Below you will find an exercise and an explanation of how fourteeners and iambic heptameter works in writing poetry. You will see three different versions of the same poem with the changes highlighted.
I want to preface this with the fact that I may have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about. Always do your own research. That’s why I supply hyperlinks!
Here’s an exercise in creating some traditional (European) forms of poetry. It started with me writing a quick, off-the-cuff poem on my Facebook page. Now, this poem was not meant to be blogged or advertised or anything. It was just something quick and dirty.
I wrote the poem in rhyming quatrains without really thinking about it. This is not unusual as I tend to automatically fall to quatrains a lot when I’m just writing. I suspect it comes from me writing a lot of lyrics, specifically rap lyrics, which I tend to think of in terms of quatrains (16 bars — 1 bar being a line — is 4 quatrains for me).
I found myself wanting to share something of the poetry writing process with my audience — such as it is. Especially those who ask me about my process. Well, this is not specifically my process, but it is a process that you can use.
So here’s the poem. I even recorded it, which you can hear in this post. The recording is the original, unedited version. I may re-record the final version.
The king in all his wisdom saw that something was amiss
The priest, forever pious, saw that something did not fit
And both saw a solution that they knew did not exist
Genocide of mind created so that they could get their wish
Well the king he knew the way he simply told them what to do
And they did it; he was pleased but felt that something was not true
Do they do it off his word or is it just what people do?
Are they slaves by birth or slaves because he wants it to be true?
To test the thought he gave some extra freedoms to one man
And saw the others did not like it, they couldn't comprehend
How one man ('cept the king of course) could be allowed to stand
Above the others, who was he that they should have to bend
They ridiculed him, cast him down and made of him a fool
The king was highly pleased at this and saw it as a tool
As long as scapegoats kept them riled they cared not that he ruled
Therefore, his rule was absolute; fair, unfair or cruel
The priest, he witnessed all of this and had a great idea
He saw that people were like sheep; in his mind it became clear
He would supplant the king and plant within them all a new idea
Once he had their minds and souls, their vision he would then make clear
For if they see what he believes (or at least what he claims to see)
They will see a promise greater than themselves, they will be free
"For you see, the king has made you slaves and I shall make you free.
But in order to be free you must believe and pay the fee.
And of course, that freedom is promised, when at last you lay to rest
Give money to the church and turn the cheek when you're beset.
So…technically, you're still a slave but when you die, you will be blessed!
So obey the king, but give to me...I mean give to God's request!"
The king in all his wisdom saw that something was amiss
The priest, forever pious, saw that something did not fit
And both saw a solution that they knew did not exist
Genocide of mind created so that they could get their wish
What is a Fourteener in Poetry Writing?
My first stanza contains three fourteeners. A fourteener is a 14 syllable line. Alone, you can consider a fourteener as a type of syllabic poetry — which is its own category of poetry types. You may have also noticed I used a repeating rhyme to introduce the king and then again to introduce the priest. You may also note I used the word “free” twice, back to back…like I said, this poem wasn’t for the mainstream.
A good chunk of this poem is already naturally written as a fourteener. This was not by design, it’s just how it came out. That’s how a lot of writing is, especially when employing any sort of rhythm. So, if you’re new to this, don’t beat yourself up trying to create a specific meter, just write and see what you get. You can make a better decision from there.
Let’s see if we can transform this poem into all fourteeners. In order to do this, we may have to change some lines up but still keep the overall meaning. Could be challenging. I’ll be right back with the results.
The king in all his wisdom saw that something was amiss
The priest, forever pious, saw that something did not fit
And both saw a solution that they knew did not exist
Create a genocide of minds so they could get their wish
The king he knew the way he simply told them what to do
They did it; he was pleased but felt that something was not true
Do they do it off his word? Is it just what people do?
Are they born slaves or slaves because he wants it to be true?
