As Requested: The Poetry/ Lyrics Help Thread

[ZeroDude]

Here goes nothing............

My cat sat on the mat
And wore his fuzzy hat.
And he was really fat
'Cause he ate somebody's hat.

This may flow well but of course they're extremely shitty lyrics.
What I mean by flow is the lines you've read above flow of your tongue due to each line having a similair amount of syllables.

This is also where "meter" comes in. Meter is a specific syllable count for the lines. One of the most common is the one Shakespeare used a lot... the "Iambic" pentameter. Each line had five stressed syllables. I don't really know how to explain "stressed syllables", but... it's kinda the syllable that you emphasize the most. Here's an example from Shakespeare's "sonnet 1", and it's only the first 4 lines due to my laziness...................


From fairest creatures we desire increase,
.....>.......>.........>....>......>......

That thereby beauty's rose might never die,
.....>.......>........>..........>.....>...

But as the riper should by time decease,
....>......>.....>.........>......>.....

His tender heir might bear his memory
....>......>..........>........>...>.

. = unstressed
> = the start of a stressed syllable

There are a hell of alot of other meters and I'm using this as an example for simplicitys sake..........


Truthfully, depending on what way you want to write, screw this and let everything pour from your pen without hindrance, writing can get too formulated which is something I'll talk about later

 

[Sad_Girl]

From the poetry dictionary C 1995 by John Drury:

Corrupted Form:
Intentional flouting, breaking, disregard, or sabotage of a poetic form's rules or conventions.
A corrupted form crosses the line beyond acceptable variations, but such a departure is not necessarily bad.
Corrupted form is effective because it surprises us with the contortions of a familiar pattern; it grabs our attention because we recognize what's there but realize it's been transformed; it makes an old form new. Since it is really a quirk of criticism that one particular rhyme scheme and refrain pattern became the so-called fixed form, there is much to be said for such corrupting. (And it drives the sticklers crazy.) It may be better to honor the spirit of a poetic form than the letter (which, as scripture tells us, "killeth").

Just thought this excerpt went along well with your last statement about the feeling of a poem, although form is important as well. It's a balancing act and one of the many mysteries of poetry

 

[ZeroDude]

I agree 100 percent^ Art imo is not about rules it's about breaking them, but you can only sucessfully do this after knowing the laws so you know which to break. We can make this thread a resource to help people and try to answer questions to the best of our ability

 

[ZeroDude]

Although if I'm to behonest I'm not too fond of this thread

 

[pax]

You started the thread...what gives?

 

[beegee]

what gives is zerodude thinks he can school us all in how to write

which is crap

 

[pax]

Since DOL is such a small forum, maybe we could all come together and decide what level of analysis/commentary with which we're all comfortable, and then I could write up a sticky for the top of the forum to that effect...?

It does seem to be a bit of a controversial issue around here lately.

 

[ZeroDude]

what gives is zerodude thinks he can school us all in how to write

which is crap

edit: I was asked to make this by Radracer, when he proposed I should help him how to write, I first thought he was being sarcastic but he was being serious thus this threads existance.....................


I don't think that way, cheers for making a grand assumption, this wasn't even my idea and I'm uncomfortable with it at that, noone should tell anyone how to write, any writer whose worth their salt does it in their own style, although having said that anyone who wants to write and doesn't know how to go about it should have some form of help

 

[beegee]

like i'm really going to argue about this.

my "grand assumption" was based on this very thread - which you started.

 

[ZeroDude]

Well don't bother, thats fine with me I never want arguements in the first place, I'd rather forget all this crap at this moment and move on

 

[RadRacer]

"Aaaaaahhhh! I'm sorry, teacher, I never saw this!!!!" :Immediately, he takes the wooden bench, packs out his supplies and gets to work, scribbling notes:

...

"Mr. ZeroDude...?"
:He seems uneasy:
"Sorry, Teacher. I can't do it, today. I need a nap. I've been staying at the Sultan's too long - he taught me how to drink, safely. ... But if you really don't care for it, anymore, I won't ask. I just have one more question... I'll ask it tomorrow, when I had my nap!

"By the way, though, don't let Bonosgirl get you down any. She jumps the gun waaaaaaaaaaaay too hard. Nobody in class likes her."

 

[pax]

[B
"By the way, though, don't let Bonosgirl get you down any. She jumps the gun waaaaaaaaaaaay too hard. Nobody in class likes her." [/B]

Boy, you really don't get it, do you.

That's totally uncalled for.

 

[ZeroDude]

Pax could close this thread then seeing as it's completely not needed

 

[neutral]

Closing thread at request of thread starter.