Welcome to my 14 part study of Idylls of The King, written by Lord Alfred Tennyson. This study is part of a larger whole in where I am explaining and exploring Metrical Writing. Here is the Start of my Meter study for those wanting to learn about Metrical writing: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-of-metrical-writing-part-1-introduction.63871/ Idylls of the King tells the story of the Rise and Fall of King Arthur and is written in Blank Verse (unrhyming Iambic Pentameter.) The story has a sadness to it (due to its Elegiac tone) and is often looked at an Allegory for Tennyson's views on social conflicts during the Victorian era. While the Primary goal of this study is to look at Meter, and how Tennyson weaves it to create a story, I will be looking at other elements such as Writing devices, Theme, story structure, Symbolism, and just General thoughts. So, a little review. Iambic Pentameter is a form of Metrical writing where you have Five feet (beats) of a Unstressed-Stressed Syllable pattern that creates Rhythmic effects. It will sound like this: (da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM). Why do people write like this? My personal theory is that Great Music is often considered the greatest artistic achievement a person can accomplish, that good writing should aspire to be as close to music as possible. Of course, there are a few substitutes and Variations that occur within Metrical writing in order to keep the beat of the story from being too monotone. Here is a list of terms and Symbols you will see throughout this study and what they mean. Iamb (Unstressed Stressed) Trochee (Stressed Unstressed) Spondee (Stressed Stressed) Double Iamb (unstressed unstressed/ stressed stressed) Feminine ending (Extra-unstressed syllable) (I) Feminine Ceasural pause. (A pause created by Punctuation after an unstressed Syllable) (II) Masculine Ceasural pause (A pause created by Punctuation after a stressed Syllable) (>) Elision (Omitting or slurring together Unstressed Syllables) Headless Iamb (^ Stressed) As we will go through this story, I will make notes of anything I find interesting. - The First part of this story is a Dedication in where Tennyson informs the reader about the subject matter he will be talking about: King Arthur. I wanted to note an interesting Parallel I find between Dante's Divine Comedy and Tennyson's Idylls; In both stories the writers feel that certain Kings were picked by God Himself as Kings to rule mortal men. For Dante, this was Julius Caesar and Tennyson's it was King Arthur. The history/stories of these two follow a similar plot: Ambitious rulers who want to raise their kingdoms to new heights, are betrayed by those they trust most, and their kingdoms/empires fall into ruin as a result. From these Tragic stories, we can see a plot patterns that repeat themselves over and over again throughout time. It is through these patterns that we as writers can look at are works and compares them to older works to see how they hold up and how much originality we bring to the table. Remember, it is not the pattern that is Cliche; it is the ideas we weave into the pattern that will decide the originality of our writing. I want to end today's introduction with a look at the Ending Paragraph from the Dedication section from Idylls. It does a great job of helping the reader get 'in-tuned' with the Rhythm of the Meter. His Love, unseen but felt, o'ershadow thee, The love of all thy sons encompass thee, the love of all thy daughters cherish thee, The love of all thy people comfort thee, Till God's love set thee at his side again. His Love,(II)/ unseen/ but felt, (II) o'ershad/ow thee, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb)* The love/ of all /thy sons /encom/pass thee, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) the love /of all /thy daught/ers cher/ish thee, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) The love /of all/ thy peop/le com/fort thee,(Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Till God's/ love set/thee at/ his side /again. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) - (Dedication, lines 49-53) *The first foot (his love) could also be a Spondee (His Love). The reason being is that 'his' is referring to God. - I hope you enjoyed this introduction to Idylls of the King, and I hope you read along for the next 13 parts. If you have any thoughts or questions please leave a comment of a like! -OJB Next Post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/meter-a-study-of-idylls-of-the-king-part-2-the-coming-of-arthur.63911/
Before we can move onto the more advanced aspects of Meter, we need to talk about the Caesural pause. I see a lot of confusion when talking about the Caesural pause, but it is rather simply: It is when there is a pause in the Rhythm of a line due to a punctuation mark. In other words, just like how you pause when reading prose when you hit punctuation, you do also in Verse. The reasons that this is important will be discussed further in depth later, but to give you an answer now, When you add Rhetorics and Parallelism to Metrical writing, the Caesural pause becomes extremely important. It is also important in regards to the Trochee substitute we talked about in Part 3. Sometimes, A writer will place a mid-line Trochee after the Caesural pause. Here are a few examples: (II) will be the symbol for the Caesural pause. From Living Apart by Maura Stanton. - I leave our house, (II) our town, (II) familiar fields. - As we can see, you can have two Caesural pauses in a single line. There are also 'invisible' Caesural pauses as well. Here is an example. Let's see if you can find it. - Those monsters dwell within shade and light. - Did you find it? Here is the answer. Those monsters dwell (II) within both shade and light. The purpose of punctuation is to end a clause or separate a phrase or dependent clause from the main clause, but in Grammar, there are times you can omit the comma despite a phrase or a dependent clause being connected to the main clause. It is where the main clause ends that a light Caesural pause will take place. So, Some lines will have no Caesural pause. Some lines will have an invisible -weak- Caesural pause. Some lines will have a semi-strong Caesural pause (,) And Some lines will have a Strong Caesural pause(. ! ? ; : -) Is there any place where I can't put a Caesural pause at? There is no rule about it, but I would not put one before the first stress on the line. Also, in terms of Rhythm, a Caesural pause can split a foot (Feminamin Caesural pause) or it can end at after a stress (Masculine Caesural pause). - I hope my explanation about Caesural pauses help people who want to write meter (I see this question come up a lot). - Our next Move: Before we move onto more Advanced theory in terms on Meter, we are going to do a 14 part study of Lord Alfred Tennyson's Idylls of the King, a story about the rise and fall of King Arthur, written in Blank Verse (Iambic Pentameter). - If you have any questions or have thoughts, please leave a comment or like! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-of-metrical-writing-part-5-self-discipline.63888/ Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-of-metrical-writing-part-7-promotion-and-demotion.63993/ Idylls of the King study: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/meter-a-study-of-idylls-of-the-king-part-1-an-introduction.63905/
