i capture the truth in rhyme
You tell me okay its fine
Whats fine my writings or the rhymes
Have you read enough this time
Rhyme line rhyme
Am i wasting my time
Do i even comprehend
The thoughts the static static
Inside my head
I send a piece to a friend
Or are they scared to offend
I need to know if its rubbish
Putting it out there to be published
Rhyme line verse
Do you speak the truth or were you coerced
So im taking you at your word
You have listened you heard
Line by line
Rhyme by rhyme
Can i be convicted of poetry crimes
For writing dribble
About nothing as long as it rhymes
Well thank you my friend
Here is another i am about to send
Read it and read it again
Maybe you can send on to a friend
Okay time to go
I have more pieces of dribble you know
Guy With A Handsome Dog
There's a guy with his first
name on his truck-
he might work for a company
that rhymes with Muck-
get that word out of your
mind, it's not the word __________.
He makes bids on jobs with
Concrete-
messy not very neat.
He has a dog whose
name rhymes with Lake-
He's handsome (the dog)
make no mistake.
Now the last time I
saw him he wagged his tail-
I had a doggie treat for him,
I forgot it, oh well...
I wonder if the dog is still doing fine?
I haven't seen him for quite sometime.
Who knows?
I hope handsome dog is having a hot dog & some wine.
That being said-
doing I have anymore funny things to rhyme?
Written by Suzae Chevalier on March 14,2011
www.suzae.com
poem by Suzae Chevalier
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Replacing Hackneyed Tradition Rhymes
slant rhyme
half rhyme
imperfect rhyme
deliberately
concentrated
on that style
on the themes
in work early
instead
of hackneyed
tradition
rhymes
detracting
subtle
or impact
concepts?
poem by Terence George Craddock
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Left Foot, Right Foot
left foot, right foot,
left foot, right foot,
eyes fixed straight ahead....
drawn by the spectre
of our own greed;
use it up, throw it out,
use it up, throw it out....
hardened and lifeless,
eaten from within
by the maggots of ego...
deaf to the cries
of our own children,
blinded by the 'God'
of cyber technology...
strip the fields,
cut down the forests...
mine the mountains,
we pee in our own
drinking water, and
walk away....
leaving nuclear tracks
in the womb of time.
left foot, right foot,
left foot, right foot...
marching blindly to hell
with drool on our chins!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Step Up
Watch as the room rocks
Mentally moonwalk
Mixed media slang
Banging in your boom box verbal violence
Lyrical stylist
In a time when rock hip hop rhymes are childish
You can't tempt me with rhymes that are empty
Rapping to a beat doesn't make you an emcee
With your lack of skill and facility
You're killing me
And a DJ in the group just for credibility
I heard that some of you are getting help with your rhymes
You're not an emcee if someone else writes your lines
And rapping over rock doesn't make you a pioneer
Cause rock and hip hop have collaborated for years
But now they're getting randomly mixed and matched up
All after a fast buck and all the tracks suck
So how does it stack up? None of it's real
You want to be an emcee you've got to study the skill
Who can rock a rhyme like this?
Bring it to you every time like this? [2x]
Step
song performed by by Linkin Park from Hybrid Theory (EP)
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Elevator
I can't change the past for no one has found the rewind button yet.
I can't take back my pain or catch myself from falling again.
For the net to catch myself before isn't there,
But I can change what I fall into and what button I press.
For the press of one button can change everything.
So lets see what the up button will do.
I may get stuck for a while or fall to the floor due to a sudden stop,
But this time the button is up and I will be falling into a net of hope.
poem by Christina J. Williams
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Parody Of John Keats 'On The Sonnet
Parody to follow, but first, the real deal sonnet by John Keats,1819...
----------…
John Keats sonnet.....'On the Sonnet'...
