Hudibrastic Verse, Hudibrastic Verse Options

[Arnfinn]

Hi everyone, I thought this maybe of interest.



Hudibrastic Verse

Hudibrastic verse. So called from Samuel Butler’s Hudibras  (1643, 1674, 1678), a mock-heroic satirical poem in octosyllabic couplets. Butler’s wit, exuberance and invention of the poem have made it an outstanding instance of what may be called ‘low satire’.

These lines from Canto 1 give an idea of the tone and manner of Hudibrastic poetry: octosyllabic couplets of twelve lines.

He was in Logick a great Critick,
Profoundly skill’d in Analytick.
He could distinguish, and divide
A Hair twixt South and South-West side:
On either which he would dispute,
Confute, changes hands, and still confute.
He’d undertake to prove by force
Of Argument, a Man’s no horse.
He’d prove a Buzard is no Fowl,
And that a Lord may be an Owl;
A Calf an Alderman, a Goose a Justice,
And Rooks Committee-men and Trustees.

The above written, in the manner of the day, is wry and dry humour. I particularly like the reference to parting ones hair.

I’m usually pretty good at writing satire, but when I started to write a Hudibrastic poem, my mind couldn’t conjure up a satirical subject.
The old brain stalled to a halt?
Anyway I’d thought I’d post this for information of MM poets and writers.


John