>>303915303915

Thinking about it, you're right about Shakespear. After all, the adjective shakespéarian is commonly stressed on the second syllable.

I don't think archaisms are ever a cheat, but unless I read it wrong, your suggestion switches to pentameter, while the rest of the poem is tetrameter. Maybe something can be cut.

Still, I'm afraid this won't amount to much anyway, as the group seems rather inactive.

>>303319303319 The stress of 'Shakespeare' seems a bit ambiguous imo; I think you can literally use poetic license with it depending on whether your verse is trochaic or iambic (or anapaestic or amphibrachic or whatever).

That said, here's my suggestion:

An art so fine, for ancient Homer spake tears

Or be it Plath, the lays, or plays of Shakespeare.

Kinda cheating with the archaism, but I think the assonance in the last three feet makes it roll off the tongue a bit better. Does it?

It might be considered extremely presumptious after just joining the group, but my compulsive nature won't let me not adress this in the group's opening poet:

Shakespeare is a feminine rhyme, thus technically not compatible with the male rhyme 'tear'.

Might I suggest 'fake tear' as in for example:

"An art so fine, it sheds real and fake tears,

be they works of a lay, or of Plath, or Shakespear."

Again technically only a near-rhyme, but there's always room to improve.

I agree a poetry group is a great idea. Right now, that is all write is poetry, and I am writing a series of poems inspired by this show. So, poetry can be considered fanfiction? If so, I can start posting my poems, I hope. :)

Well I do declare, poetry group is a fine idea!