To test the thought he gave some extra freedoms to one man
The others did not like it, they just could not comprehend
How one man ('cept the king of course) could be allowed to stand
Above the others, who was he that they should have to bend
They ridiculed him, cast him down and made of him a fool
The king was highly pleased at this and saw it as a tool
As long as scapegoats kept them riled they cared not that he ruled
So his rule was absolute, whether fair, unfair or cruel
The priest, he witnessed all of this and had a great idea
He saw people were like sheep; in his mind it became clear
Supplant the king and plant within them all a new idea
Once he had their minds and souls, their vision he would make clear
If they can see what he believes (or what he claims to see)
They’ll see a promise greater than themselves, they will be free
"For you see, the king has made you slaves, I shall make you free.
In order to be free you must believe and pay the fee.Of course, that freedom is promised, when last you lay to rest
Give money to the church and turn the cheek when you're beset.
Technically, you're still a slave but when you die, you’ll be blessed!
Obey the king, but give to me! I mean, to God's request!"
The king in all his wisdom saw that something was amiss
The priest, forever pious, saw that something did not fit
And both saw a solution that they knew did not exist
Create a genocide of minds so they could get their wish
Okay, so now we got it formatted. Each line is 14 syllables long. You’ll notice that this made it flow smoother in some places, but made it really awkward in others. The reason for this is because I payed attention to syllable count but not meter.
Fourteener’s do no necessarily have to be written how I have it here. It’s possible to break the lines as long as they equal up to 14 syllables. In fact, most fourteener’s that I’ve seen are written in couplets and not quatrains like these.
They can also be broken further down, as long as they contain 7 feet and 14 syllables, which brings us to:
What is Iambic Heptameter in Poetry Writing?
So, we’re going to try to tighten this poem up further by attempting to restrict it to iambic heptameter. What was that you ask? What IS iambic heptameter?
Iambic heptameter is a meter expressed in 7 feet. A foot is a small measurement of meter, usually in syllables. For instance, an iamb is a two-syllable metrical foot. An iamb consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one or a short syllable followed by a long one. Think of it as “da-DUM” – that’s one iamb.
Heptameter is a word that means a meter of 7 iambs. So, 7 iambs gives ya 14 syllables…get it?
There are other types of feet as well, so you don’t have to stick to just iambs, you can mix and match em with others…as long as you know what you’re doing. Let’s get into some examples with this piece.
“The king in all his wisdom saw that something was amiss” – this line is perfect. It flows correctly in iambic heptameter. 14 syllables, 7 iambs – well, maybe not perfect. Depends on how you read it.
But this is how we want ALL of the lines to be.
Oh, one more thing. Did you notice the strikeout I put on the word “and” in the third line? It’s because that word does not have to be there to keep the meter straight. A space of time can be the same as a syllable. Understand?
So, let’s see if we can tame this poem into iambic heptameter.
No, I’m not going to go through this word for word. Instead, I’m going to read it out loud. Wherever I stumble or become unsure of how I should say it, is a place where the meter is screwed. You can also try to read it with a metronome, that can be a great help as well.
Something you should remember though – not all strict meter is always good. You don’t have to constrict your verse for the sake of meter. Many great poets break meter regularly to keep the flow tight. Or to make a specific sort of statement.
For instance, I was okay with how this poem originally sounded when I read it out loud…more or less. By tying it up with meter, I’m less satisfied. Meter can force you to sound almost robotic when it’s not mixed up a bit now and then. Also, a fourteener does NOT have to be in heptameter. They traditionally are, but it’s up to your own discretion.
The king in all his wisdom saw that something was amiss
The priest, forever pious, saw that something did not fit
And both saw a solution that they knew did not exist
Create a genocide of minds so they could get their wish
The king he knew the way he simply told them what to do
They did it, he was pleased but felt that something was not true
Do they just obey his words? Was it just what people do?
Are they born slaves or slaves because he wants it to be true?
To test the thought he gave some extra freedoms to one man
The others did not like it, they just could not comprehend
How one man ('cept the king of course) could be allowed to stand
Above the others, who was he that they should have to bend
They ridiculed him, cast him down and made of him a fool
The king was highly pleased at this and saw it as a tool
As long as scapegoats kept them riled they cared not that he ruled
So his rule was absolute, fair or foul, unfair or cruel
The priest, he witnessed all of this and had a great idea
The people were like unto sheep, his purpose became clear
Supplant the king and plant within them all a new idea
Once he owns their minds and souls, it’s their vision he’d make clear
If they can see what he believes (or what he claims to see)
They’ll see a promise greater than themselves, these devotees
"For you see, the king has made you slaves, I shall make you free.
