Thomas Aquinas a 13th century friar
raised poetry a little higher
With his prayer anapestic
an AABBA now styled a limerick
perhaps led to the position of prior!
From Friar Thomas Aquino
AABBA cinquins did flow
With rhyme anapestic
the form did the trick
inspiring Lear et al to have a go
Today I feel iambic! I would say
of all the meters, I like it the best.
An iamb starts with some soft sound to say
then ev'ry second syllable is stressed.
Trochees likewise, alternate their stresses;
even-numbered syllables are muted.
Nowhere near as popular (my guess is) -
Trochee fans, though, fervently dispute it.
Feet are the units of meter - such fun!
Dactyls have syllables STRESSED/, un-/, and un-.
"T'was the Night Before Christmas" is in Anapest:
that's a foot with three syllables: un-/, un-/, and
STRESSED.
The meter is the pattern of the beats within a line
"Iambic" and "Heptameter" describe this line just fine.
Anapestic Tetrameter: four anapests;
and the best part of THIS lecture series? No tests!
Trimeter has three feet
Tetrameter has just four feet
Pentameter adds one foot, making five
Hexameter adds one: six feet in this beehive
Heptameter has seven feet, but now it's getting late;
and so I'll close with this (you may have guessed):
Octameter has eight!
written 1 July 2023
There once lived a friar,Thomas of Aquino
in latin,did his poetry flow
In a prayer anapestic
this form was to tick
until Lear gave AABBA ,a go
Copyright © Brian Strand | Year Posted 2017
At no time say never- that it is too late
fulfilling accomplishments you've left undone.
At times, what you long for is not met by fate;
Must tend to those wishes yourself- to be done.
I, married with children, had turned thirty-nine;
two went off to college, the other, soon too.
A gap in my life at this time seemed just fine
for me to reach out, a new venture pursue.
It took six long years- although what a great ride!
As a part-time student, in college, I bloomed-
with English BA, Business minor, my side-
rewards in my writing and work status zoomed.
At the graduation, my heart filled with cheer!
With summa cum laude, Nineteen eighty-four,
I walked on that stage with my family near-
all praising my courage for growth to explore.
At times, what you long for is not met by fate;
at no time say never- that it is too late.
Anapestic Tetrameter -/--/--/--/
From Friar Thomas Aquino
AABBA cinquins did flow
With rhyme anapestic
the form did the trick
inspiring Lear et al to have a go
"Pipeline: Hawaii's North Shore where Championship Surfing Meets are held, remains the deadliest since records began in the 60s."
Golden shores surfed duo gift essence new threshold,
History made two by sea,
Footprint holds their granule sunk traces, queues the bold,
Long woods wee came two by sea,
Boarders store their sea tools drift faces, cue behold,
Fantasy dreams two by sea,
Reckon calls pair home schools feet races fuel's the sold,
Handily swims two by sea,
Loop unfolds those who rules hunk intense corkscrew rolled,
Gone absentees are two by sea,
Fathom pulls remain cool surfaces, two consoled,
Breathing-free crawls two by sea,
Jettisons beached dual shift places cruise controlled,
Rest at ease lays two by sea,
Ponder hauls twain unspool whiffed graces schooled withhold,
Bended knees pray two by sea,
Covered boards bros no fools--but in case, 'Win the Gold',
*Pipeline be? Two if's by sea?
*HMS; Anapestic tetrameter.
In the gloom of the night came the screams from the scree
from the foot of the mountain, from inside the cave.
Are they human or animal… phantoms set free?
Will my heartbeat deliver a hero or knave?
So beyond the flat land with a cover of frost
rose the beasts’ craggy peaks with its hair-raising sounds
and the grass neath my feet crunched like bones as I crossed…
Now, I shiver in sync with my pulse as it pounds.
On the steps cut from stone to the chaos I rise
as the hills seem to mock giddy knees as they knock,
but there’s magic in mayhem… all cloaked in disguise
and bewitched by the hauntings inside this old rock...
and as lantern-lit skeletons spook this dark place
for the tricks and the treats there’s a smile on my face.
Susan Ashley
October 13, 2022
~ First Place ~
Contest: All Hallows’ Evening
Sponsor: Craig Cornish
*Meter: anapestic tetrameter
*English Sonnet rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg
There was not in the sky one small patch painted blue
when the sun wrapped in clouds set unnoticed unseen.
Eerie sounds; what they were, he did not have a clue
but in darkness it’s known that the spectres convene.
Rolls of thunder ensued in the pursuit of light
then the droplets of rain soon increased, landed hard.
Swishy beating of wings betrayed shaitans in flight…
He stopped dead in his tracks as they caught him off guard.
Then a split in the clouds let the moonlight appear,
to the hamlet he strode, ghouls he tried to avoid.
With a spring in his step, shedding aura of fear,
niggly doubts were dispelled. He got back his sangfroid.
