Page 26 - eMuse Vol.9 No.07_Neat

If you read this stanza aloud, emphasising the heavy beats
(marked with the downward strokes) the meter (Ballad) will be
obvious .
— / — / — / — /
Though you are just a com- mon bird
— / — / — /
so soft - ly grey and white

— / — / — / — /
I nev - er tire of watch - ing your
— / — / — /
mag - nif - i - cence in flight
Poets live with rhythm in their heads. I have a signature poem
called “Surrender” about The Muse (Goddess thought to inspire
poets) It says —
The muse has got me by the throat
And made a slave of me,
by Jenny Jeays With constant rumbling in my head,
A rhythm that won’t flee.
A.T.C.L. in Art of Speech and Drama (Lon.) Poets welcome this “rumbling”, but it can be overwhelming at
times. If it’s not there, you can “invite” The Muse by —
Chapter IV • Reading lots of poetry ALOUD until you “get the rhythm and
the rhythm gets you”.
More on Meter • Clap and sound out a rhythm (ALOUD), such as Ballad Meter.

• Mulling about issues until your passion ignites them into poetry.
BALLAD METER is a combination of alternating lines of 4 and 3 It may come straight away or at some other time.
feet. It is usually used for narrative (story telling). It is acceptable in Ballad meter to have an extra light beat at the
It is a 4 line stanza of Rising Rhythm (aloud) like this (“and” being end of a line, but if it’s a RHYMING WORD you need to balance it
the light stress) . out as shown in this, the last stanza of my poem “Surrender”.

— / — / — / — / — / — / — / — /
And 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 . I’m glad the muse has capt - tured me
— / — / — / — / — / — / — / — /
What loss is there for those who care For in her I find pleas - ure
— / — / — / — /
FALLING RHYTM goes the opposite, from to light, (trochaic &
dactylic sound this trochaic out (“and” being the light). And I en- joy her con - stanc -y
— / — / — / — /
— / — / — / — / her such
And 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 . so count a treas - ure .
/ — / — / — / —

Dip and lift it white star liner - er

Will Ogilvie a|b
Ballad Meter is written in alternating lines of iambic tetrametres
and iambic trimeters, rhyming at the end of the 2nd and 4th lines.
A verse of ballad metre would sound out like this —

— / — / — / — /
And 1 and 2 and 3 and 4
— / — / — / Part V: “Is It Poetry?”
And 1 And 2 and 3
— / — / — / — / continues next month
And 1 and 2 and 3 and 4
— / — / — /
And 1 and 2 and 3
26 eMuse July 2020