Learning Poetry: Exercise 2

This is the second part in a series of posts documenting my efforts learning more about prosody:

In the last post, I explained how I was learning to be a better poet. I also included my attempts from the first exercise in Stephen Fry's book, The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within. Now it is time for the fruits of the second exercise. I would love to hear your thoughts on my attempts – what works, what does not, where you think I've gone wrong. Perhaps you might get a copy of the book and have a go yourself. If you do, I'd really like to see your results.

The Exercise

Write five pairs of blank iambic pentameter in which the first line of each pair is end-stopped1 and there are no caesuras2, then write five pairs of blank iambic pentameter with the same meaning, but using enjambment3 and at least two caesuras.

The topics for each of the five pairs are:

  1. Precisely what you see outside your window.
  2. Precisely what you'd like to eat, right this minute.
  3. Precisely what you last remember dreaming about.
  4. Precisely what uncompleted chores are niggling at you.
  5. Precisely what you hate about your body.

The Results

End-stopped

  1. The blur of trees is racing out of sight,
    As speedily the train ploughs down the line.

  2. A pack of tasty chips from in my bag.
    The ones I bought last night inside the store.

  3. A crazed outlandish woman blocked my path,
    Demanding love and drinks from all my friends.

  4. I really must repair the door and step,
    And take the time to see the naked earth.

  5. My gut has grown from laziness and food,
    It hurts to walk upon my foot as well.

Using enjambment and caesuras

  1. The trees, in blurs of green that race beside
    the train, demark the path we travel on.

  2. Some chips, perhaps a drink of something, I bought
    selections from the store last night. Thank God.

  3. So drunk, the girl accosted me, she asked
    if anyone would like a kiss. We ran.

  4. The earth is bare, it waits for seeds, we might
    sew grass or herbs. And still the door needs work.

  5. From food, my gut has grown to fill the space
    beyond my pants. Yet still my foot, it aches.

  1. A single thought that finished with the line. []
  2. Pauses, which break up the flow. []
  3. Where the meaning runs on from one line to the next. []

4 thoughts on “Learning Poetry: Exercise 2”

  1. Brilliant DUMda bril yunt. How do YOU pronounce brilliant? In order to give yourself
    extra points, you must pronounce bril yant— Bur RIL yant! How can you get away with that?

    Perhaps you will read some of my stuff and help me with the word, "pyrric".
    I write a lot of Shakespearean sonnets: daDUM, daDUM, daDum, daDum, DaDum
    YET, am accused of "pyrrics" quite often and cannot see or hear them. Perhaps you would be willing to point them out to me? Thanks. Jackie

    1. I would pronounce "Brilliant" as BRI-lee-unt though the middle syllable can get slurred into the last in some accents or when talking fast. However, as I read this verse out loud, I felt there was a certain wonderment to that line that would mean a more steady pronunciation.

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