or "Sleight-of-Hand Meter"
or "Meter Meter Pumpkin Eater"
or "Meter is in the Eye of the Beholder"
derived from "From Quasimodo, on a Dairy Farm"
let us splash about in the puddles of the sonnet...
Yim-yimm-miny Macbeth, this form doth bend my thisle-thickethed tongue 'round my sweet head; upon the earth these demon writs descend to raise poetic nightmares from the dead!
We’ll sweep the land on steeds, whose failing knees are grinding at the joints, much like this form, in herky-jerky, stumbling, lurching pleas abducting any beauty from the swarm.
Then with thy sawblade meter, go thee rhyme: with Quasimodo-hunchbacked lure and charm- pretending that such mish-mush is sublime and was not fashioned on a dairy farm.
Oh darn, I missed the volta, oh so sad- I could not argue with me- as if mad!
|
So there you have it, pure iambic tetrameter.
Oh dang diddly doodle, I did a pure iambic pentameter...
| Oh, why so foul, pentameter? Thy claw digs deep into my brain- when I must seek tetrameter your presence drives me there insane.
I pray the day that you may die in syllabaic frothing foam, until a new orb lights the sky above my tetramaic home.
But wait! Am I so cruel, unjust? Will not your charms enfold me tight above my breast, with love, with lust enshrined in soul and heart tonight?
Such misery you’ve caused me, though I do allow, I love you so. |
now that was pure iambic tetrameter.
Let me convert the first poem mixed tetrameter,
mixed feet making it dance more:
Ahh, yes, Macbeth! This form doth bend my tongue dancing 'round my pleasured head; upon the earth these angelic writs descend- they sing like bells that ease the dead!
We’ll sweep the land upon our steeds whose limbered knees, much like this form send prancing, jumping, graceful pleas to coax all beauty from the swarm.
Then with thy jaunting meter, rhyme! With virgin maiden's lure and charm producing that which is sublime -not fashioned on a dairy farm.
Darn, now I missed the volta twice. So sad, it's such a game device...!
|
.
Now I just noticed the first two line of the original sonnet ARE tetrameter,
but mixed tetrameter like this last version, thusly:
Yim-yimminy Macbeth, this form doth bend
my thisle-thickethed tongue 'round my sweet head;
in which the four feet are
.
1 primus paeon - iamb - iamb - iamb
2 iamb - quartus paeon - iamb - iamb
soooo...
let me endeavor to chisel the rest of the original poem into mixed tetrameter
(and not just pure iambic tetrameter)...
Yim-yimminy Macbeth, this form doth bend my thisle-thickethed tongue 'round my sweet head; upon the earth these demon writs descend to raise poetic nightmares from the dead!
We’ll sweep the lands on steeds whose failing knees are grinding at the joints, much like this form, in herky-jerky, stumbling, lurching pleas abducting any beauty from the swarm.
Then with thy sawblade meter, go thee rhyme: with Quasimodo-hunchbacked lure and charm- pretending that such mish-mush is sublime and was not fashioned on a dairy farm.
Oh darn, I missed the volta, oh so sad- I could not argue with me- as if mad!
|
2 iamb - quartus paeon - iamb - iamb
*I say 'can' because each line can be read a variety of ways, for example:
.
and was not fash / ioned on / a dair / y farm
( primus paeon - iamb - iamb - iam )
could be
and was / not fashioned on / a diar / y farm
( iamb - primus paeon - iamb - iam )
or
and was / not fash / ioned on / a dair / y farm
( iamb - iamb - iamb - iamb - iamb )
(the pentameter)
..
sooo...
through the rolling foothills of all the syllables, there are four crests,
each crest the end of a foot...
.
.
.
so if you want to read the original like pure iambic pentameter, you CAN!
thusly:
.
Yim yim / miny / MacBeth, / this form / doth bend
my thi / sle-thick / ethed tongue / 'round my / sweet head;
upon / the earth / these de / mon writs / descend
to raise / poe / tic night /mares from / the dead!
.
We'll sweep / the lands / on steeds, / whose fail / ing knees
are grind / ing at / the joints / much like / this form,
in herk / y jerk / y, stumb / ling, lurch / ing pleas
abduct / ing an / y beau / ty from / the swarm.
.
Then with / thy saw / blade me / ter, go / thee rhyme:
with Qua / simo / do-hunch / backed lure / and charm-
pretend / ing that / such mish- / mush is / sublime
and was / not fash / ioned on /a dair / y farm.
.
Oh darn, / I missed / the vol / ta, oh / so sad-
I could / not ar / gue with / me- as / if mad!
..
.
and, if you want to read it like the mixed tetrameter above, you CAN!
.
Wait! There is yet another way to perceive the original sonnet-
with all lines having the same mixed-foot construct:
.
primus paeon - iamb - iamb - iamb
as follows:
..
Yes, I think all lines having the same construct is superior, somehow...
even though it may dance less.
.
so primus paeon - iamb - iamb - iamb it is to make the tetrameter.
.
.
..
Whichever way you read it,
pure iambic pentameter, mixed dancing tetrameter, or repetitive mixed tetrameter,
I hope you got your 'feet' wet...!
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