John, My favorite poem in the English language is "Fern Hill." I'm "happy as the grass was green" that you mentioned it in the context of this discussion. All I can give as an explanation is that it is magical and musical. (I used to affectionately call my son "Prince of the apple towns" or "prince" for short when he was a little boy). There is no reason why syllabics cannot be successful. I also love this one by Millay:
Counting-Out Rhyme
Silver bark of beech, and sallow
Bark of yellow birch and yellow
Twig of willow.
Stripe of green in moosewood maple,
Colour seen in leaf of apple,
Bark of popple.
Wood of popple pale as moonbeam,
Wood of oak for yoke and barn-beam,
Wood of hornbeam.
Silver bark of beech, and hollow
Stem of elder, tall and yellow
Twig of willow.
|