In order to be free you must believe and pay the fee.
Of course that promised freedom, comes along with final rest
Give money to the church and turn the cheek when you're beset.
Technically, you're still a slave, when you die, you’ll all be blessed!
Obey the king, but give to me! I mean, to God's request!"
The king in all his wisdom saw that something was amiss
The priest, forever pious, saw that something did not fit
And both saw a solution that they knew did not exist
Create a genocide of minds so they could get their wish
Well, that’s that. Now, there’s a bunch of different things I could have done to mix it up and make it fresh. I could have broken the rules of meter, or I could have used something other than iambic heptameter. I could have used alternating 12 and 14 syllable couplets or something. There are an infinite amount of possibilities.
In fact, a more traditional way of breaking up a fourteener in iambic heptameter is to split it between two lines, typically 4 iambs on one and 3 on the other:
The king in all his wisdom saw That something was amiss
The priest forever pious saw That something did not fit
But that would have created an overly lengthy looking poem. However, if I were to take the next step in constricting this poem even further, I would go about breaking it down into this 4/3 iamb structure…but this post has gone on long enough.
Even as it is, I’m sure I didn’t fully accomplish what I was trying to do. The poem needs more work. Maybe somebody who studies these things will chime in and let me know where I erred. This was actually my first time — outside of writing a sonnet in high school — intentionally trying to dissect my verse to give it a specific meter.
I notice, the more practiced make it seem so fluid smooth
I’ll try to practice up until I too can do that too
For further application, you can use these poetic tools in writing other things as well. Apply them to lyrics if you’re looking for a specific sort of cadence — especially devastating when applied to head nodding beats. Use meter in your prose or fiction when you want to convey a specific feeling.
Meter doesn’t mean rhyme. Blank verse consists of unrhymed poetry written in a specific meter. You can use that sort of thing with any writing, not just poetry. Experiment with other forms of meter and different feet. I’ll do the same.
For more information on iambic heptameter and poetry writing:
Things I Have Loved – Frankie (@idowhatilike) – has a blog where pretty much every post is written in iambic heptameter. She hasn’t been around for some years now, but the words are still there.
communal iambic heptameter – forum thread I found with a communal iambic heptameter thing going. It’s probably the best for seeing how different people use it. Some of them are real witty.
Update 05/29/2010 – Here is a blog post on mincing the term “pro-life” – it’s written by Joshua Holland and touches on one of the subjects that I write about here. I link to it here because he puts it much better than I can 😛
Abortion, Why is it Such a Big Deal?
Abortion. A loaded topic if ever there was such a thing. I don’t particularly know about the rest of the world, but people here in the U.S. go completely apeshit over the topic of abortion. I mean, there has been horrific violence tied to the subject, and I’m not talking about the dead fetuses. I’m talking about grown ass people kidnapping and killing doctors, bombing clinics, picketing, fighting, adding changes to legislation and so on and so forth. I mean, it’s a bit ridiculous.
I feel that no matter what you feel about the issue, whether you are so called “pro-choice” or “pro-life” there’s one small thing that we are all forgetting. Where is the freedom in this country? In a free nation, a person who wants to abort their unborn child should be well within their rights to do so. Point blank. I can understand extenuating circumstances and a governing body of law should be in place to address those issues when they arise, but for the most part…if someone wants to do it, let em.
What are the arguments against abortion? I would gather that a chunk of them are uber-religious in nature, and of that religion…I’d hazard a guess at Christianity being the biggest culprit. I suppose the biggest argument would be:
“They (the fetuses) are living human beings and therefore abortion is murder.”
When someone gets an abortion, I’m pretty sure that they’re going through some pretty strong physical, emotional and mental stresses already. Being labeled a murderer must be the icing on the cake right? I personally can’t see a fetus as a living human being, and even if such a thing is absolutely fact, I gotta ask this: So what? I’m a bit cold on this subject. I think there are too many people as is. Everybody wants to protect the fetus, but stops giving a fuck when it becomes an actual breathing human being.