Hello, Today I wanted to talk about Self-Discipline in terms of writing meter. Last Blog entry I talked about self-imposed restrictions that you should place upon yourself when writing Meter, but before you can even do that, you first must master writing Basic Blank verse (Iambic Pentameter without Rhyme.) How? In the strictest sense, one should learn how to write Iambic Pentameter using NO substitutions or Variations, and make sure each line is its own Syntaxial unit (no enjambment.) Many writers, myself included, like to go straight to the more advanced and fun stuff before we have mastered the basics. The end result? Unsalvageable garbage that needs to be dumped into the nearest landfill and a "Shame on you" Critique posted on their work. A lot of writers fight against the 'learning the basic' Critique, they scream 'I am an artist. Your wrong! I am smart enough to use the more advanced techniques! (My personal favorite) 'You are a Yeti!' The list of whiny defensive replies goes on, but the end result is always the same: Work that is unpublishable and soon forgotten by those who read it. Take the time, learn the basics. If you don't, the more advanced Metrical Theory is going to kill you. I wanted to end today's post by looking at another poem. While there are a few substitutions and variations that appear, I wanted to pay special attention to how each line is a close form (A complete Syntactical unit). As usual, I will post a clean version and a marked up version. The Tuft of Flowers By Robert Frost I went to turn the grass once after one Who mowed it in the dew before the sun. The dew was gone that made his blade so keen Before I came to view the levelled scene. I looked for him behind an isle of trees; I listened for his whetstone on the breeze. But he had gone his way, the grass all mown, And I must be, as he had been,—alone, ‘As all must be,’ I said within my heart, ‘Whether they work together or apart.’ But as I said it, swift there passed me by On noiseless wing a ‘wildered butterfly, Seeking with memories grown dim o’er night Some resting flower of yesterday’s delight. And once I marked his flight go round and round, As where some flower lay withering on the ground. And then he flew as far as eye could see, And then on tremulous wing came back to me. I thought of questions that have no reply, And would have turned to toss the grass to dry; But he turned first, and led my eye to look At a tall tuft of flowers beside a brook, A leaping tongue of bloom the scythe had spared Beside a reedy brook the scythe had bared. I left my place to know them by their name, Finding them butterfly weed when I came. The mower in the dew had loved them thus, By leaving them to flourish, not for us, Nor yet to draw one thought of ours to him. But from sheer morning gladness at the brim. The butterfly and I had lit upon, Nevertheless, a message from the dawn, That made me hear the wakening birds around, And hear his long scythe whispering to the ground, And feel a spirit kindred to my own; So that henceforth I worked no more alone; But glad with him, I worked as with his aid, And weary, sought at noon with him the shade; And dreaming, as it were, held brotherly speech With one whose thought I had not hoped to reach. ‘Men work together,’ I told him from the heart, ‘Whether they work together or apart.’ I went /to turn /the grass/ once aft/er one (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Who mowed it in the dew before the sun. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) The dew/ was gone /that made/ his blade /so keen (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Before/ I came/ to view/ the level/led scene. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) I looked/ for him/ behind/ an isle of trees; (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) I listen/ed for /his whet/stone on/ the breeze. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) But he/ had gone /his way, /the grass/ all mown, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) And I/ must be,/ as he/ had been/,—alone, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) ‘As all/ must be,’/ I said/ within/ my heart, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) ‘Whether/ they work /togeth/er or/ apart.’ (Trochee/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) But as/ I said/ it, swift /there passed/ me by (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) On noise/less wing/ a ‘wild/ered butt/erfly, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Seeking/ with mem/ories/ grown dim/ o’er night (Trochee/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/IAmb) Some rest/ing flower /of yes/terday’s /delight. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) And once/ I marked/ his flight /go round /and round, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) As where/ some flower/ lay with/ering on the ground. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) And then/ he flew /as far /as eye/ could see, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) And then /on trem/ulous wing/ came back to me. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) I thought of ques/tions that/ have no reply, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) And would/ have turned /to toss /the grass/ to dry; (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) But he/ turned first, and led /my eye/ to look (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) At a/ tall tuft /of flowers/ beside /a brook, (Double Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) A leap/ing tongue/ of bloom/ the scythe/ had spared (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Beside/ a reed/y brook/ the scythe/ had bared. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) I left/ my place /to know/ them by/ their name, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Finding/ them butt/erfly /weed when/ I came. (Trochee/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) The mow/er in /the dew/ had loved/ them thus, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) By leav/ing them/ to flour/ish, not/ for us, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Nor yet/ to draw/ one thought /of ours/ to him. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) But from/ sheer morn/ing glad/ness at/ the brim. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) The butt/erfly/ and I/ had lit/ upon, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Never/theless, /a mess/age from the dawn, (Trochee/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) That made/ me hear /the wake/ning birds/ around, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) And hear/ his long/ scythe whisp/ering to/ the ground, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) And feel /a spir/it kind/red to/ my own; (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) So that /henceforth/ I worked/ no more/ alone; (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) But glad with him, I worked/ as with his aid, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) And wear/y, sought/ at noon/ with him/ the shade; (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) And dream/ing, as /it were,/ held broth/erly speech (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) With one /whose thought /I had/ not hoped /to reach. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) ‘Men work/ together,/’ I told /him from/ the heart, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) * ‘Whether/ they work /togeth/er or /apart.’ (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) * *In the second to last line, 'Together' is pronounced in 2 syllables, in the last line together is pronounced as 3. Also the word 'Flower' is pronounced as 1 syllable throughout the poem. We've not gotten to Dialect pronunciations and Elisions yet, as they are very complex theory, but understand that people pronounce words differently from region to region, and from time period to time period. Later on I will be going into this. Robert Frost uses no variations within the poem, and only uses 6 substitutions -all in the first foot- throughout the whole poem. Also, every line is its own Syntactical part, we can see that by how most of the lines end in some form of punctuation, and the lines that don't are because he is simply following the rules of punctuation (Such as a dependent clause doesn't need a comma if it follows the main clause.) Robert Frost was a very disciplined writer, and when he does use substitutions, it he follows a strict rule to place them only in the first foot of the line. This is not the work of a novice, but of someone who has mastered the craft of Metrical Writing, and this level of Discipline is what anyone wanting to write Metrically needs to aim for. So, take the time and learn to write like Robert Frost, Pure Iambic lines that all end when a unit of Syntax would end. Do this for 6-8 months, 10 lines a day, and you will have mastered the Basics and can start weaving in the more complex ideas of Meter into your work. - Note: In years to come, Robert Frost will be 1 of 20 poets I do a in-depth look into, much like my Clive Barker study (which I will finish after this blog series is over.) If you have any thoughts or questions, please leave a comment of a like! -OJB Previous Post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-of-metrical-writing-part-4-self-restriction.63884/ Next Post:...
