Practise with Ashley: An Attempt at Writing A Poem with Mixed Meter

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I did it! It's not my best attempt, but my mission's accomplished nonetheless! Feeling really optimistic now. I believe that my poetry will only get better as I've made my commitment to keep writing :)
Some of you might wonder, 'This doesn't look like a good poem. Why is Ashley posting this?' I don't know. Maybe you might not. But to be honest I feel that I can write a better poem. Nevertheless, I am actually rather proud of myself as I have completed a writing exercise in Stephen Fry's beautiful book on poetry, The Ode Less Travelled. It's a great book. I'd recommend it to anyone who'd like to brush up on their poetry writing.
Here were the things I was expected to do in the writing exercise:

* Write a poem in forty-five minutes.
* Television is the topic specified by Fry.
* The poem needs to be written in mixed metre, containing:
- Two quatrains of standard, eight-syllable iambic tetrameter.
- Two quatrains of alternating iambic tetrameter and trimeter.
- Two quatrains of trochaic tetrameter: one in ‘pure trochee' and one with docked weak ending in the second and fourth lines.

So, without further ado, I present my mixed-meter poem on television with the hope that it will inspire you to write more confidently. As Fry puts it, it's a bit foolish to aim for perfection when attempting a writing practice, for its aim is to help the writer to learn and improve.

On Telivision

By Ashley Marilynne Wong

I kind of share the same notion
With Roald Dahl who damns TV
In his poem ‘telivision’
He presents his great arguments.

What’s on telly is unhealthy
It’s so far from reality.
Murderers and terrorists,
Are put high on the pedestal.

Korean drama’s not my thing
It’s too predictable
I also hate soap opera
Can’t stand all the bitching.

But there are times I disagree
With Dahl who’s my idol
Cartoons are not too bad I think;
Some educational.

Melodramas are great nightmares,
How do you put up with all those
Elopements, arguments and fights?
Don’t they make you want to strangle?

What’s even harder to fathom
Is why are most addicted
To those programmes on marriages-
Watching people on blind dates?

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