Emily Dickinson

Salad Man · Postby **Salad Man** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 7:57 pm

That's because of what's called the "common meter." Most everybody knows a song in common meter. According to <a href='http://www.andover.edu/english/jgould/s ... ysets.html' target='_blank'>this website</a>, "Shakespeare referred to common meter in Midsummer Night's Dream as "eight-and-six," which is a description of the number of syllables in the odd and even lines. In technical terms, Common Meter consists of alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter. Iambs are two-syllable units (or "feet") that place stress on the second syllable. "Because" is an iamb. "Because I could not stop for Death" is four of them together. "He kindly stopped for me" is three. These two lines comprise the opening of Emily Dickinson's famous poem on death, which is located below." Of course, this doesn't work for all Dickinson poems, but it does work for quite a few.  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: (Emily Dickinson)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me; The carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality. We slowly drove, he knew no haste, And I had put away My labor, and my leisure too, For his civility. We passed the school where children played At wrestling in a ring; We passed the fields of gazing grain, We passed the setting sun. We paused before a house that seemed A swelling of the ground; The roof was scarcely visible, The cornice but a mound. Since then 'tis centuries; but each Feels shorter than the day I first surmised the horses' heads Were toward eternity.</td></tr></table>  Now try singing that to these songs in common meter: <a href='http://www.andover.edu/english/jgould/s ... nkdood.mid' target='_blank'>Yankee Doodle</a> <a href='http://www.andover.edu/english/jgould/s ... illiga.mid' target='_blank'>Gilligan's Island</a> <a href='http://www.andover.edu/english/jgould/s ... verlyh.mid' target='_blank'>The Beverly Hillbillies</a> <a href='http://www.andover.edu/english/jgould/s ... azgrac.mid' target='_blank'>Amazing Grace</a> <a href='http://www.andover.edu/english/jgould/s ... owrose.mid' target='_blank'>Yellow Rose of Texas</a>

Henohenomoheji · Postby **Henohenomoheji** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:28 pm

Wait... Emily Dickinson went on a date with Death?

Steve the Pocket · Postby **Steve the Pocket** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:29 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: (Septimius Severus @ Sep 29 2004, 03:17 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> I am occassionally reminded of how well-read DC Simpson is.  </td></tr></table>  Not to mention the readers. Apparently SaladMan is smarter than whoever came up with that theory. (BTW Yankee Doodle is more of an "eight and seven")

Holyman83 · Postby **Holyman83** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 11:41 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: (Salad Man @ Sep 30 2004, 02:57 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'>  <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: (Emily Dickinson)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me; The carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality. We slowly drove, he knew no haste, And I had put away My labor, and my leisure too, For his civility. We passed the school where children played At wrestling in a ring; We passed the fields of gazing grain, We passed the setting sun. We paused before a house that seemed A swelling of the ground; The roof was scarcely visible, The cornice but a mound. Since then 'tis centuries; but each Feels shorter than the day I first surmised the horses' heads Were toward eternity.</td></tr></table>   </td></tr></table>  I remember this one from high school. can't say that I have read the others or what else of Emily Dickinson I have read, but I at least knew how she was. I guess I did learn something in high school English after all <img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... /smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' />

Septimius Severus · Postby **Septimius Severus** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 12:48 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: (Henohenomoheji @ Sep 30 2004, 08:28 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Wait... Emily Dickinson went on a date with Death?  </td></tr></table>  Yes, she was the original "goth" chick. I dislike the term "goth." I fought the Goths in several campaigns, and they were nothing like the "vampyres" of today.

Henohenomoheji · Postby **Henohenomoheji** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 1:02 am

I must admit, that's something that confused me there. of course, it doesnt take much to confuse me...

Dr. Dos · Postby **Dr. Dos** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 7:48 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: (Henohenomoheji @ Oct 1 2004, 06:28 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Wait... Emily Dickinson went on a date with Death?  </td></tr></table>  Of course, I heard he's a rather nice guy. He likes to play chess for marbles. Because a soul is a soul but a marble is quite pretty.

Henohenomoheji · Postby **Henohenomoheji** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 3:33 am

but then he killed her, and then had to ask Peter for romantic advice.

Ozymandias · Postby **Ozymandias** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 3:28 pm

The Goths were big strong and blond, and ransacked rome as far as I know.

Zylo · Postby **Zylo** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 3:45 am

I already knew of the common meter and why the meters match up so much; I actually brought this up in my English class once and held a debete on it. But it's still funny. And regardless of whether or not you're aware of the common meter, her poetry is still ruined for you forever now.

Henohenomoheji · Postby **Henohenomoheji** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 11:55 am

NOT IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON IT'S NOT!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! ...sorry.

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