I once wrote a short poem in dactylic hexameter, as a challenge. But really, it's a meter that works way better in Latin than English. You could always find a bit of Ovid or Virgil.
I don't have a lot of poems memorized. Six or seven limericks, Poe's Annabel Lee (anapest and iamb) and The Conqueror Worm (iambic tetrameter), Frost's Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening (iambic tetrameter) and Fire and Ice (alternating iambic tetrameter and iambic dimeter), the first half of Tolkien's The Sea Bell/Frodo's Dreme (--..-..-.-/..-.-..-/.-..--..-/-..-.---/..-.-.-.-./.-.-..-.-) and his I Sit Beside the Fire and Think (--.-.-..-/.-.-.-/.-.-..-.-/.-.-.-), John Whitaker Watson's Beautiful Snow(-.-.-..-/-..-..-..-/-..-..-..-/-..-..-..-/-.-.-..-/-..-..-..-/-..-.-..-/-..-..-..-/-..-..-..-/-..-..-..-), Theodore Tilton's The King's Ring (-.-.-.-). Also I used to have Two Pictures (Anonymous) partly memorized (--.-..-.-/..---..-/-..-.-.-/..-.-.-.-); likewise Poe's Raven (-.-.-.-.) and the Bells.*
*I'm too lazy to figure out the meters (I can never remember the names), so I'm just looking them up or writing out enough of the meter for you to see.
I think I need to memorize more and refresh those.
But really, it's a meter that works way better in Latin than English. You could always find a bit of Ovid or Virgil.
Definitely. No problem. I mean, I have my old Latin books around somewhere... under a couple of inches of dust...
One of my goals for this is certainly to refresh and memorize more! I really admire that you have The Sea Bell... I meant to memorize that when I first read it but never got around past the first two lines. Lots of beautiful Tolkien poetry; that's a book I want to dig out (but I think I was foolish enough to give my Tolkien reader away to a student. I always regret doing that. Generosity is for the birds!) I want to look up that Tilton poem; never heard of it.
I don't have a lot of poems memorized. Six or seven limericks, Poe's Annabel Lee (anapest and iamb) and The Conqueror Worm (iambic tetrameter), Frost's Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening (iambic tetrameter) and Fire and Ice (alternating iambic tetrameter and iambic dimeter), the first half of Tolkien's The Sea Bell/Frodo's Dreme (--..-..-.-/..-.-..-/.-..--..-/-..-.---/..-.-.-.-./.-.-..-.-) and his I Sit Beside the Fire and Think (--.-.-..-/.-.-.-/.-.-..-.-/.-.-.-), John Whitaker Watson's Beautiful Snow(-.-.-..-/-..-..-..-/-..-..-..-/-..-..-..-/-.-.-..-/-..-..-..-/-..-.-..-/-..-..-..-/-..-..-..-/-..-..-..-), Theodore Tilton's The King's Ring (-.-.-.-). Also I used to have Two Pictures (Anonymous) partly memorized (--.-..-.-/..---..-/-..-.-.-/..-.-.-.-); likewise Poe's Raven (-.-.-.-.) and the Bells.*
*I'm too lazy to figure out the meters (I can never remember the names), so I'm just looking them up or writing out enough of the meter for you to see.
I think I need to memorize more and refresh those.
Reply
Definitely. No problem. I mean, I have my old Latin books around somewhere... under a couple of inches of dust...
One of my goals for this is certainly to refresh and memorize more! I really admire that you have The Sea Bell... I meant to memorize that when I first read it but never got around past the first two lines. Lots of beautiful Tolkien poetry; that's a book I want to dig out (but I think I was foolish enough to give my Tolkien reader away to a student. I always regret doing that. Generosity is for the birds!) I want to look up that Tilton poem; never heard of it.
Reply
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