If by dull rhymes our English must be chained,
And, like Andromeda, the Sonnet sweet
Fettered, in spite of painéd loveliness;
Let us find out, if we must be constrained,
Sandals more interwoven and complete
To fit the naked foot of poesy;
Let us inspect the lyre, and weigh the stress
Of every chord, and see what may be gained
By ear industrious, and attention meet;
Misers of sound and syllable, no less
Than Midas of his coinage, let us be
Jealous of dead leaves in the bay-wreath crown;
So, if we may not let the Muse be free,
She will be bound with garlands of her own.
----------…
My parody.....'On Rhyme and Money'
If by dull rhyme our fortune's attained,
let us speak, shout, seek, complete with all pain
tomorrow's journey to our bank account.
Ignore that woman chained by wisdom's fount.
Was she not acclaimed in her day and time?
Her eternal beauty bought for a dime
from every passing vendor. How vane!
Her shame, wanting blonde tresses. Brunette's bane!
Forlorn, forsworn, we apply merely base
words, structure, to the poetics of haste.
And, all meaning wanting, we write cheap
nonsensical verse, all rhyming replete.
We of beggars' free verse stand time's testing,
penniless, but with no gods are jesting.
poem by Elysabeth Faslund
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Got More Rhymes
[ VERSE 1 ]
Now from planet to planet, and from star to star
It doesn't really matter, baby, just who you are
And from Earth to solar system, and to galaxy
It's real hard to get a ticket to hear Young MC
Because I rock like a professional, this ain't no lark
You either hear me at a party, or you see me in the park
I rocked the many places far away from my home
I guess that must be the reason why I'm so well known
I rocked from Iowa to Idaho, Canada to Mexico
I came into the place, you party people, just to let you know
My name is the Young MC, ladies want to come to me
And when they're in my arms, the ladies never ever front on me
Thinkin that you know the deal, boy, why don't you be for real
I love to rock the mic, and sometimes even rock the wheels of steel
Rock the place without a doubt, now I'm gonna turn it out
So listen very close, so I can tell you that it's all about
RHYMES
More RHYMES
Party people, I'm the Young MC, and I got RHYMES
Let me tell you something
Young MC got more RHYMES
[ VERSE 2 ]
Now with a voice like this I rock so well
But I'm not Prince, Lionel Richie, or Patti Labelle
I'm not the Cars, the Pretenders, or the B-52's
My name is Young MC, and I'm the one you should choose
Cause when the music comes in, the beat starts thumpin
And I'm the only man to keep the girlies high jumpin
I'm the doctor on the mic, and yes, I'm so sure
That all you need is one visit, then you'll be cured
Cause in the game of rap I am the referee
When the others need help, they'll come to me
Like Judge Joe Wapner on the _People's Court_
My name is Young MC, rockin on the mic is my sport
And now you know, just from those 12 lines
That a fella like me never falls behind
Cause I'm the cream of the crop, and the leader of the pack
Once you give me the mic, you know there's no turnin back
Because I got more rhymes then the other guys do
They're just a monkey, I'm the whole damn zoo
I can't use a book, I use a hefty bag
Because they're just a string, I'm the American flag
I got more rhymes than water seen by a sailor
More than husbands of Elizabeth Taylor
More than Babe Ruth has hit home runs
Yo, my name is Young MC, so go out there and have some fun
With RHYMES
More RHYMES
I gotta tell you something
Young MC got RHYMES
Party people, I got more RHYMES
Bust it
[ VERSE 3 ]
RHYMES - what are these things that I talk about?
