Poetry Exercise No. 6

This time the exercise is on the use of ternary feet (ie, three beats instead of two to a foot - eg ditty-dum, dum-ditty and the like.)

The exercise is in two parts. First, to write directions (to your home) using some anapestic hexameters (anapaests go 3 beats to a foot, stress on the 3rd beat i.e. ditty-dum, hexameters indicate a total of 6 feet/stresses per line).

However I do not intend to give directions to my house on-line! So I will give directions to Raffles Hotel instead (from the east coast) :-)

It's a drive down the ECP exit at Rochor Road, filtering left
Watch the hot air balloon as it makes its ascent; then turn left once again.
You're on North Bridge Road, driving past Liang Seah and Purvis Streets; stop at the lights!
With a turn into Seah street you're there and so welcome to Raffles Hotel.
(If you find these directions just cannot compare with a map then click here)

The second part of the exercise is to write some dactylic pentameter (dactyls go dum-ditty i.e. stress is on the first of three beats) on the subject of cows. The first four dactyls should be followed by a spondee, i.e. two stressed accents.

Once there were two lads named Jerry and Ben who made ice cream!
Black and white cows can be seen on each pint of their product,
Free from recombinant growth hormone cows gave such fresh milk,
It's no surprise that these guys made a pile from their dessert!

Now that's making me hungry for ice cream!