Welcome to part 4 of this study, and today we will be discussing the importance of self-restriction in terms of Meter. In the last post, we discussed the variations and substitutions that can be used with Iambic Pentameter. I'd like to now introduce the idea of 'Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should.' I have no doubt what I am about to say will 'upset' a few people, but this statement is true no matter what form or creative writing you do: True artistic achievement comes from when a writer places restrictions on themselves and writes the story within those restrictions. When writing in Metrical form, you risk destroying the Rhythm of the writing when you over-use Substitutions. So when should you use each Substitution? That is not for me to answer. You as a writer will have to develop your own rules and abide by them, but here is my main point, don't use Substitutions to get yourself out of a tough spot. It might be tempting to use a Trochee in order to keep a line, but every Substitution should be used for a reason and effect that you are trying to create. Being new to Metrical writing, I only have a few rules so far in terms of Metrical writing. 1. I only use Trochees to begin a sentence, phrase, or clause. 2. Every line I write must be either a complete sentence, phrase, clause, subject or Predicate. No doubt as I continue to practice and experiment, these rules will grow and evolve. My last post in this Blog series will be a look at my own rule, restrictions, and style in terms of Metrical writing. I'd like to end today with another poem. This obeys the second rule I have for myself, so I thought her poem would be a good one to study. On top of my usual marks, I'll place the phrase/clause part in a [] Light Reading, by Vassar Miller. Spies whisper through my air condition units. My drainpipes crawl with wraiths of Jack the Ripper. A time bomb in my oven ticks off minutes, Imperiling beans and porkchops for my dinner. An ex-con feeds my watchdogs poisoned candy And saws my burglar bars in half. My Lodgers are little men from Mars named Rick and Randy Cloned from the brave Flash Gordon and Buck Rodgers. Bats breed inside my breakfast room and kitchen. Where paranoid pygmies plot their crimes. My hundred-watt bulbs are hung with lichen. A ghost squats on my toilet. Between times, If things grow dull, old Nazi bombers strafe. So, ringed with ghouls and corpses I am safe. Spies whis/per through/ my air/ condit/ion un(its.) (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb (hyper)) [Complete Sentence.] My drain/pipes crawl/ with wraiths/ of Jack/ the Rip(per.) (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb (Hpyer)) [Complete Sentence.] A time/ bomb in/ my ov/en ticks /off min(utes,) (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb (hyper)) [Main clause] Imperi/ling beans/ and pork/chops + for/ my dinner. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb(hyper)) [Verbal Phrase + Prepostional phrase.] An ex/-con + feeds/ my watch/dogs pois/oned can(dy) (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb (hyper)) [Complete subject + Complete Predicate] And saws/ my burg/lar bars/ in half.+/ My Lodg(ers) (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb(hpyer) [Complete Predicate + Complete Subject.] are lit/tle men /+from Mars/ named Rick /and Ran(dy) (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb (hyper)) [Subject complament + Object Complament] Cloned from/ the brave/ Flash Gord/on and/ Buck Rodg(ers.) (Trochee/Iamb/Iamb/Double Iamb (Hpyer)) [Object complament] Bats breed/ inside /my break/fast room/ and kitch(en.) (Spondee/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb(hyper)) [Complete setence.] Where par/anoid/ pyg/mies plot/ their crimes. * [Complete Sentence] My hund/red-watt/ bulbs /are hung /with lichen. * [Complete Setence] A ghost/ squats on/ my toil/et. + Be/tween times, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) [Complete Setence + Prepostional Phrase] If things/ grow dull, + /old Naz/i bomb/ers strafe. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) [Prepostional Phrase + Main Cluase] So, ringed/ with ghouls/ and corps/es+ I /am safe. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Double Iamb.) [Verbal Phrase + Main clause.] *I am having a hard time scanning these two lines; the problem may be related to how the author is pronouncing certain words. What I really like about this poem is that each line makes up a clause, phrase, sentence, or an entire part of a sentence. While at first glance some sentences run into the next line, the truth is that each line ends where a part of Syntax would end (does that make sense?) - That concludes my thoughts for today. If you have a thought of question please leave a like or comment! Previous Post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-of-metrical-writing-part-3-variations-and-substitutions.63879/ Next Post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-of-metrical-writing-part-5-self-discipline.63888/
Welcome to part 3 of our study on Metrical writing. Today we will be looking at Variations and Substitutions that appear in Iambic Pentameter. If one was to write page after page of strict Iambic Pentameter, the 'sound' of the poem or story would become monotonous. Thankfully, there are a few Variations and Substitutions you can insert in to give your Metrical writing a bit of variation. A few rules first. 1. Your first line/sentence needs to be strict IP (Iambic Pentameter) in order to set up the Rhythm of your writing. 2. You may only use two Substitutions per line. If the Substitutions outnumber the Iambs, then the Rhythmic pattern is destroyed. Now, let's take a look. Trochee (Stressed-Unstressed): There is one special rule for using this Substitution, it cannot be used in the 5th foot of a line. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Trochee) This would be wrong. Here is example of a Trochee being used from 'Parable' By Richard Wilbur Whither /to fare, /but wished/ his horse /to choose. (Trochee/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) - Spondee (Stressed-Stressed): Shakespeare used this one a lot, and it can be used in any foot. Here is an example of one from 'Written on a Blank page in Shakespeare's poem, Facing "A Lover's Complaint." by John Keats Bright Star, /would I/ were sted/fast as/ thou Art- (Spondee/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb.) - A Double Iamb (unstressed-unstressed/Stressed-Stressed): For me, Double Iambs are the greatest accomplishment one can achieve in Iambic Pentameter, they are true Rhythmic music. A few things about the double Iamb; 1st, they can be used in any foot; 2nd, they DO NOT count as a substitution. So if a line had 2 Trochees, 2 double Iambs, and 1 iamb, the Rhythm of the line is not broken. We will explore the reason why for this much later, but for now here is an example. From J.V Cunningham, "A letter," 26. Made Hum/an by/ old Sym/bols of/ Man's worth. (Iamb/Double Iamb/Double Iamb.) - Feminine ending/Hpyer-metrical ending: A Feminine Ending is not a substitution, but a variation that occurs sometimes in Iambic Petrameter. It is where the last foot of a line has a 'left-over' unstressed syllable. Shakespeare used them a lot as well. From Romeo and Juliet Act 1, Scene 5 By William Shakespeare [Juliet] Ay, pil/grim, lips /that they /must use/ in pray(er) (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb (Hyper)) - The Headless Iamb: (^ stressed): A rather new convention in modern and contemporary Metrical writing, The Headless Iamb is where the first foot has no unstressed syllable, just a stressed. A few beginner rules when using this bad boy. (Note: Once you mastered meter you can start bending the rules.) 1. The Line MUST have 9 Syllables (So no Feminine ending.) 2. No other substitution can be used in the line. 3. A Headless Iamb can only be used in the first foot. Here is an example of one I wrote. ^ Grace /did not/ release/ the pres/sure --bitch!-- (Headless/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) - (Looking for poem that makes use of all the substitutions.) I wanted to note that these are just basic guidelines. Each of these substitutions has subtleties and nuances that we will be exploring later on, but for now, this is a good list for beginners. Previous Post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-of-metrical-writing-part-2-the-arguement-against-rhyme.63874/ Next Post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-of-metrical-writing-part-4-self-restriction.63884/
