Timothy, welcome to Eratosphere.
I've become something of a dissenting voice on the metrical boards because I feel that the practice of metered poetry has become too narrowly focussed on rules, and that there are rhythms in the English language which can't be captured within those rules. As an example, I posted Hopkins's "Spring and Fall: To a Young Child" a while back. Although the syllable counts of the lines are fairly consistent (ranging from 6 to 8), the number of beats varies. In addition, some of Hopkins's accents require pronunciations that don't seem to fit any meter. Yet, this poem is nearly my favorite poem, and I consider it eminently successful. I should also say that I <u>don't</u> consider it to be free verse, as it has too many formal elements.
Some Eratospherians consider the poem to be poorly written, but that explanation is unacceptable to me -- it's simply too beautiful. Others apply the term "sprung rhythm" and leave it at that.
Where does this poem fit in the scope of formal verse?
Márgarét, are you gríeving
Over Goldengrove unleaving?
Leáves, líke the things of man, you
With your fresh thoughts care for, can you?
Ah! ás the heart grows older
It will come to such sights colder
By and by, nor spare a sigh
Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;
And yet you wíll weep and know why.
Now no matter, child, the name:
Sórrow's spríngs áre the same.
Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed
What heart heard of, ghost guessed:
It ís the blight man was born for,
It is Margaret you mourn for.
(If the accented letters show up as boxes, please let me know and I will replace them.)
------------------
Caleb
www.poemtree.com
[This message has been edited by Caleb Murdock (edited July 05, 2001).]