MichelleK

Jan 23, 2012

This poem is part of the workshop:

More Meter

(Read More...)

Description:

Leader: Jess (weirdelf)
Moderator(s): Beauregard, Geezer, Wesley Snow

Objectives: To get meter inside our heads and make it easy.

Level of expertise: Open to all

Subject matter:
More Meter

In the last meter workshop we compared iambic meter with trochaic and had a quick look at anapaestic. This time we will start with a discussion on meter and each participant's experience/knowledge of it. The workshop activities will be tailored to each persons needs and development.

Only two things are not open to argument. We will use classic meter terminology, it is not hard and it is useful. And critique of each others submissions are considered as important as your own submissions.

OK, to get the ball rolling I will give the briefest possible description I can of meter.

Meter is the rhythm of poetry as determined by the way words are pronounced normally in English, this does allow for regional and dialect variations. Meter is not about counting syllables, it is about counting Feet. A foot is two or three syllables of which one is stressed. The repetition of feet creates meter. The number of feet per line defines the metric form.

The most common forms of feet are Iambic, Anapestic, Trochaic And Dactylic and we will discuss them all.

The number of feet per line are named with Greek numeric prefixes (monometer, dimeter, etc.). We will go up to five feet per line (pentameter).

Just about everyone has heard of Iambic Pentameter. It has been popular since Shakespeare and Chaucer. Iambic Pentameter is a line of five iambs
da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM

To join please PM me or Beauregard

Enough for now. Let's talk! In the following discussion important points about content and style will be raised. Contribute your thoughts, ideas and questions.

FIRST ACTIVITIES.

For those who have never consciously written in meter before-

Write up to 14 lines of Iambic Pentameter.
Do NOT rhyme.
Choose a topic that is not emotional, personal or profound, merely descriptive. This will free up your word choice.

For those who have consciously written in meter before-

Write up to 14 lines of Trochaic Pentameter.
Do NOT rhyme.
Allow variations including Dactylic and strong and weak lines.
Choose a topic that is not emotional, personal or profound, merely descriptive. This will free up your word choice.

From the Toolbar click Workshop>Submit a poem.

Copy or type in your poem. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and above the Preview button you will see a Workshop droplist. Click this and select More Meter. Then preview and save as normal.

PLEASE READ THE SYLLABUS, THE DISCUSSION AND ALL MESSAGES CAREFULLY

This workshop is closed.

More Meter Ex. 1 Trochaic Pentameter

x = stressed o= unstressed

Jeffery Dahmer killed his neighbour: flushed him (down the drain)
Ed Gein ate his mother (and) played in (her) dirty dresses
While Son of Sam with gun in hand was killing golden (retrievers)
Fisher went and ate some children: buried them in (the) barn

xo xo x o xo: x o (o o x)
x o x o xo (o) x o (o) xo xo
xo x o x o x o x o xo xo (oxx)
xo x o x o xo: xo x o (o) x

Breezes like cool kisses make the poppies
dance in frenzied patience along dandelions and
ambivalent (daffodils)—while swans neck

xo x o xo x o xo
x o xo xo xo xox o
xox (oox)— xo xo xo

About This Poem

Last Few Words: My attempt at trochaic pentameter. Couldn't get to fourteen lines and are two separate poems/stanzas. They are riddled with issues and inconsistencies. () = where I know I screwed up the meter but couldn't find a way around it.

Style/Type: Structured: Western

Review Request Direction: What did you think of the rhythm or pattern or pacing?

Review Request Intensity: I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back

Editing Stage: Editing - rough draft

About the Author

Region, Country: New South Wales, AUS

Favorite Poets: Charles Baudelaire

Comments

I asked you to use the metric system I explaine 4 times

No, you see I started, but I can't parse this.

Jeffery Dahmer killed his neighbour: flushed him (down the drain)
Ed Gein ate his mother (and) played in (her) dirty dresses
While Son of Sam with gun in hand was killing golden (retrievers)
Fisher went and ate some children: buried them in (the) barn

It's the parentheses through me off. It feels like a deliberate attempt to change the stress, not necessarily for the netter.

Anyhow, everyone knows parentheses are anathema to poetry.

HARUMPH!

And exactly Who says parentheses don't belong in poetry? I guess commas, question marks and explanation points don't either..........stan

I said UP TO 14 lines,

not 14 lines.

Try something simpler.

Let's try again.

Or Not.

I asked for decriptive or un-emotive words so you would not become attached to them. What's with all the parentheses? Write some meter. Do what some Southern State dialect speakers do and use a phonetic dictionary.

I want to hear some meter.

Hey Sorry Jess,

Just got internet back tonight so I just read all the messages. I'll get onto it tonight; I won't rest until I've got something worthy to submit.

Sorry for holding up this work-shop so much!

hey, don't mind my tantrums

most people here are used to them.
I would like to wrap up this workshop within the next week, so just submit one simple piece of Iambic Pentameter and another slightly more ambitious piece, if you have time.
Sorry to go off at you.