theory poems

Bill Watterson is taking over my mind.

I've been spending a bit too much time lately reading Calvin & Hobbes, what with finals approaching and all. Besides being a fine cartoonist, Watterson is an excellent poet. I mean, rhyming tentacles and ventricles? Genius. If you'd like to read a little more, check out these two - and I'm sure you can Google and find more.

Anyways, "A Nauseous Nocturne" has been stuck in my head for quite some time, odd as that may seem, and so I find myself beginning to compose my thoughts in alliterated rhyming meter. This goes on all throughout the day. Entertaining for me, probably puzzling for those who see me chuckling to myself.

While this may not contribute directly to passing my finals, it certainly helps me to endure classes in a much better frame of mind. In theory yesterday, for example. Having quickly grasped the idea of pattern-pulse compositions, and it being far too perfect of a day to be spent caged in class, Becca and I began scribbling verse back and forth, and ended up with this.

A lovely day, when spent in theory
becomes so quickly something dreary
to pay attention is a chore
and taking notes is such a bore
that soon I am quite weary.

I then begin to write in rhyme
and how it helps to pass the time!
My friend and I are entertained
and my good mood is thus sustained
above the 20th cent'ry theory slime.

Short, sweet, to the point - and resulting in many giggles, which is always good in class. This is my lovely friend, by the way.



I had, alas, no co-conspirator in music history, though I did have Rebekah as my pocket rhyming dictionary via text. (Shhhh...I pay attention! We studied Bright Sheng and how he makes a cello imitate an erhu. See how much I remember?) The 6-line rhyme scheme was much better developed, but as the poem was also much longer, I will not inflict it upon you here.

I do have to have one moment of bragging, though. Despite the examples here not being a match for the brilliance of Bill Watterson's poetic gift, I did manage to find a rhyme for the word Koyaanisqatsi.*






*Koyaanisqatsi is Hopi for [roughly] "life out of balance" and is the name of a Philip Glass piece that I've now studied in theory and music history. I have been a fan of very little of the music we've looked at recently, and this is an exception - I love it. Well, the first three and a half minutes anyways, just cause I love male chant, I guess. But it's cool. I haven't made it very far, so I don't know if I love all of it, but the beginning is tantalizing.