Day 20: Poetry Day

Day 20: Poetry Day

Today everyone is to send in a line to create the world’s longest poem. They will be collated as they are e-mailed to www.thiswebsitewillchangeyourlife.com, and the result published across the whole world as soon as a suitable final line is deemed to have been found and we think of a good title. The opening line is:

» MERCY, CRIED THE POPINJAY TO THE POPE«

The iambic pentameter for idiots: This oeuvre is to be composed in iambic pentameter, undoubtedly the most versatile form in the English poetic idiom. The iambic pentameter runs ti-tum ti-tum ti-tum ti-tum ti-tum, its ten syllables tripping off the tongue effortlessly, thus enabling the poet to propel his meaning forth. William Shakespeare wrote mostly in iambic parameters: Shall I compare thee to a summers day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate, and so on and so forth. If it was good enough for him, it’s good enough for you. Happy composing.

Sadly, this website (as I mentioned in the ‘Meet Jonas’ post) isn’t really functioning in this way anymore. I’m a few years behind in completing the book. If I were to send something in I’d have made it rhyme and would have gotten scolded for not making it in the above format. Anyway my next line would have probably said:

Mercy cried the popinjay to the pope,

but he was naive and had no hope.

Since I can’t submit this though, I’ve decided to also include the first verse of my favorite and the only poem I still remember a part of; it’s by my old friend Tim. The first verse goes like this:

When time slips by like grains of sand

through fingers of a giant’s hand.

One cuts himself on polished glass,

and drips warm blood on satin grass.

And from that blood sweet flowers grow,

by tidal pools that ebb and flow.

I always thought it was a beautiful and visual verse. Well, that’s all for today!