Sandra Lee Hendrickson Music

Sunday, April 22, 2012

April 22-Experiment with Anapestic Tetrameter

So, I worked on this poem a long time ago-2009 and I've gone back to it several times. Today I did some major editing. I'll be posting my work here. I'd love to get some feedback on it, or even some new lines for those of you who dare!

"The Rock"



Oh today Sam woke early, so early it seemed,
The sky was still lit up with glowing moon beams.
He stretched and he yawned and he scratched his red head.
“It’s my birthday today!” and he jumped off the bed.
Sam shed his pajamas and pulled on some jeans.
He threw on a shirt the bright shade of slime green.
He slipped on his shoes, tied the laces just right.
‘Cause when you go hiking they need to be tight.
His Mom had made pancakes, his favorite meal.
So Sam ran downstairs with a cheer and a squeal.
Then dad broke out singing and stomping a beat.
Today is your birthday, you’re in for a treat.
I’m taking you hiking Mt. Lemon today.
We’ll climb and we’ll talk and explore on the way.
“I think it’s the best birthday I’ve ever had,
‘Cause I’m going hiking, today with you, Dad.”
Then mom hugged her son and they all clapped their hands
This birthday is special it’s really quite grand.

Anapestic Tetrameter

Made famous by Doctor Seuss
Employs a scansion pattern of four sets of unstressed, unstressed, stressed (sometimes eliminating the first unstressed beat)
x
x
/
x
x
/
x
x
/
x
x
/

1 comment:

Debra Erfert said...

Ah... this is why I enjoyed the rhythm so much, I read many books to my children by the great and wondrous Doctor Seuss with the same kind of beat.

I enjoyed Sam's birthday morning as much as he did!