Subscribe: by Email | in Reader

The Metre Columbian -- Anonymous

Another Longfellow parody, but in a different metre, namely,
(Poem #561) The Metre Columbian
 This is the metre Columbian. The soft-flowing trochees and dactyls,
 Blended with fragments spondaic, and here and there an iambus,
 Syllables often sixteen, or more or less, as it happens,
 Difficult always to scan, and depending greatly on accent,
 Being a close imitation, in English, of Latin hexameters --
 Fluent in sound and avoiding the stiffness of blank verse,
 Having the grandeur and flow of America's mountains and rivers,
 Such as no bard could achieve in a mean little island like England;
 Oft, at the end of a line, the sentence dividing abruptly
 Breaks, and in accents mellifluous, follows the thoughts of the author.
-- Anonymous
As Martin wrote a couple of days ago, metre is explicitly foregrounded
in "self-referential humorous poems, whose content often refers directly
to their form". Today's poem is one of the more skilfully executed
examples of the genre [1]...

Two little touches I especially like: the enjambement in the last line
(which the poet makes sure to point out), and the not very subtle dig at
the (many) critics who praised 'Evangeline' (the original of this poem)
for being a quintessentially American work of art - the lines
 "Having the grandeur and flow of America's mountains and rivers,
  Such as no bard could achieve in a mean little island like England;"
embody reductio ad absurdum at its most cutting.

thomas.

[1] Another old favourite of mine is John Clarke's brilliant take on the
limerick: poem #378

[Source]

The original is Longfellow's 'Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie'; the
introduction thereto is reproduced below for your edification:

 This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks,
 Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight,
 Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic,
 Stand like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on their bosoms.
 Loud from its rocky caverns, the deep-voiced neighboring ocean
 Speaks, and in accents disconsolate answers the wail of the forest.
 This is the forest primeval; but where are the hearts that beneath it
 Leaped like the roe, when he hears in the woodland the voice of the
huntsman?
 Where is the thatch-roofed village, the home of Acadian farmers --
 Men whose lives glided on like rivers that water the woodlands,
 Darkened by shadows of earth, but reflecting an image of heaven?
 Waste are those pleasant farms, and the farmers forever departed!
 Scattered like dust and leaves, when the mighty blasts of October
 Seize them, and whirl them aloft, and sprinkle them far o'er the ocean.
 Naught but tradition remains of the beautiful village of Grand-Pré.
 Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient,
 Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion,
 List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest;
 List to a Tale of Love in Acadie, home of the happy.

        -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The entire text of Evangeline (two parts of five cantos of several
hundred lines each - noone ever accused Longfellow of laconicity) can be
found at
http://www.geocities.com/spanoudi/poems/books/longfellow/evangeline00.ht
ml

[Glossary]

trochee: a metrical foot consisting of one long syllable followed by one
short syllable or of one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed
syllable (as in apple).

dactyl: a metrical foot consisting of one long and two short syllables
or of one stressed and two unstressed syllables (as in tenderly).

spondee: a metrical foot consisting of two long or stressed syllables.

iambus: a metrical foot consisting of one short syllable followed by one
long syllable or of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed
syllable (as in above).

As you can see (or rather, hear), 'spondee' is the only self-referential
one of the above. 'Trochee' comes close, but not quite; the preferred
pronunciation is spondaic.

22 comments: ( or Leave a comment )

Ouvrir un compte à Chypre en ligne said...

Useful article! I think it is much liked! I'm sure will be waiting for your new article!

Anonymous said...

I haѵe beеn explοгing for a littlе bit for аny hіgh quality articles oг
weblog poѕts on this sort of housе .

Еxploring in Yahoo I evеntuаlly stumbled upon thіs websіte.

Studying this information So і'm happy to express that I've a
vеry еxсellent uncanny feeling I fοund
out exactly what I needed. I so much undoubtedly ωill mаκe certаіn to dοn?
t omit this site anԁ provides it a lοοk on a соnstant basis.


Tаke a look at my web-site: http://www.joraweb.com/

Anonymous said...

The builders of the Ab Coaster assert you only have to have to use it 3
minutes per working day. In executing so, additional serious repercussions can be avoided.


Visit my blog post: flex mini

thuoc chua ung thu co hong said...

There’s no concrete definition of creativity, but most experts agree it’s got something to do with the ability to come up with new ideas, new links between ideas, and novel solutions to problems (with or without destroying a pack of Crayolas). But here’s the kicker: Forget the image of the brooding artist alone in a basement studio. Research suggests creative people are actually happier than everyone else.

m88 said...

Еxploring in Yahoo I evеntuаlly stumbled upon thіs websіte.

custom t shirts ottawa said...

Sooner or afterwards starting late, these applesauce things were kept abounding the above as bodies why adversity to able do and had a able admeasurement of money. About the day's end already more, as time progressed, complete about anybody can determined change an auto astern of the way that they don't see a abounding accordance of wealth.custom t shirts ottawa

cash out refinance vs home equity loan said...

But humor seemed to always keep us sane, and our connections to each other also really helped.cash out refinance vs home equity loan

Sophie Grace said...

Useful article! I think it is much liked! I'm sure will be waiting for your new article! net worth

Platform of SEO said...


This is really helpful post and very informative there is no doubt about it. I found this one pretty fascinating and it should go into my Collection. Very good work!
Guest Posting site for technology blog
Guest posting site |
Blogging site

jacklinemelda said...

Legitimate Student essay writingOur legitimate student essay writing firm is reputable and known for offering high quality papers.We normally write academic papers in all disciplines of study.

Angel Claudia said...

Pay for essayYou don't have to panic as your paper will be written by someone who is not familiar with your course requirements; we will assign your paper to an expert in your field.

Puremelda said...

College Essay Services You need to work with our College Essay so that we make you a better student and also make an impact on your life.

Juliana Kho said...


timate student essay writing firm is reputable and known for offering high quality papers.We normally write acade

http://www.deskripsifilm.web.id/

Laurens99 said...

Unit Kegiatan Mahasiswa (UKM) – Bagi anda mahasiswa baru, perlu diketahui jika di kampus hanya kuliah, terasa akan sangat membosankan, ayolah ikut https://jns.web.id kegiatan kampus. Banyak bergaul dan terlibat dalam salah satu kegiatan mahasiswa tentunya sangat menarik. Selain untuk memberi rasa nyaman selama anda kuliah, tujuan utama dari berorganisasi dalam salah satu kegiatan di kampus atau yang sering di kenal UKM yaitu agar anda bisa mengembangkan diri dengan baik. Ikut serta dalam kegiatan kampus adalah salah satu cara kreatif dalam belajar berorganisasi. So…jangan lewatkan kesempatan untuk memiliki banyak pengalaman.

Unknown said...

QuickPay Portal | www.quickpayportal.com | Pay Your Medical Bill


Pay Your Medical Bill using www.quickpayportal.com and Make a quick and fast payment online using the QuickPay Portal. Just find your QuickPay Code on your billing statement and and you're ready to go



quickpayportal.com


quickpayportal.com


quickpayportal.com

Post a Comment