Homer, Shakespeare, Pope, and George Bush

[Longwalled Newbie]

Hi again, Billybob! When it comes to "pushing around the accents on syllables" in iambic pentameter (or, shall we say, using substitute feet in an iambic line?), I think that Robert Frost should be placed right up there with the other masters inasmuch as he sorta stretched things to the limit without losing the underlying meter . . . which brings me back to what you said about the first syllable in the word "also" not being a strong accent . . . and the last syllable of the word "citizen" isn't accented either? Hm-m. Would you, then, scan that line as follows:

To-DAY / I also SPEAK / a-NEW / to my FEL- / low CIT-i-zens.

That, indeed would make the line a 5-footer . . . BUT . . . the underlying meter is lost because of the two feet containing 4 syllables in that line--in the second and fifth positions. Is there a name for those two critters? Since I'm at a loss for words when it comes to explaining such irregular feet . . . shoot! . . . I'm just gonna call that line a 7-footer and forget about it. So, if you think that Bush's speech is poetry . . . well . . . no offense meant, but there's nothing wrong with (perhaps) calling it prose poetry, is there? ;-)

[Congressman Billybob]

I agree from the get-go that this is "prose-poetry." The same is true of the works of Tom Paine that I'm working on now for a book.

A poet writing poetry would tighten up the meter by changing words and phrases and dropping words. I'm not suggesting that we have that here. Nor, given how presidential speeches are written, could it possibly be that, unless the President in question wrote his own text. All four of the men on Mount Rushmore did exactly that, and three of them would have been recognized as excellent writers if they'd never been president.

But today, there are committees who review such speeches, and each member is tugging and hauling for certain references to appear, and against others. Imagine what that process would have done to the Gettysburg Address:

"Abe, baby, what is this 'four score and ten' business? If you mean 87, say 87."

Billybob

[Congressman Billybob]

No, I don't have a ping list. Never learned how to operate the new and improved FR in that department. But count on me to come through with a new column every week, usually on Friday. I seldom post anything else. Don't want to wear out my welcome.

Billybob

[livius]

Incredible insight! I think you're right - I'm going through it right now. A truly brilliant observation. Let us know if you hear from Gerson.

I would like to send your comments to some Spanish writers who have written on the Address, but I'll Freepmail you later to ask your consent.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[Huber]

Pope is an integral component of the diversity curriculum taught in high schools today.

[e5man_r_u?]

THANKS!

The analysis is great.
On an unrelated note, I could not for the life of me remember who gave us the "a little learning is a dangerous thing" line. Alexander Pope!
You have saved my sanity!

[MountainYankee]

" A little learning is a dang'rous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
and drinking largely sobers us again."

From "A Little Learning", Alexander Pope 1688-1744

[e5man_r_u?]

Thanks, I was able to pull it off the net with Google once I knew the name of the poet.
Yours is a little different than the one I found.

[Tax-chick]

Later

[justshutupandtakeit]

What is that remark supposed to mean?