Song of the Ambitious Seeker

I will about to harken, to hark the raven’s call.
I must attend the morning, as mists swirl at the door;
I’ll make a promise clear, as solemn as the Fall
to walk the dawning, as the sunlights pour.

I will accept the cawing, the rustles and the flaps
I’ll hold a while still, just as some creature would
who kept no hidden thought, and traveled without map,
who gave no truth, but answered as it should.

no never mind my promise. I made it on mistake.
I thought there’d be an answer, a reason in the wild.
I thought I’d turn a seer — all through the veil to break.
But ravens only follow, follow meek and mild.

[But here your song it falters
it clatters and it breaks.
For wisdom only follows,
only follows tame and sweet
the fire in the hollows
where love and patience meet.]

Results: Too dogmatic! This guy is a rampant, an incorrigible dogmatist!

Author: BW
Editor: AW
Copyright: AMW

What did we do?
We used the structure of a Year’s poem to spitball a poem into being.
See the Yeat’s poem below.

WB Yeat’s “Lake Isle of Innisfree”

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.

Fist Stanza
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

Form
u u u s u s u, u s u s u s
13 syllables – first three unstressed, then four s/u, then comma and then 6 u/s
u u u s u s u, u s u s u s;
13 syllables – first two unstressed, then two stressed, then u/s/u, then comma and then 6 u/s
u u u s u s u, u s u u s u s,
14 syllables – first three unstressed, then four s/u, then comma, then u/s for seven, except there’s a uu in the middle so it can still end on an s like the previous lines
u s u s u u s u s
nine syllables u/s, except a uu in the middle so it can still end on an s

huh

For the first three lines:
Each line trips lightly up to start of the alternating rhythm (for three beats), and then the comma in center of the line gives a solid rhythm even as two unstressed syllables create a little depression in the flow. But then the second half of each line keeps a pretty solid alternating rhythm and ends on a stressed rhyme. The wave starts slow and then builds at a consistent 45 degree angle for a while and then heads down at the same angle and ends abruptly

Song of the Ambitious Seeker

I will about to harken, to hark the raven’s call.
I must attend the morning, the misting at the door;
and make a promise clear, as solemn as the Fall
to walk in mists in which the sunlights pour.

I will accept the cawing, the rustles and the flaps
I’ll hold a while still, just as some creature would
who held no hidden thought, and traveled without map,
who told no truth, but answered as it should.

no never mind my promise. I made it in mistake.
I thought there’d be an answer, a reason in the wild.
I thought I’d turn a seer — all through the veil to break.
But ravens only follow, follow meek and mild.

[But here your song it falters
it clatters and it breaks
For wisdom only follows,
only follows tame and weak
the fire in the hollows
where love and patience speak.]