Many arguments get brought into this equation. Questions about the health of the carrier. Questions about morals and lack of education. Questions about rape pregnancies and etc etc etc. With so many different possible circumstances and points of view on the subject, I think it would be best for everybody, if everybody let the individuals decide for themselves and/or with the people that they trust/love and are involved with.
Yes, I do think that some government involvement is in order, especially for those that need an abortion done and can’t afford it and to make sure there are universal and regulated procedures. Yes, I think that people should be educated about the possible health care concerns of having an abortion as well as about the alternatives to abortion. And yes, I do believe that those horrific fetus pictures that the pro-lifers like to show should be seen by people thinking to have the procedure done. Young girls who are thinking about it should talk it out with friends, family or professionals. But in the end, I also think that if people decide to have it done, they should not be criminalized and vilified for their actions.
To all of you woman that have had abortions, for whatever reasons, I’m not mad at you at all.
To all of you that are thinking about it, I urge you to educate yourselves first. There are other options and other things to consider. But, I leave it up to you, good luck.
What exactly is freedom? The United States has always been a country where both the word and the idea have been a little…malleable. But even if you don’t know fully what it means or is, you damn sure know that what little of it you have is slowly slipping away from you. But is the greater good a good excuse?
The Problem With the Idea of Freedom in the U.S.
The problem with freedom – the idea of freedom – is that no one wants it. That is to say, no one wants to put in the work necessary to achieve it. The sort of concerted effort needed may be currently beyond our reach. We don’t even really know what freedom means. Maybe we never actually did in this country. Keep in mind that I’m speaking almost exclusively about the United States.
We as a people have grown quite selfish, extravagantly lazy, and extremely stupid. The stupidity is even odder considering just how much real information is available quite literally at our fingertips these days.
Everyone has become complacent. We feel right at home with having our individual freedoms stripped from us one by one. The “powers-that-be” take away from us, tells us it’s for our own safety, and we follow like sheep. Sometimes they take away from us and don’t tell us shit…and we follow like sheep.
We are not even aware of the things going on around us. For some reason, we cannot perceive the powers that struggle back and forth over who gets to control the flock.
I say “we”, because although there are those that would fight it, object to it or even do something about it – the majority are okay with it. And we are all a part of the majority. Perhaps “okay” isn’t the best word in this case. People just seem to exist under a hell of a lot of brain/white washing and simply cannot see beyond anything that does not involve themselves or getting to that nine-to-five on time.
Each One Teach One
In a truly free system, everyone would be able to do what they want. I am not preaching anarchy, I am speaking on a system where people do what is best for all. There are names for such systems, but it’s best not to mention them in this country.
It’s not what you think though. Consider if people did what’s in their power to do, by doing the things they truly want to do. For instance, some people truly want to heal. Some people truly want to develop new technologies and practice different forms of science etc. I say let them. Let them learn their craft from like-minded individuals.
Some people like to crunch numbers or fill in blank forms. Some people like to draw and paint and create. Everyone should be free to do and pursue that which makes them happy and fulfilled. If more people did what they wanted instead of doing menial shit just to survive, I guarantee the overall happiness factor in this country would rise exponentially.
Don’t worry, the economy would still grind along, there would just be a shift in the way things worked. We would all benefit.
All people should have a real vote. All people should be educated. All people should be able to make an informed decision about the practices and policies that work best for not only them, but their communities as well. That’s freedom.
If each person contributed something of themselves then everybody would be good. Wealth would be shared and We the People would be able to move forward together instead of separately.
Isn’t it odd that true freedom comes with the idea of shackling all of our fates together instead of this crazy, obsessive, and in some cases, obscene individualism that we practice now?
What Does Freedom Mean Today?
Think about the things that we bitch, moan and politic about. Things like gay marriage or gun ownership. If we were as free as we think we are, these would be non-issues.
The people who want guns would get them and the people who do not, would not. The same-sex couples would get married if they wanted to. Free people making their own decisions.