Hear them in the walkman everytime you wanna walk about
Never lost a battle in which I fought
And if rhyme was a crime, I'd never get caught
I had to go to college, because I am an intellectual
I only sleep with women, cause I am heterosexual
Rock the microphone anyplace, anytime
That's why I had to write a jam and call it Got More Rhymes
Now as a consequence of this
I'd like to make some sense of this
And tell the party people all the reasons that I sent you this
RHYME that I continue to say
School starts in September, graduation in May
And when I graduate RHYMES'll keep comin
Girls try to flock and jock, but stop bummin
Cause I'm the kinda guy that you never wanna toy with
And now you know that I'm talkin about the boy with
RHYMES
More RHYMES
When you say Young MC, you are sayin RHYMES
Party people, Young MC got more RHYMES
Yeah
song performed by by Young MC
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Sins of Commission Higgledy-Piggledy José Barroso
Higgledy-piggledy
José Barroso so
stuffy starch collarly
stiff upper lip,
said 'for the life of me
no proto Irano
plutonium energy
setting up ship! '
robi03_1936_robi03_0000 robi03_1936_DACTYL_0000
Metrical Variation in the Double Dactyl Stanza
http: //www.barefootmuse.com/archives/issue7/hodge.htm< /a>
The double dactyl stanza, created in the 1960s by Paul Pascal and Anthony Hecht,1 required that the first line be nonsense syllables [e.g. 'Higgledy-piggledy, ' hence the form's alternative name], that the second be a proper name [Emily Dickinson, Theodore Roosevelt, etc.], that one line, usually the sixth, consist of a single didactylic word, and that the catalectic (shortened) fourth and eighth lines rhyme. Such verses were discrete comments on the person named. Adapting the stanza to longer narratives in rendering Shakespeare and nursery rhymes and tales into dactyls, can be fun
Richard III - Off with his Head!
Richard III (in which 'Off with his head! ' serves as a refrain) :
Tewksbury witnessed his
slaughter of Edward, whose
widow thereafter he
took to his bed.
Anyone faulting such
insensitivity
should have known better; 'twas
off with his head.
He had his brother and
then his two nephews all
killed in the Tower, or
so it is said.
Hastings and Stanley, who
ideologically
balked at his crowning, heard
'Off with his head! '
poem by Jonathan Robin
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Lines On H---'s Foot
It may be you've seen her eyes,
Dark and deep like midnight skies;
You mayhap have seen them flash
Underneath the drooping lash,
And been dazzled by the light
Of those orbs, so dark and bright;
But-have you seen her foot,
In its little gaiter boot?
You have noticed, maybe, how
The lily spreads from chin to brow.
You have thought her cheek more fair
Than if roses lingered there;
(Roses would seem out of place
On her pale patrician face)
But-again I question you,
Have you seen her tiny shoe?
You have thought her mouth, no doubt,
Like a blush-rose half blown out;
Small and sweet, withal, beside,
Touched with scorn and curved with pride;
(Innate pride-not meant to chill)-
You have seen it there, and still-
Answer one more question, pray-
Have you seen her boot? I say.
Such a tiny, tiny thing,
Is that foot of which I sing;
No. 3 would hide it so
It could not be found, I know.
No. 2 must stand aside
All too long and large and wide,
No. 1
must
be the boot
For this maiden's little foot.
You may envy, sir, the clerk
In the shoe-store, hard at work,
Who tries the gaiter boot
On this cunning little foot.
On his knee, supporting it,
Saying, 'It's a perfect fit,'
Buttoning on the No. 1,
Looking sorry, when it's done.
You have seen her, slight and neat,
As she tripped along the street,
You have
heard
the pit-pat-fall
Of that foot so very small.
That she's fair, and pure, and good,
Bright, and sweet is understood,
But-have you
seen
that foot-
In its dainty gaiter boot?
poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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To a Vers Librist
"Oh bard," I said, "your verse is free;
The shackles that encumber me,
The fetters that are my obsession,
Are never gyves to your expression.
"The fear of falsities in rhyme,
In metre, quantity, or time,
Is never yours; you sing along
Your unpremeditated song."
"Correct," the young vers librist said.
"Whatever pops into my head
I write, and have but one small fetter:
I start each line with a capital letter.
"But rhyme and metre--Ishkebibble!--
Are actually negligible.
I go ahead, like all my school,
Without a single silly rule."
Of rhyme I am so reverential
He made me feel quite inconsequential.
I shed some strongly saline tears
For bards I loved in younger years.
"If Keats had fallen for your fluff,"
I said, "he might have done good stuff.
If Burns had thrown his rhymes away,
His songs might still be sung to-day."
O bards of rhyme and metre free,
My gratitude goes out to ye
For all your deathless lines--ahem!