Welcome to part 2 of our study on Metrical writing. Today we will be looking at two things: Muti-syllable words vs 1 Syllable words, and how they work with each other in terms of meter, and we will be looking at Rhyme. So last time we talked about how Metrical writing is where you place stressed and unstressed syllables in a certain order to create a Rhythm in your writing. We are right now looking at Iambic Pentameter, the most used form of Metrical writing in English. Here is an example that was used in Riddley Scott's Alien: Covenant; it is from the poem Ozymandias written by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Look on/ my works,/ ye might/y, and /despair! (Trochee/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) While we've not gotten to Variations and Substitutions yet in Iambic Pentameter (That will be the next post) we can see that this quote is written in Iambic Pentameter and has a Rhythm, a beat to it. So let us get into the next layer of Meter: 1 syllable words vs. 2 syllable words vs 3 syllable words. Often Metrical writing involves us using a whole vocabulary of words, and we have to be aware of how these words interact with each other in terms of meter. Now our last post I said that articles (The, a, an) are rarely stressed. I want to present a case where they are. Now Stand/ing the .... Anytime you have a two syllable word, the weakest syllable will be less stressed than any single syllable word; However, the opposite is also true. Example: Max, Stand/ing next/ to Mike,/ is big /and strong. Notice how Max is unstressed? The stressed Syllable in a muti-syllable word will be more stressed than a single syllable word (such as a noun or verb). What about three syllable words? This is where things get a little tricky. The Tapestry Tap is the stressed part of the word, so does that mean you will have two unstressed syllables after that? Not exactly. You have two options, but for now, I want to look at just one. The Tap/estry,/ a strange.... Because a (a low stressed word) is after the -try-, -try- becomes more stressed than -es-. The second option we will cover later, as it requires far more experience and knowledge about meter. Meter is a fluid craft filled with subtleties and nuances that require a careful ear and real understanding. The purpose of this blog is to build this knowledge and experience slowly and carefully, and not to jam advance and complex theory down your throat right off the bat. To expand on the above example a little bit more lets take the word: Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane Now, looking in a dictancory (which you should be doing if you don't know where the stress falls on a word) the word would look like this: Di-chlor-o-di-phen-yl-tri-chlor-o-eth-ane So now that we see where the stressed Syllable is, we know that on either side of it that Syllables are going to be very weak. So applying the same Idea from Tapestry, Di(1)-chlor(2)/-o(1)-di(2)/-phen(1)-yl(2)/-tri(1)-chlor(2)/-o(1)-eth(4)-ane(1) (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb (Hyper) (I've used the numbering system -something we will get into later- to help show the level of different stresses.) The above example is how 4+ syllable words work in Meter. Now we are going to touch upon Rhyme ever so lightly. - John Milton said that Rhyme is a monstrous device. While I don't agree with this statement, I do understand the frustration of beginner poets rushing right into End Rhymes. End Rhyme is one the most complex devices used in poetry. Beginner poets often are unaware of this fact, but Rhyme does not work without Meter. Bullshit you say? End Rhymes is NOT two similar sounding words. Rhyme (in English) is two similar STRESSED sounds. So the words Happy and Sappy Rhyme, not because of the -py part but because of the Hap and Sap parts. The second reason is that End Rhyming requires Meter is because they meter sets up an equal distance between the two. Why does that matter? I think women will understand why better than men. Ladies, have you ever been on a date, and you were like "I'm going make this man work for every inch before giving him the gold"? Same principle. Make the reader wait for that End Rhyme. (The real reason has to be with Syllable spacing and it might require a whole book to explain.) So my advice for poets wanting to learn how to use end Rhyme, just take a year and learn Blank Verse (Iambic pentameter without Rhyme) before adding Rhyme in it. Once you've mastered Meter, Rhyming will become so much easier as you don't have to try to think about good Rhyme's and still strain on making sure your Meter is solid. - I wanted to end Today's Blog by looking at a poem written by the Master of Iambic Pentameter himself, William Shakespeare. (I'll post one clean version and one studied version) Sonnet 18 William Shakespeare Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou Art more Lovely and more Temperate. Rough Winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date; Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines; And Often is his gold complexion dimm'd and every fair from fair sometimes declines By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd: Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st; Nor Shall death brag though wand'rest in his shade, When in eternal lines to time though grow'st; So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long live this, and this gives life to thee. - Shall I /compare/ thee to/ a sum/mer's day? (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Thou Art/ more Lov/ely and /more Temp/erate. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Rough Winds do shake the darling buds of May, (Spondee/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) And sum/mer's lease/ hath all /too short /a date; (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Sometimes/ too hot /the eye/ of heav/en shines; (Trochee/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) And Oft/en is/ his gold /complex/ion dimm'd (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) and eve/ry fair /from fair/ sometimes/ declines (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Trochee/Iamb) By chance/ or nat/ure's chang/ing course/ untrimm'd: (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Nor lose/ posses/sion of/ that fair /thou ow'st; (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Nor Shall/ death brag/ though wand'/rest in /his shade, (Iamb/Spondee/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) When in/ eter/nal lines/ to time /though grow'st; (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) So long live this, and this gives life to thee. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/IAmb/Iamb)* My ear hears the Live as more stressed than this, but the play on words of live this, and this, makes This an important word. Next post we will be looking at a basic introduction of Varations and Subistutions that can be used in Iambic Pentameter. If you have any questions or thoughts please leave a comment or like! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-of-metrical-writing-part-1-introduction.63871/ Next Post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-of-metrical-writing-part-3-variations-and-substitutions.63879/
Hello, I've been getting a fair amount of questions on Metrical writing and I thought it would be wise to start a blog series on the subject. While I had planned on doing Theme Next, I have a love for Metrical Writing and would really like to dive into this very complex and academic subject. (@Lifeline @Stormburn @zoupskim @MulberryWriter @Arktaurous34 I've tagged you cause you've all had some interest in Meter.) I NEED TO STRESS two things. 1. This study only pertains to ENGLISH Metrical writing. You cannot take the Information from this blog and apply it to German, Russian, Japanese, or any other foreign language. 