Midnight struck and at last every curtain he drew.
An inversion of roles: Jekyll sipped on his brew.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
An English Sonnet in anapestic tetrameter
rhyme scheme (abab-cdcd-efef-gg)
All Hallows’ Evening Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Craig Cornish
© 8 November 2022
SAMHAIN – All Hallow’s Eve
(Anapestic tetrameter)
As the evening approaches and darkness surrounds,
When orb spiders are weaving to capture their prey,
then, all over the country, a madness abounds,
Where abnormal behavior is out on display.
On the streets of the suburb an army descends,
To amuse their weird bones for a moment of thrill,
With some tricking and treating their friendship extends,
While their costumes portray an unpleasant death chill.
Though the meaning of this day, is lost on these mobs,
An old Gaelic event brings an end to the crop,
Or beginning of winter with sniffles and sobs,
and the feast of All Saints, ill-designed from the top*.
Yet the death that they honor was with them from birth,
Unaware of its presence while living on earth.
3rd place trophy winner
10.21.2022
* Pope Gregory 3rd changed the feast day to 1st November which now incorporates some of the traditions of Samhain.
Night of Fright
Dark intones creeping mists that enshrouds barren trees
Goblin dance on wild wings fear unleashed…shrieking fright
Shadows creep, ghosts arise, full moon shines…mystery
Folklore rules in pale light…smothers all candlelight
Haunted night ghost brides fly…specters float dread writes scripts
Footsteps sound, muffled loud, moaning through empty gloom
Creaking stairs lead to crypts no way back…panic grips
Swirling fogs, wraiths unleashed for one night from their tombs.
Howling hounds, rat’ling chains no escape…terror reigns
Whispers from bony hands haunt this night…spooky plans
Pulse that pounds, heart that faints with ghost tales unexplained
Fetid fumes cobweb snares shrouds the graves…time’s quick sands.
Hallows’ Eve, angels watch night of fright …spirits bold
‘Til twelve bells sends them back, haunted space, tales untold.
10-19-22
Contest: All Hallows’ Evening
Sponsor: Craig Cornish
Rhymes checked with www.rhymezone
Written in anapestic tetrameter
Thank you Jenna!
In the dark of the night, on an All Hallows' Eve,
as I lay down my head and got snugged in the bed,
'twas a shadow that bloomed, caused all senses to leave,
as a huge hairy spider crawled, eyes gleaming red!
Out in front, a large sack that she shuffled along,
so I watched as she loped with that load full of gore,
like the beat from a dirge or a horrid old song,
da-duh-DUM, da-duh-DUM, as she moved 'cross the floor.
Shaking hard, to the edge of the bed, silent crept;
There she was, hairy legs, abdomen bulging fat.
Sweaty palms, frazzled nerves, in the darkness I lept,
closed my eyes, held my breath, threw my slipper - Kersplat!
and as she scuttled off, protecting precious eggs,
I wondered how she'd sound with two more dangling legs.
---------------
for the All Hallows' Evening Poetry Contest
sponsored by Craig Cornish
written on 10/19/22
using anapestic tetrameter for the first 12 lines
and iambic hexameter for the last 2 for effect
(howmanysyllables.com incorrectly reports line 3 as 11 syllables due to the ')
(in anapestic tetrameter)
As it rolled through the darkness and grinned through the trees,
where the shadows lay crawling and scratching the ground -
the last remnants of summer now shook in the breeze,
on this evening of Hallows that crept all around.
On the hearth and the hilltops, the fires burned bright,
through the dark, as the spirits so restlessly flew,
like the sparks of their souls that were lost in the night.
While disguised midst the living, the timid withdrew.
Yet the masks and their measure in masquerade mists
were exposed in the light of the hallowed full moon
and now joyously danced 'til the sun's morning kissed
a lost day that portends an impetuous noon.
So misplaced is our leisure that our rapture has flown
from a garden of worship to an evil unknown...
Thomas Aquinas ,a 13th century Italian friar first recorded use of the anapestic meter in the AABBA form with prayers in Latin until Edward Lear used theform for humourous verse.The title Limerick is more uncertain but might have aconnection to the Irish town of that name
ORIGINS
There once lived a friar,Thomas of Aquino
in latin,did his poetry flow
In a prayer anapestic
this form was to stick
until Lear gave AABBA ,a go
ALONG THESE LINES
There was a young man from France
who led his friends a fine dance
Some thought him a prude
others said he was rude
Looking at him quite askance
I attend to my garden each day-
though a tedious task, it is true.
With the seeds of ambition, I pray
it will flourish for me and for you.
August 30,2020
Contest: Rithimus Divisa 5
Sponsor: Gregory R Bardin
Four Lines From 7-Stanza Poem-
"My Eternal Garden"
Form: Anapestic Trimeter
Posted October 6, 2014
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