I was proud, I was tall, as I woke up at noon
I had conquered and won, on my costume the gold
of awards I’ve deserved for just being an earl.
I was born and was fed with your silvery spoons
I have pawned for my snuff-box and silk handkerchiefs
but I carry the keys; I can enter; our name’s
more important dear father than number’s achieved.
Why disinherit me now? why call me your shame?
Anglais a la moustache by Claude Monet
Victoria is asking us to brighten up a the dark autumn by writing with humor at MTB. I have tried using a little sarcasm here. I tried to use anapestic meter to make it a little funny to. But I think it’s a little dated perhaps, I think this would have been a more satisfactory ending for the vain Robert Ferrars.
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October 22, 2015
Björn Rudbergs writings 
This makes me sad. Every momma should be proud of her little boy, and every son should feel it.
Ah, it’s not easy to grow up pampered like this.
Having never heard of the term anapestic, I immediately googled it. Having read the definition…I still don’t understand the term. I do realize however, that what I know about poetic meter apparently won’t even fill a thimble. I do wonder if the subject of your poem is based on anyone real? It is just that it has a certain specificity in the last line.
It is not based on anyone specific, but more a pampered young man wasting time on being a snob…
As a matter of fact I was thinking of Robert Ferrars,…
Yes indeed, why disinherit such a colourful character – we can’t all be frugal 🙂
Ha.. you should read about Robert Ferrars, and your sympathy might shift…
Looking up Robert Ferrars and anapestic meter. 🙂
Oh! Read Sense etc … what a jerk! Willoughby was even worse.
Willoughby caused more damage, but I’m sure he was worse really…
Equally full of himself.
downloaded a pdf from Wiki re anapest.Thanks, good one.
Anapest.. think limericks and Dr Seuss…
… and Eminem, the rapper. And Edward Lear maybe? Will look it up.
Ha, in my opinion no one ‘deserves’ just because of a title (earl).
I’d say it is time he gets busy and does some good plain honest work!
Indeed.. that’s the way i tried to see it too… and I think it will be good to be disinherited.. The snuff-box reference is fetched from Jane Austen.
Totally impressed with the meter. I’ve read about anapest but have to say I think this is the first time I’ve seen anyone of our community try it. Bravo, Signore. Poor kid.
Ha.. it was fun to write.. I’ pretty sure Bryan Ens have written it, and we have had a few limericks with anapests written 🙂
I think because you pointed out that you were using it, that helped me to notice it. Very cool. Don’t know if I have the courage to even give it a try.
Admiring the cadence of dandy’s poor & dire situation ~ A bit too late to teach him a lesson but maybe he will learn to be a well-deserving Earl ~
I hope that a little bit could teach him manners…
He seems quite the egotistical earl; too bad mom and dad didn’t knock some sense into his poor head! I too will have to look up anapest again. I’ve read about it before but it has escaped my brain.
anapest is da-da-DUM, and with tetrameter it will be 4 anapests (which is 12 syllables)..
All I can say is you sure have a good brain that can wrap itself around all these, meters, feet and everything else, Bjorn. I’m thinking I could get there with lots of patience on my part!
Oh vanity! You did well with the form I think. Years ago in Univeristy, I was mates in several classes with a nice young English guy. Dry wit, polite, intelligent – dressed mainly in generic jeans and Goodwill (used item store) shirts. We graduated, his name was called and imagine, he was a Lord Somebody. Never would have figured. He worked part time while matriculating in one of the university cafeterias. We have stayed in touch and he is still a nice guy with a nice family.
I think that one was more like dear Robert’s brother… 😉
🙂 Yes, he is.
This was fun! I like dated. Anapest is new to me though, I need to look into that
Maybe a form to have as a prompt… 🙂
I am bad at strict meter. It would be a good stretch 🙂
This is impressive! Like others I too had to look up anapestic 🙂
Great writing 😀
Ha.. once you get it into your blood it’s not more difficult than iambs…
Sarcasm which carries a certain similarity with some such people I have met.
I’m sure they do exist also today… though maybe less with snuffboxes.
true – it’s more likely tobe an i-pad or fancy phone.
Your “dandy” character fits the comical cartoon!
I went back and read again emphasizing the anapest. I need a refresher course-I’m terrible with meter. I think the young man needs to come down a few notches. Goodwork.
Delightful, especially when coupled with the illustration. 🙂
Googled for anapest. This is educational Bjorn! Most informative. Thanks for sharing!
Hank
Love this one…both drawing and poem send me back in time, a different culfure..my computer crashed, so I am late posting!
Robert Ferrars was a bit of jerk it’s true – though, in the end, Edward may have made the best bed, of the two brothers, by his marriage to the kind, sensible Elinor. I admit, I’ve always admired Jane Austen’s penchant for keeping scoundrels close at hand, and (generally) dealing them their just desserts before the end of the book. Given that, I’m sure she would have approved of Dandy’s Lament.