2. You must have a strong understanding of Grammar. If you don't, you will suffer on this. So, ready to learn? What is Metrical writing? Metrical writing is where you place stressed and unstressed Syllables and words in a certain pattern in order to give your writing a Rhythm. Why would anyone do that? For poets, it gives their poems a music-like quality. For Prose, some Authors employ the device when they write dialogue in order to give a character's speech a type of Rhythm in order to reveal subtext. My favorite example of this is from the Sci-fi Novel Dune, Where the Baron speaks in Iambic Pentameter. Metrical writing has a long history of being used in some of the most famous works ever written. Examples: The Illiad, The Odyssey, Paradise Lost, The Idylls of the King, anything Shakespeare, and a whole lot more. Why should I learn Metrical writing? Well, Why should you learn proper Grammar and how to employ Irony and Foreshadowing? Because it is another tool you have to use when you write. That is all Metrical writing is, a tool for you to use when you need it. - So what is a Stressed Syllable and what is an unstressed Syllable? In any multi-Syllable word, one of the Syllables will have more stressed than the others. This is where a Good dictionary comes in handy. Let's take the word Happy. When you look up the word 'Happy,' you will see this under the name: Happy [hap-ee] As you can see, the Hap part is bolded; that is because this is the stressed Syllable in the word. What about Single Syllable words? Now some words have more stressed than others. We have 8 parts of speech, so let's look at what are important words vs non-important words. Nouns, Verbs, and Interjections, would be the most stressed words out there. (Bear, Cat, Dance, Sing, YES! BOO!) Adjectives and Adverbs would be a little less stressed. (Red, Big, Small, etc.) Pronouns are kinda in the middle. They could be important words, or they could be unimportant words. You need to pay attention to how they are being used. Prepositions, conjunctions: For the most part, I'd say these words are unstressed UNLESS you are starting a sentence with a conjunction for Dramatic effect, or you are using Prepositions in the adverbial poistion. Articles: with just one exception (which I will give an example of coming up.) Articles are rarely stressed. - So, now that I've gone over stressed and unstressed syllables, let's give an example of Metrical writing. (I'll be using a mix of poems and horror stories to keep it interesting.) The miracles that magic will perform Will make thee vow to study nothing else. -C. Marlowe's Dr. Faustus. The mir/ac-les /that mag/ic will /perform (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Will make /thee vow /to stud/y noth/ing else. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) As you can see, the above two lines there is a pattern of unstressed-stressed syllables that creates a Rhythm in the writing. - So, before you start Metrical writing there are two things you need to decide. Foot Type, and Length. The above example is written in Iambic Pentameter (which will be the primary focus of these study). What this means is there is a unstressed-stressed pattern that repeats itself 5 times in the line. Take a look: Will make /thee vow /to stud/y noth/ing else. There are four types of patterns (also called feet) that appear in English. Iamb (unstressed/stressed) Trochee (Stressed/unstressed) Dactyl (Stressed/unstreesed/unstressed.) Anapest (unstressed/unstressed/stressed.) Iamb and Trochee are the most common and are what we will be looking at. Now for you Prose writers, this is where knowing this stuff comes in handy. The Iamb is the most natural foot, and everyday speech matches it the closest. So, if you were writing dialogue with a character that was calm, and being natural, I'd write it in Iambs. Trochee, on the other hand, draws attention to itself and sounds artificial. If I was writing dialogue for a character who was lying (or trying to draw attention to themselves) I'd write it using Trochees. - The last thing I want to mention is line length. The Most common length of a line in Poetry is Pentameter (5 feet), why? Because the average human breath can pronounce 10 syllables. So, again Prose writers, if you wanted dialogue for a character that seemed more than human, I'd use 6+ feet. If you wanted to write dialogue for a character short on breath, sick, or panicked, I'd write in 4 or fewer feet. (We'll go into this subject in more detail later on.) - Here will be our poem for the day (I'll post a clean version and a studied version), 'The Waking' by Theodore Roethke. It is excellent poem to study to see Iambic Pentameter put into practice. I wake to sleep and take my waking slow I feel my fate in what I cannot fear. I learn by going where I have to go. We think by feeling. What is there to know? I hear my being dance from ear to ear. I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow. Of those so close beside me, which are you? God bless the ground! I shall walk softly there, And learn by going where I have to go. Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how? The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair; I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow. Great Nature has another thing to do to you and me; so take the lively air, and, lovely, learn by going where to go. This shaking keeps me steady. I should know. What falls away is always. And is near. I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow. I learn by going where I have to go. - I wake /to sleep/ and take/ my wak/ing slow (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) I feel/ my fate/ in what/ I can/not fear. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) I learn /by go/ing where /I have/ to go. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/IAmb) We think /by feel/ing. What /is there /to know? (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) I hear/ my be/ing dance /from ear /to ear. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) I wake /to sleep,/ and take/ my wak/ing slow. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Of those so close beside me, which are you? (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) God bless/ the ground! /I shall/ walk softl/y there, (Spondee/Iamb/Double Iamb/Iamb) And learn/ by go/ing where /I have /to go. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how? (Spondee/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) The lowl/y worm /climbs up/ a wind/ing stair; (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) Great Nat/ure has/ anoth/er thing to do (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb)* to you /and me; /so take/ the live/ly air, (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) and, lov/ely, learn /by go/ing where/ to go. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) This shak/ing keeps/ me stead/y. I /should know. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) What falls /away /is al/ways. And/ is near. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) I wake/ to sleep,/ and take /my wak/ing slow. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) I learn /by go/ing where/ I have /to go. (Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb/Iamb) - So, anyone who is reading/following this blog series, I am going to start a thread where people can practice reading and scanning meter. We will be primarily be looking at Iambic pentameter, but we will venture into Trochee later in the series. So, to become good at Meter one must practice writing it, study it, and read it. Here are some resources to go with this blog series if you want to really dive into this subject (which I will be doing.) Study. 1. Mary Oliver -- Rules for the Dance. (Novice) 2. William Baer -- Writing Metrical Poetry (Novice) 3. John Hollander -- Rhyme's Reason (Novice) Reading 1. Idylls of the King (READ OUT LOUD.) Practice: https://www.writingforums.org/threads/metrical-writing-practice.152605/ 1. I will be posting a practice thread for meter for anyone interested in learning this craft. By the end of this Blog, I will have written 2100 lines on meter in order to perfect the craft. For anyone praticing, Lines 1-10 will be pure Imabic Pentameter. - On the next Blog we will be looking at 1 Syllable vs 2 syllable vs 3 syllable words and how they react to each other, and we will see the reasons for and against Ryhme. Also, if you have any questions, please ask. Metrical writing is a VAST and complex subject and is easy to get lost, but once mastered, you can have a lot of fun using it. Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-of-metrical-writing-part-2-the-arguement-against-rhyme.63874/