Let's see, now . . . What is one of them?
poem by Franklin P. Adams
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Ced-gee
hello!"
"ced gee, champion"
"hello! i'm back again"
"ced gee, champion"
[ced gee]
I'm a radar, sendin message to competitors
Eliminating, another predator
From the face, of the earth
Not the first to feel the wrath, of my curse
Competing, just like david and goliath
My rhyme's a slingshot, and yes they triumph
Over the weak, minds, who claim they giants
I'm more defiant, while you're relyin
On, your weak rhymin with connectors
But i'm ced gee, the rhymin inspector
Delta force, number one, omega supreme soundwave
Bringing your dreams to reality
And by the formality of thoughts
Yes, atomic of course
You steppin to me, you take a loss
Radical, the replication of a quasar
A pulsar, immense to suplicate
Crush a germ, then further eradicate
Destroy, which means to eliminate
Wipeout, remove, erase, and annhilate
Suckers, crews to soloists
You need a barricade, my rhyme's a hand grenade
Blowing up your brain, techniques astonishing
Just like endust, my rhymes are polishing
Rappers, cause to me you're like furniture
Dusty old and gray, and i'ma cleanse your soul
Rap to take control
I'm ced gee, and i'm on a roll
My name's the delta
"ced gee, a champion"
"ced gee, a champion"
Back to take control as i begin
To rip this mic apart, from end to end
Combine the rhyme that's mines to make em blend
Produce a beat that's dope
I hope you smoke the dope i wrote i quote
I made your brain choke - you need an antidote
Of, rhymes, just like funky potions
It killed your membranes, so now you're hopin
That you can become, another intellect
But you're a dummy, your rhymes can't connect
Metaphors, cause your style is very basic
You leave traces, you have no aces
Jacks, kings or queens, or even deuces
I'm like spades, you can't renege this
Ultramagnetic style of rhythm
Brain combustion, is what i give em
To make them shake and hesitate and make mistakes
To stay awake cause the gee stands for great
Man, reachin my apex
The more i climb, some rappers hate that
Twist and change the way i rearrange their brains
Cause i'm the delta
"ced gee, a champion"
"ced gee, a champion"
"ced gee.. a champion
song performed by by Ultramagnetic Mc's
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Straight Ahead
Day by day, dream by dream.
I fight to find the way to go.
Every day opens a different door.
Every dream shadows the one before.
But slowly I can see
The way youve made for me.
Straight ahead, I can see your light.
Straight ahead, through the dark.
Straight ahead, theres no left or right.
Straight ahead, to your heart.
Carry on through the night,
When the road is hard to find.
Lying lights tell me to turn around.
Lying thoughts tell me Im lost not found.
But clearly I can see
Youre waiting there for me.
Straight ahead, I can see your light.
Straight ahead, through the dark.
Straight ahead, theres no left or right.
Straight ahead, to your heart.
Straight ahead, (straight ahead),
Straight ahead, (straight ahead),
Straight ahead, (straight ahead),
Straight ahead, (straight ahead).
Straight ahead (straight ahead), I can see your light.
Straight ahead, through the dark (through the dark).
Straight ahead, theres no left or right.
Straight ahead, to your heart.
Straight ahead....
song performed by by Amy Grant
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A poem with the perfect rhyme
If a poem could cost a dime
I will spend my ink and spend my time
Making the perfect rhyme
More than a million people may read it
Even if I have to sell it on credit
I will be the businesswoman with wit
Sit down! Think about it!
A penny for the perfect sentence
A penny for a poem glaring with essence
A penny for writing about the present and past tense
A penny for describing a situation that is intense
A penny if I write truthfully without pretence
As I turn away from crime
Making the perfect rhyme
If a poem could cost a pound
I will turn my life around
As I compose the perfect poetic sound
That rhymes against any background
My words will be sublime
Not just the perfect rhyme
They will be read both at teatime and during bedtime
My sentences will mature in their prime with time
As I turn away from crime
Making the perfect rhyme
Copyright 2006 - Sylvia Chidi
www.sylviachidi.co.uk
poem by Sylvia Chidi
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Suzy Rhymes
All of Suzy’s dolls lined up in a row,
dressed in ruffles with flowers and bows.
