My daughter, 8, was writing poetry last night for Halloween. “Witches bats and spooky cats,” she chanted.
“DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da,” I echoed from the next room.
After some discussion we agreed that there were 7 beats in that line, I found it too hard to get across the idea of there being a pausing beat on the end. But, 7 is fine. “So then on the next line you want to try and make it 7 beats as well,” I tell her.
“Or,” she says, “You know, close to 7, like maybe 6 or 8.”
“Or 7,” I suggest.
“And then for the next lines,” she goes on, ignoring my suggestion, “I could do like 5 beats and 5 beats….”
I guess she’s kind of getting the idea. 🙂 I want to get to the point where I get a call from her teacher asking me to explain what “trochaic tetrameter” means 🙂
For those that have never heard it, I present my favorite limerick:
There once was a poet named Dan,
Whose poetry just wouldn't scan.
When asked, "Is this so?"
He replied, "Yes I know,
It's because I try to fit as many syllables into the last line as I can."
😀