Having dove into 16 of Clive Barker's short stories has so far been an experience, and we still have 15 more short stories to go before we start diving into his larger works! I wanted to reaffirm and go over what we have learned so far by studying Clive Barker. 1. The Use of personification. Describing a scene (like a city, or a mountain, or forest) always seemed dull to me to write and read. What I love about Clive Barker's style is that he uses personification when he describes a nature/city setting. Wanting to bring this idea into my own style I want to show a setting description before and after we use personification. Before: The mountain was covered in pine trees, and it always rained, thundered, and lightning at its summit. (Kinda boring, right?) Personification: The mountain was mean and grumpy with its wild pine-tree hair; it always cried rain, shouted thunder, and struck things with its lightning-bolt fingers. (Not perfect, but far more interesting than the above.) 2. Monsters as Allegory. I can't stress this enough. You want a monster that will be forever remembered? Make the monster an Allegory for something. Clive Barker goes this is Rawhead Rex, Scape-goats, and Human remains. What is an Allegory? It is a theme -an idea- that the monster represents. Let's take something famous: Is not Frankenstein an Allegory for the result of Man trying to play God? 3. Imagery. Through reading Clive Barker's work, I've noticed he does something really interesting with his imagery. For lack of better term (I am sure there is a correct term for this), he does something that I call 'double imagery.' His two best examples are as followed. 1. Firefly Cigarette (both a firefly and a Cigarette glow.) [Human Remains] 2. It smelled like a rotting meat stuck in a drain pipe. (Both rotting meat and a drain pipe stink) [Scape-gaots.] Trying my own hand: Massaged with kisses (Both Massages and kisses are physically pleasant.) I have to practice to do with this concept, but I like it a lot. 4. The use of Subtext. Clive Barker's stories Pig Blood Blues, and Sex, Starshine and death, both have great examples of using subtext. Subtext is a hard thing to teach, I understand it when I see it, but putting it into my works is very difficult for me. It is the unspoken things that are going on in the background. 5. The use of Theme. Clive Barker has a strong understanding of Theme. Theme is not just the moral of your story, but it is also the philosophical concepts you put into your story. One of the principle themes that appears in a number of Clive Barker's works is that people trying to escape everyday life, or trying to gain some unspoken of, forbidden pleasure, are punished, often brutally, for their desires. Not always by monsters either, sometimes by their own design. A central ideas I've put into my own works is the horrors that occur in family life. In Mystics, Bartlett's father murdered her Mother. In Nerium, Nerium's husband leaves her for a prettier woman. In an untitled short story I have thought out, the Heroin is beat by her husband. Each of my stories shows the horror that everyday life can throw at us, and that type of horror in one of my central themes. - I hope this brief recap has given you guys some ideas in regards to your own writing. If you have any questions or thoughts, leave a comment or like!
Summary: Human Remains tells the story of Gavin, a male prostitute that finds himself being stalked by a doppelganger. The story begins with him being picked up by a male client and taken back to an apartment. There he discovers a human-sized statue in the tub. The statue comes alive and begins to follow Gavin, slowly adapting his habits and physical features. The story ends with Gavin leaving town, letting his doppelganger take over his identity. Notes: This story is really amazing; thematically, horror-wise, and even the imagery-wise this story is just breath-taking. I wanted to highlight a passage I found that has to be the most original and stunning piece of imagery I've read from Clive Barker yet. 'Firefly Cigarette' I've never thought about comparing the glow at the end of a cigarette to a firefly. It had to be one of best pieces of Imagery I've read this study. I know some people don't find Imagery as interesting as I do, but when an author pushes language to its maximum, there is a certain pleasure I gain from reading that. Thematically this story is very similar to the concept of an android. As the story progresses, the statue becomes more human in thought and nature. Gavin on the other hand, through his drug use, becomes more statue like (towards the end he doesn't eat, sleep, or even cry at his father's tombstone.) Horror-wise: We never truly come to understand the nature of the doppelganger statue. When Gavin and it talk, the statue claims that it does not understand why its true nature, and while it does not believe to be the only member of its kind to exist, it has never met another one like itself. I thought this was an interesting concept. To exist, and know that others like yourself exist, but to never have met them. What makes this idea interesting to me is that the statue, which is clearly a supernatural being, knows that there are things out there that it does understand. This central idea -things unknown to even the unknown- is something I might add into my future works. The true nature of Horror is to show something terrifying (like a monster) but never explaining it. If you want to create a horrifying story? Create a scene -like one with a bunch of mutilated bodies or some object that should not be there but is- and never explain how it happened or why. - This concludes the first book by Clive Barker: Books of Blood volumes 1-3. I will be looking at his next book: Books of Blood Volume 4-6 next. If you have any thoughts of questions, please leave a like or comment. - P.S My next post will be a 'What we have learned so far post.' Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-16-scape-goats.63848/ Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-18-a-recap.63861/
Summary: A group of young adults finds themselves stranded on an island (which is actually a burial mound for those who died at sea during the Wolrd Wars) and begin to explore. During their exploration, they find sheep fenced up. One of the men, while drunk, kills one of the sheep and causes the spirits on the ghost to rise. The Ghost kills the group. Notes: I don't consider this to be the best story in Books of Blood, but it does serve as a great example of how to write a ghost/monster story. I wanted to go over the different parts of what makes a good monster/ghost story: Characters, Sins, Monsters, Isolation, & Resolution. Characters: In a monster story, the characters need to be deeply flaw in some manner or moral. Using this story as an example, the characters in this story have a deep disregard for both each other and the situation they are in. There are two girls, and two boys, all who are cheating on their partner with each other. Sins: The Sin of this story is a disregard for each other, how this plays into the story is that one of the men shows his disregard for life when he kills one of the sheep. This 'Sin' is what awakens the dead and causes the group to be targeted. Monster: If you haven't read my Blog on Rawhead Rex, please do. A monster should be an allegory for something, and in this story, the undead is those that the world disregarded in death (bodies that were never reclaimed from the sea.) If anything, the monster of this story is just the characters flaws taken to some extream form. Isolation: For these type of stories to work, the characters need to be isolated in a way that prevents them from escaping. This story, they are stranded on an island. Jurassic park, same idea. IT, they children are stuck living in the town. Rawhead Rex is a bit of a different type of horror story, in that one that Character is searching for a way to defeat the monster, not to escape it (in terms of story structure this is a very important difference, but that will be a different blog series.) Resolution: At the end of the story, the MC will have two options: She changes her flaw and defeats/escape the monster, or she doesn't change and the monster destroys her. In this story, she does not change and the MC is drowned to death in the end. How to avoid the cliche: Now that I've broken monsters stories into their bare parts, you need to ask yourself how to avoid cliches? Here is how: Don't put characters into the story as meatshields. Yes, people will die, but give their death meaning, and take the time to develop that characters. This is why a cast of four is a good number. Too many characters mean you need a longer story if you want to truly develop them. 2. Really think about the theme of your story when creating the sin the characters will commit. The heavy the theme, the deeper the horror of your story will be. 3. The monster, take your time and develop your monster, beyond just visual and gore. 4. Think of ways to Isolate your characters so they can't escape the monster. I want to look at Nightmare on Elm Street as it is genius. The Isolation is their 'dreams' when they sleep. We all know that people need to fall asleep sometime, and this was just a brilliant idea in terms of isolation. Think, and reach for that isolation that keeps characters from escaping. 