Harry Graham (3)

In »Deportmental Ditties and Other Verses« aus dem Jahre 1919 stellt Harry Graham eine verblüffende Technik vor, mit der sich zahlreiche neue Reimmöglichkeiten finden lassen: Hat ein Wort »a syllable de trop«, also eine Silbe zu viel, kann der Dichter sie einfach weglassen und den Vorgang mit einem Doppelpunkt kennzeichnen. Fertig. Dass und wie gut seine Idee funktioniert, beweist Graham praktischerweise gleich selber:

Harry Graham: Poetical Economy

What hours I spent of precious time,
   What pints of ink I used to waste,
Attempting to secure a rhyme
   To suit the public taste,
Until I found a simple plan
Which makes the lamest lyric scan!

When I've a syllable de trop,
   I cut it off, without apol:.
This verbal sacrifice, I know,
   May irritate the schol:;
But all must praise with dev'lish cunn:
Who realise that Time is Mon:.

My sense remains as clear as cryst:,
   My style as pure as any Duch:
Who does not boast a bar sinist:
   Upon her fam: escutch:;
And I can treat with scornful pit:
The sneers of ev'ry captious crit:.

I gladly publish to the pop:
   A scheme of which I make no myst:,
And beg my fellow-scribes to cop:
   This labour-saving syst:.
I offer it to the consid:
Of ev'ry thoughtful individ:.

The author, working like a beav:,
   His readers' pleasure could redoub:
Did he but now and then abbrev:
   The work he gives his pub:.
(This view I most partic: suggest
To A. C. Bens: and G. K. Chest:.)

If Mr. Caine rewrote »The Scape:«,
   And Miss Corell: condensded »Barabb:«,
What could they save in foolscap pape:
   Did they but cult: the hab:
Which teaches people to suppress
All syllables that are unnec:!

If playwrights would but thus dimin:
   The lenght of time each drama takes,
(»The Second Mrs. Tanq:« by Pin:
   Or even »Ham:« by Shakes:),
We could maintain a wakeful att:
When at a Mat: on Wed: or Sat:.

Have done, ye bards, with dull monot:!
   Foll: my examp:, O Stephen Phill:,
O Owen Seam:, O William Wat:,
   O Ella Wheeler Wil:,
And share with me the grave respons:
Of writing this amazing nons:!