Bruce,

That's fascinating; I, too, have had that poem by heart for decades, and never once thought to scan it out (why would I?) and, yes, it is damned trimeter isn't it? Anapestic trimeter! I always knew there was something different about it...

Thanks for bringing this one up!

Another Frost that uses some similar metrics is the "line-storm clouds" one. But I think that one's more dominatel tet... Got to scan it...

Robt.

Thanks Bruce. Another great Frost hypermetric trimeter is They Were Welcome To Their Belief.

edited to di. I am so sorry.
Janet

[This message has been edited by Janet Kenny (edited May 26, 2004).]

Emily:

The Only News I know
Is Bulletins all Day
From Immortality.

The Only Shows I see—
Tomorrow and Today—
Perchance Eternity—

The Only One I meet
Is God—The Only Street—
Existence—This traversed

If Other News there be—
Or Admirabler Show—
I'll tell it You—

Janet,

it reads a lot more like tet than di to me; the line breaks would be hideous in many places if it were di. Kiddy book designers are notorious for breaking lines to fill space. It all begs the question; why is a di/tet poem on a tri thread? jejeje...

(robt)

I'm so sorry! I'll edit it out and replant it on the di thread. I am burning the candle at both ends and in the middle too.
My deepest apologies.

Janet

Bruce

Speaking of reaching "closure" by ending trimeter stanzas with a line of dimeter, Emily Dickinson is most impressive with that (and all kinds of mixes of dimeter/trimeter/tet/pent).

[This message has been edited by Terese Coe (edited June 04, 2004).]

By the way, next time someone tells you that you can't use an identity in place of a rhyme, tell them, "Oh yeah, how about wither/whither in 'Reluctance'." But be prepared to hear them answer back, "Oh yeah, but you're not Frost."



[This message has been edited by Roger Slater (edited May 27, 2004).]

My one trimeter, another kids poem:

IF I RULED THE WORLD

My feet? They would go shoeless.
My sister? She would poo less.
My brother? He would drool less.
(They both would boo-hoo-hoo less).
My classmates? They’d be cruel less
(and treat me like a fool less).
My teachers? They would rule less.
My hair? I would shampoo less.
My folks? Not quite so clueless
(and certainly uncool less).
My chores? More than a few less
(and not just one or two less).
My homework? I would do less
(since I would go to school less).


[This message has been edited by Roger Slater (edited May 27, 2004).]

This is still one of my favorite threads here.

The Auden is superb, of course.

Robert Mezey's trimeter, "My Mother," is hilarious! If anyone can scan it in, they should; it's a long one to type.

Here's one I wrote in 2002, having gotten a glimmer of inspiration from Frost.

The Whale

I looked out from a beach
a whale looked back ashore
astonished that we each
had looked the day before.

It’s odd to think the whale
has not moved on, though free.
And when he might inhale
is more than I can see.

Perhaps beneath the deep
it isn’t thought ironic
to swim while one’s asleep.
Perhaps he’s catatonic.


Terese