Instead of freedom, we have constant bickering, legislation, infighting, and even foul deeds done in the name of whatever thing is being argued over at the time. That’s not freedom. That’s just a way for those that control us, the ones who are truly free, to keep us from focusing on how much so-called freedom we do not actually have.
![freedom[1]](https://silenciobarnes.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/freedom1-858x400.jpg "freedom[1]")
![ts_solarflare_free[1]](https://silenciobarnes.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/ts_solarflare_free1-220x160.jpg "ts_solarflare_free[1]")
27 Oct 2011
1 CommentPoetry Writing 101: The Fourteener and Iambic Heptameter
Writing Poetry: Fourteeners and Iambic Heptameter
Below you will find an exercise and an explanation of how fourteeners and iambic heptameter works in writing poetry. You will see three different versions of the same poem with the changes highlighted.
Here’s an exercise in creating some traditional (European) forms of poetry. It started with me writing a quick, off-the-cuff poem on my Facebook page. Now, this poem was not meant to be blogged or advertised or anything. It was just something quick and dirty.
I wrote the poem in rhyming quatrains without really thinking about it. This is not unusual as I tend to automatically fall to quatrains a lot when I’m just writing. I suspect it comes from me writing a lot of lyrics, specifically rap lyrics, which I tend to think of in terms of quatrains (16 bars — 1 bar being a line — is 4 quatrains for me).
I found myself wanting to share something of the poetry writing process with my audience — such as it is. Especially those who ask me about my process. Well, this is not specifically my process, but it is a process that you can use.
So here’s the poem. I even recorded it, which you can hear in this post. The recording is the original, unedited version. I may re-record the final version.
The king in all his wisdom saw that something was amiss The priest, forever pious, saw that something did not fit And both saw a solution that they knew did not exist Genocide of mind created so that they could get their wish Well the king he knew the way he simply told them what to do And they did it; he was pleased but felt that something was not true Do they do it off his word or is it just what people do? Are they slaves by birth or slaves because he wants it to be true? To test the thought he gave some extra freedoms to one man And saw the others did not like it, they couldn't comprehend How one man ('cept the king of course) could be allowed to stand Above the others, who was he that they should have to bend They ridiculed him, cast him down and made of him a fool The king was highly pleased at this and saw it as a tool As long as scapegoats kept them riled they cared not that he ruled Therefore, his rule was absolute; fair, unfair or cruel The priest, he witnessed all of this and had a great idea He saw that people were like sheep; in his mind it became clear He would supplant the king and plant within them all a new idea Once he had their minds and souls, their vision he would then make clear For if they see what he believes (or at least what he claims to see) They will see a promise greater than themselves, they will be free "For you see, the king has made you slaves and I shall make you free. But in order to be free you must believe and pay the fee. And of course, that freedom is promised, when at last you lay to rest Give money to the church and turn the cheek when you're beset. So…technically, you're still a slave but when you die, you will be blessed! So obey the king, but give to me...I mean give to God's request!" The king in all his wisdom saw that something was amiss The priest, forever pious, saw that something did not fit And both saw a solution that they knew did not exist Genocide of mind created so that they could get their wishWhat is a Fourteener in Poetry Writing?
My first stanza contains three fourteeners. A fourteener is a 14 syllable line. Alone, you can consider a fourteener as a type of syllabic poetry — which is its own category of poetry types. You may have also noticed I used a repeating rhyme to introduce the king and then again to introduce the priest. You may also note I used the word “free” twice, back to back…like I said, this poem wasn’t for the mainstream.
A good chunk of this poem is already naturally written as a fourteener. This was not by design, it’s just how it came out. That’s how a lot of writing is, especially when employing any sort of rhythm. So, if you’re new to this, don’t beat yourself up trying to create a specific meter, just write and see what you get. You can make a better decision from there.
Let’s see if we can transform this poem into all fourteeners. In order to do this, we may have to change some lines up but still keep the overall meaning. Could be challenging. I’ll be right back with the results.
Okay, so now we got it formatted. Each line is 14 syllables long. You’ll notice that this made it flow smoother in some places, but made it really awkward in others. The reason for this is because I payed attention to syllable count but not meter.
