Consistent metre.

[keats]

I'm serious Marty. You may have heard one of their great works that was put into song. 'Fry Me A River'. He was also honoured with a character named after him in Futurama.

Cheers

Neil

[keats]

Oh and....whoops....I got mixed up. I am thinking of the actual Poet, Fry (Christopher) and not the playwright/actor Stephen. But I did love him reading the Hitchhikers Guide on Audiobook!!!! But I think I may skip his 'knowledge' on Poetry and instead listen to Kelly Dixon or Bruce Simpson.

Neil

[manfredvijars]

Bruce Simpson has a great book out (he has many actually). The book stores still have his, "Where the Outback Drovers Ride", on their shelves. It's actually TWO books in one, "Packhorse Drover" and "Hell, Highwater & Hard Cases" both in a single volume.

AND-And-and, NO inconsistent metre .... How about that ...

Also a great read (and if you don't believe me, you can "Fry Me to the Moon")

[Neville Briggs]

Heather is right ,Stephen Fry does not publish poetry. His book contains verse that he has written to illustrate his lessons, he certainly is demonstrably one who can do.

I don't understand the criticism of mixed metre or metric variation. Metric variations and mixed metre are perfectly legitimate in traditional syllabic/accentual verse.
Isn't bush poetry supposed to be traditional syllabic/accentual verse ?

[Heather]

Mixed metre is different to inconsistent metre.

Stephen Fry studied and taught literature and is very knowledgable and intelligent. He is very open to all sorts of writing and gives good examples of all sorts of metred poetry in his book. It is worth a read tounderstand the various types of metred poetry.

Heather

[keats]

What state of Australia does this Stephen Fry come from? I must have missed something.

Neil

[Stephen Whiteside]

Has anybody read any of Clive James' poetry? Some of his stuff is quite brilliant.

[Bob Pacey]

You get the feeling you are being ignored Neil


Just write em and the people will listen I reckon.

Cheers

Bob

[keats]

Yes, it's very serious in here, isn't it.

Neil

[Neville Briggs]

I have read Clive James' poetry, Stephen. He is a fine poet.

One of his best poems is called In Town for the March, it's about ANZAC DAY and a small boy ( Clive James ) who's father didn't return from the war..

If you can manage to delve into a conservative leaning paper the current issue of the journal Quadrant has an article by Robert Conquest called, The Extraordinary Verse of Clive James.

Conquest quotes these lines from Clive James writing on poetry;

The voice leads to the craft, the craft to art:
All this is patent to the gifted few
Who know, before they can, what they must do
To make the mind a spokesman for the heart.