Quote:
Originally Posted by Petra Norr
Apologies to the poet, but this is so bad that's it's almost funny. The meter is a disaster. The strange enjambments, the poor sense of line and poor pacing destroy the anapestic flow and instead create a halting, stuttering one.
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Not to crit a critter, but...the meter is hardly a disaster here. At least, on my very first read I only stumbled once or twice...and now that I've read through it a few more times, can only find one instance where I think the meter is forced ("which is what friends are for" would seem to have the stresses on "is" and "are", which feels off to me). The thing about meter is that it requires consistency once it has been established. So long as the meter is set up in a certain way (in this case, linked limericks with enjambments), the adherence to that meter is key. And it mostly succeeds in that regard. When reading it, imagine dramatic pauses at the enjambments (or if you're musically inclined, think of rests, which don't affect the time signature or tempo but still provide pauses).
Metrical justifications aside...I like this piece for its upbeat, irreverent nature. True, I don't know Spanish and a basic understanding of that language would probably help me a bit...but like John says, it's not really necessary. You catch the spirit, and you assume that the poet just said something witty that went along with the fawning-to-jilted feel of the stanzas.
Also like John says, I
do think the change from fawning to jilted could use some work. There could perhaps be another stanza that shows the Spanish Ambassador's daughter's true colours, and how it affects the N.
Overall, this will probably be in my top three come voting time. It's a delightful poke at the need for some people to tear down their idols once their humanness peeks through.
Edit: I cross-posted with Maryann, and she sums up my thoughts perfectly: it's a song at heart. Think of the meter in those terms.