Fourteener’s do no necessarily have to be written how I have it here. It’s possible to break the lines as long as they equal up to 14 syllables. In fact, most fourteener’s that I’ve seen are written in couplets and not quatrains like these.
They can also be broken further down, as long as they contain 7 feet and 14 syllables, which brings us to:
What is Iambic Heptameter in Poetry Writing?
So, we’re going to try to tighten this poem up further by attempting to restrict it to iambic heptameter. What was that you ask? What IS iambic heptameter?
Iambic heptameter is a meter expressed in 7 feet. A foot is a small measurement of meter, usually in syllables. For instance, an iamb is a two-syllable metrical foot. An iamb consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one or a short syllable followed by a long one. Think of it as “da-DUM” – that’s one iamb.
Heptameter is a word that means a meter of 7 iambs. So, 7 iambs gives ya 14 syllables…get it?
There are other types of feet as well, so you don’t have to stick to just iambs, you can mix and match em with others…as long as you know what you’re doing. Let’s get into some examples with this piece.
“The king in all his wisdom saw that something was amiss” – this line is perfect. It flows correctly in iambic heptameter. 14 syllables, 7 iambs – well, maybe not perfect. Depends on how you read it.
But this is how we want ALL of the lines to be.
Oh, one more thing. Did you notice the strikeout I put on the word “and” in the third line? It’s because that word does not have to be there to keep the meter straight. A space of time can be the same as a syllable. Understand?
So, let’s see if we can tame this poem into iambic heptameter.
No, I’m not going to go through this word for word. Instead, I’m going to read it out loud. Wherever I stumble or become unsure of how I should say it, is a place where the meter is screwed. You can also try to read it with a metronome, that can be a great help as well.
Something you should remember though – not all strict meter is always good. You don’t have to constrict your verse for the sake of meter. Many great poets break meter regularly to keep the flow tight. Or to make a specific sort of statement.
For instance, I was okay with how this poem originally sounded when I read it out loud…more or less. By tying it up with meter, I’m less satisfied. Meter can force you to sound almost robotic when it’s not mixed up a bit now and then. Also, a fourteener does NOT have to be in heptameter. They traditionally are, but it’s up to your own discretion.
Well, that’s that. Now, there’s a bunch of different things I could have done to mix it up and make it fresh. I could have broken the rules of meter, or I could have used something other than iambic heptameter. I could have used alternating 12 and 14 syllable couplets or something. There are an infinite amount of possibilities.
In fact, a more traditional way of breaking up a fourteener in iambic heptameter is to split it between two lines, typically 4 iambs on one and 3 on the other:
But that would have created an overly lengthy looking poem. However, if I were to take the next step in constricting this poem even further, I would go about breaking it down into this 4/3 iamb structure…but this post has gone on long enough.
Even as it is, I’m sure I didn’t fully accomplish what I was trying to do. The poem needs more work. Maybe somebody who studies these things will chime in and let me know where I erred. This was actually my first time — outside of writing a sonnet in high school — intentionally trying to dissect my verse to give it a specific meter.
For further application, you can use these poetic tools in writing other things as well. Apply them to lyrics if you’re looking for a specific sort of cadence — especially devastating when applied to head nodding beats. Use meter in your prose or fiction when you want to convey a specific feeling.
Meter doesn’t mean rhyme. Blank verse consists of unrhymed poetry written in a specific meter. You can use that sort of thing with any writing, not just poetry. Experiment with other forms of meter and different feet. I’ll do the same.
For more information on iambic heptameter and poetry writing:
Start with Wikipedia, of course
Things I Have Loved – Frankie (@idowhatilike) – has a blog where pretty much every post is written in iambic heptameter. She hasn’t been around for some years now, but the words are still there.
communal iambic heptameter – forum thread I found with a communal iambic heptameter thing going. It’s probably the best for seeing how different people use it. Some of them are real witty.
https://www.theproblemsite.com/writing/articles/poetry/iambic_heptameter
https://www.languageisavirus.com/poetry-guide/iambic_heptameter.php
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