Wishing dolls sweet dreams filled with delight,
Suzy goes to bed thinking funny rhymes.
Writing as fast as she can before she forgets
doesn’t want to wake her sister sleeping in her bed.
Goes to the laundry room where the
wash machine runs,
making swishing sounds.
all her rhymes come at once.
Suzy writes in the dark real fast,
knowing her words might have no other chance.
At school the next day,
teacher compliments Suzy’s poetry forte,
Suzy is proud and she lets out a smile,
Knowing her poetry writing was worth all the while.
Written by Suzae Chevalier on April 7,2011
poem by Christina Sunrise
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Time To Get Ill
Im not the type of person who likes to waste my time
And when Im on the mic - I just say my rhymes
Because Im out on bail - the check is in the mail
They can sentence me to life - but I wont go to jail
Im cool calm collected - from class I was ejected
Just me, mike d., and m.c.a. - were rarely disrespected
I got all the time that I need to kill
Whats the time? - its time to get ill
You been fully captivated by that funky ass bass
Your girlfriend screams when m.c.a.s in the place
He stumbles in the room with the chivas in his hand
Cold chillin on the spot at the microphone stand
Id have the pedal to the metal if I had a car
But Im chiller with the miller - cold coolin at the bar
I can drink a quart of monkey and still stand still
Whats the time? - its time to get ill
Went outside my house - I went down to the deli
I spent my last dime to refill my fat belly
I got rhymes galime - I got rhymes galilla
And I got more rhymes than phillis diller
M.c.a. takes a stand - man youre in command
Homeboy, turn it out and dont give a damn
My name is m.c.a. - Ive got a license to kill
Whats the time? - its time to get ill
Riding down the block with my box in my hand
Today I feel like chillin just as chill as I can
Coolin on the corner with a forty of o.e.
cause me and m.c.a. were down with mike d.
When I run a jam - I dont give a damn
When Im throwing bass - I say, thank you maam.
Fuel injected, rhyme connected - running things
Im the king adrock and Im the king of all kings
Im looking for a spot - things are gettin hot
Im m.c.a., Im here to stay - and you sir, are not
Oh no, it could not be - its such a sight to see
Its such a trip - youre on my tip so listen to mike d.
My work is my play - cause Im playing when I work
My names mike d., as you can see and I can dot the jerk
M.c.a., adrock, mike d. - its chill
Whats the time? - its time to get ill
song performed by by Beastie Boys
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Sonnet. If By Dull Rhymes Our English Must Be Chain'd
If by dull rhymes our English must be chain'd,
And, like Andromeda, the Sonnet sweet
Fetter'd, in spite of pained loveliness;
Let us find out, if we must be constrain'd,
Sandals more interwoven and complete
To fit the naked foot of poesy;
Let us inspect the lyre, and weigh the stress
Of every chord, and see what may be gain'd
By ear industrious, and attention meet:
Misers of sound and syllable, no less
Than Midas of his coinage, let us be
Jealous of dead leaves in the bay wreath crown;
So, if we may not let the Muse be free,
She will be bound with garlands of her own.
poem by John Keats
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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If By Dull Rhymes Our English Must Be Chain'd
If by dull rhymes our English must be chain'd,
And, like Andromeda, the Sonnet sweet
Fetter'd, in spite of pained loveliness;
Let us find out, if we must be constrain'd,
Sandals more interwoven and complete
To fit the naked foot of poesy;
Let us inspect the lyre, and weigh the stress
Of every chord, and see what may be gain'd
By ear industrious, and attention meet:
Misers of sound and syllable, no less
Than Midas of his coinage, let us be
Jealous of dead leaves in the bay wreath crown;
So, if we may not let the Muse be free,
She will be bound with garlands of her own.
poem by John Keats
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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