07-01-2012, 06:37 PM
Either common or ballad meter (although the second to last line breaks the pattern - purposefully), although it would be generally broken into quatrains. It's more common meter as it holds to the xyxy rhyme scheme. The pattern is alternating lines of iambic tetrameter (line of four feet) and trimeter (line of three feet). It has a jaunty feel, but also a tendency towards sing song, so I generally only use it for humor. To me, it is much more indicative of the English speech patterns and less influenced by the Norman French than say iambic pentameter. Ballad (not to be confused with "The Ballade") meter was of course used for song, and is probably the older form. Of the formal verse forms, I consider this the nearest to a natural English form, along with straight tetrameter, although to me English is more an accentual language than a metered one.
Dale
Dale
How long after picking up the brush, the first masterpiece?
The goal is not to obfuscate that which is clear, but make clear that which isn't.
The goal is not to obfuscate that which is clear, but make clear that which isn't.