5. P.O.V This one I think goes unexplored. There are three P.O.Vs you can use in a good monster story. The most used one is the people being chased by the monster. The another choice is showing the story through the eyes of the monster. The last choice and the one that is rarely used is you could show the story through the eyes of the 'victim' of the sin (This is done in Pumpkinhead where the MC is the father of a child killed by a group of teens. He has a witch summon a monster to punish those that took his child away from him. I'd watch this movie [while not perfect] to get an idea on how to show the story through the victim's eyes.) - I hope you've all enjoyed my look at Scape-goats. While not the best short story, it is still a great one to study if you are interested in writing a monster story. If you have any questions or thoughts, please leave a comment of like! Previous Post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-15-confessions-of-a-shroud.63845/ Next Post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-17-human-remains.63857/
Summary: Confessions of a Shroud tells the story of Ronnie Glass, an accountant who finds out that three of his clients are running an illegal pornographic business. After trying to end their relationship, his clients frame him for running the illegal business, hence, ruining his career. Ronnie buys a gun and kills two of the three men before the third client figures out what is going on and kills Ronnie. Ronnie, determined to get his revenge even after death, possess a shroud, hunts down the final client, and disembowels him. The story ends with him going to a church, in order to confess his sins to a priest, so that he might gain resolution. Notes: Despite the campy idea of a killer shroud, Confessions is actually a well-written and entertaining story. So, what I wanted to touch on is how Clive Barker took a very trope idea and made it somewhat fresh. A lot of horror stories go like this = Group of idiots does something morally wrong, evil monster arises to kill them, the group of idiots must learn to change their ways or die to the evil monster. In this story, however, the MC is the evil monster. Ronnie Glass sets out to murder three men, this is not a noble or even morally sound goal; Ronnie Glass is just as much as a monster as the men who framed him. So why we do cheer for him? Two reasons. 1. Ronnie Glass loves his children and often thinks about them throughout the story. This humanizes him. 2. Unlike the men who he murders, Ronnie does not attempt to avoid punishment. The Clients run from Ronnie; however, Ronnie does not run from punishment and at the end of the story even states he will accept whatever punishment God chooses to dish out to him for murdering these men. The last thing I want to touch on is the eerie ending. The story ends with the priest finding the shroud (after Ronnie has lost the ability to possess it) and wonders about the story of how it found its way into the church. The reason this ending is so unsettling, at least for me, is how often have you, in real life, found an object and thought to yourself 'how did this get here?' Thinking in those terms can be a great way to come up with story ideas. Next time you find a misplaced item, ask yourself 'Is there some brutal and horrific story (or heartfelt and romantic story) behind how this item got here? - I hope you've enjoyed my look at Confessions of a Shroud. If you have any thoughts or questions please leave a comment or like! Previous Post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-14-rawhead-rex.63836/ Next Post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-16-scape-goats.63848/
Welcome to part 14 of my study on Clive Baker. Today we will be looking at Rawhead Rex, a monster story. Summary: In the small town of Zeal, England, a farmer removes large stone on his land (which his father had warned him not to do) and releases a monster that was buried under it (Rawhead Rex). Rawhead Rex goes on a rampage killing families and eating children. The MC Ron, whose son is eaten by Rawhead Rex, searches for a way to defeat the rampaging monster. He learns from the town's priest that there is something in the church that Rawhead Rex is afraid of and goes in to search for it. He discovers a statue of a pregnant woman, and when he shows it to Rawhead, the monster freezes in fear. The story ends with a town mob attacking Rawhead, killing him. A study of the Monster: It is often suggested that monsters in horror stories be an allegory for something, and Rawhead Rex is no exception. Rawhead Rex is meant to be an Allegory for men's fear of the woman's Menstrual cycle. This is revealed in Rawhead's fears, weaknesses, backstory, and even physical description. I am going to go point by point to prove this statement. Physical description: Rawhead Rex is described as looking like a 9-foot tall phallus (erect penis) with teeth. This is a very masculine image and is pretty much as far as you can get from a monster looking like the female reproductive organs as possible. Backstory: Rawhead Rex belongs to an ancient race of primordial beast-like men that once ruled the forest of England. Rawhead's race is an all male race, reproducing by raping women that they would capture. His race, however, was destroyed when the humans burned the forest to the ground in hopes of ridding the lands of these monsters. They ancient people captured Rawhead and buried him alive. The fact that his race was an All Male race goes even further into the mindset of how Rawhead has no real understanding of women or how they biologically work. There is some irony in the fact that the one thing Rawhead is afraid was the one thing needed for his race to flourish. Weakness: "Rawhead stood and looked at the nape of Gwen Nicholson's neck, where a single nip would easily kill. But there was no way he could bring himself to touch this woman; not today. She had the blood cycle on her, he could taste its tang, and it sickened him." (Page 371) From the above passage, we can see that Rawhead cannot kill or eat a woman who is on her cycle. Fear: "To him the stone was the thing he feared most: the bleeding woman, her gaping hole eating seed and spitting children. It was life, that hole, that woman, it was endless fecundity. It terrified him." (page 406) Again, we can see how terrified he is of the woman's menstrual cycle, a fear that results in his death. From the above evidence, we can see how the Allegory of men being afraid of the menstrual cycle is used in every aspect of this monster's design. In conclusion, for us wanting to write Horror (or even fantasy with a monster in it), it is important to look at how we create our monsters and put real thought into our design. Monsters can have meaning behind them and it is up to us writers to create and give this meaning. - I hope you've enjoyed my look at Rawhead Rex. If you have any questions or thoughts please leave a comment or like! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-13-son-of-celluloid.63833/ Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-15-confessions-of-a-shroud.63845/
Summary: The son of Celluloid starts off with a man named Barberio running from the police after killing one of them. Barberio alludes police and hides in a theater room between the projection screen and the back wall. There he dies from Cancer. (Now this is where the story gets a little hard to follow), the emotional energy left behind by thousands of viewers over the years gives the cancerous tumor sentience, turning it into a shape-shifting monster. The monster has the ability to not only change itself into movie characters but has the power to change the environment as well. The monster ends up slaughtering a group of teenagers one night at the movie theater and almost escapes justice as it hides inside one of the victims. The only other survivor hunts down the creature, shoots its host, and pours acid on it to kill it. Note: This is one of my least favorite stories from Books of Blood, and I debated on skipping it due to my displeasure with it. I did, however, want to comment on the voice of one of the characters, Barberio. The Barberio part is very difficult to read, and this is because Barberio is very uneducated and Clive Barker wrote sentences to match this. "Thing was, he'd got that belly-ache, the deep, gnawing pain he got more and more these days." (Page 329) The above sentence is grammatically correct but is very unpleasant to read (just like how Barberio is). It is obvious that Clive Barker has studied poetics, as he uses a lot of them in his writing, and the device he is using is called a sentence effect. A sentence effect is where the composure of the sentence has a psychological effect on the reader that is intended. This is created through the four big factors Diction (word choice), Tone, Voice, and sound of the words chosen. I might do a blog series on Sentence effects in the future, but I just wanted to make note the effect the words you choose, and how you compose sentences has on the reader. - The next story will be Rawhead Rex. It is a great monster story to study for anyone interested in writing them and I will be going into what makes a great monster and why. If you have any questions or thoughts, please leave a comment or like! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-12-new-murders-in-the-rue-morgue.63830/ Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-14-rawhead-rex.63836/
Welcome to Part 12 of my study on Clive Barker. Today we will be looking at his short story, New murders in the Rue Morgue. Summary: The story begins when Lewis (the MC) receives a call from his life long friend Catherine and flies to Paris. There he learns that Catherine's brother Philipe has been arrested for murder. We also learn that Lewis is related to C. Auguste Dupin, the man who solved the original murders in Rue Morgue and told his story to Eager Allan Poe about the killer ape. Lewis learns, through some investigating, that Philipe never believed the story about the killer ape and wanted to test the idea. Philipe buys an Ape, and he trains it to be like a man (The ape shaves, dresses, buys hookers etc.) Eventually, the ape commits murder (just like in the original story of the murder in the Rue Morgue) and Philipe is framed for them. The story ends with Lewis tracking down the Ape, and watching him have sex with a hooker (yes, this really happens.) The Ape finds Lewis and offers him a go with the Hooker. Unable to live with what he has learned (that an Ape can learn to be just like a man), Lewis commits suicide by jumping off a bridge. Notes: I am going to be frank, I've not read the original 'Murders in the Rue Morgue' by Edgar Allen Poe, so there are no doubt comparisons I am missing on in this review. What I do want to touch on today is the long tradition of writers writing spiritual sequels to their hero's works. In essence, Clive Barker wrote a sequel to one of Poe's stories. There is actually a long tradition of this, and here are a few examples. Virgil's The Aeneid is a sequel to Homer's The Iliad. Dante's The Divine Comedy is a sequel to Virgil's The Aeneid. Ridley Scott's Prometheus and his upcoming Alien: Covenant (Originally titled Paradise Lost) is in fact, a spiritual sequel to John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost. I am not a lawyer, so I do not know the legality of writing spiritual sequels to other's writer's works, but I did want to note that it is a long tradition that has occurred since the dawn of time. I'd like to also note that all these examples still involved the writers coming up with an original story involving their own characters and their quest. If anything can be learned it is that even the best writers in history embrace their influences. Also, a lot of writers reference and base their stuff off of poetry (The Iliad, The Aeneid, Divine Comedy, Paradise Lost, Shakespear) and the reason is simple. While these stories are romances, comedies, epics etc, that all explore the horror of human nature. It is important to remember that Horror doesn't need to be about a monster or demon; sometimes, a person can viler than the monster we have nightmares about. - Thank you for reading part 12. If you have any thoughts or questions, please leave a comment or like! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-11-skins-of-the-fathers.63823/ Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-13-son-of-celluloid.63833/
Summary: Skins of the Fathers tells the story of how the town's people of Welcome, Arizona react when a parade of monsters makes their way through the desert outside their town. The monsters are on their way to collect a child that was produced after they gang raped a woman five years earlier. The town's people, in a rather red-neck fashion, gathers an armed mob who plan on shooting and 'lynching' the monsters. The story ends when they town's people are killed after the monsters use a type of 'magic' that turns the ground into quicksand and swallows the mob up. The few that survive (including the MC), find themselves stuck/half buried in the ground with the sun about to rise (implying they will be cooked alive in the desert sun). Notes: I wanted to touch on three things, Clive Barker's writing style, the theme of this story, and world building. Style: Having studied ten of Clive Barker's stories, we can start seeing a pattern on how he describes a scene. Rather than describe a scene/environment in traditional terms, Clive Barker uses the poetic device personification to bring subtext/feeling to his descriptions. For those unfamiliar with what personification is, it is where the author describes something that is non-human (an animal, weather, a city, etc.) in human terms. The opening sentences of this story use this device. "The car coughed, choked, and died. Davidson... tried to revive the engine, but it refused life." and a few sentences later, "The mountains ... were eaten up by the heat-haze." Cough, choke, refuse, eaten up, These are things people do. They are being used to really paint the scene and show the environment. Clive Barker does this a lot; in fact, I believe I made note of it in his short stories 'Book of Blood' and "Midnight meat train.' (Part 2 & 3 of this series) if you'd like to read those examples. Theme: The theme of this story is 'monsters.' I want to show the juxtapositions that Clive Barker uses in this theme to really drive home the message he was trying to explore. Monsters- The monsters rape a woman in hopes that the child she bears will be the first part of their plan to sow humility and kindness into the human race. They commit a monstrous action (rape) for a rather noble cause (make humanity a better race.) Town's people- The town's people want to defend their home (a very noble endeavor) not because the monsters are threatening them (in fact, the monsters have no interest in harming the town's people) but because the monsters are different than humans (They be Racist as hell.) Eugene- Eugene is the real monster of this story. He is a man who rapes and beats his wife (the woman the monsters raped) and her son. The town's people make him part of the mob (this proves to be their fatal flaw) which results in him killing Aaron (the boy born out of the monster's rape). As punishment, the monsters perform their trick which kills the angry mob. Story building: The last part I want to look at is the world building of Clive Barker. I made the argument that all of Clive Barker's works take place in a shared universe. This is not only supported by the first story in Books of Blood, but by the fact that a number of his characters appear in different works. (The Cenobites in the Hellbound Soul, are talked about in Weaveworld is one such example.) Regardless, Midnight Meat Train, the Skins of the Fathers, Rawhead Rex, and Weaveworld all share a similar idea, Ancient creatures (possible all the same race) have hidden away from the world deep inside the earth. I am going to come back to this idea when I get Rawheard Rex (which will be part 14 of this study.) - In conclusion, there are two things I've learned from Clive Barker that I am wanting to implement into my own writing style. I love how he uses Personification in his describing a scene, and I l9ve the dreadful sense of fearing things that sleep in dark, deep places of the world. I have a similar idea in my own story world, but Clive Barker has given me some insight and ideas on how to approach this is a more eerie fashion. I hope you've all enjoyed part 11 of this study. If you have a question or a thought please leave a comment or a like! - Previous post:https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-10-jacqueline-ess.63820/ Next Post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-12-new-murders-in-the-rue-morgue.63830/