Eighth Grade Education - POETRY

[Carol]

Carol: 
> > Granted, it's hard to get past the rhythm when you're dealing with
Poe...
> 
> Geoff:
> Hmm. On that topic, ever tried reading Longfellow's "Hiawatha"?
>
Carol:

How true! 
By' the/ shores' of/ Gitch' e/ Gu' me
By the/ shi' ning/ Big' Sea/ Wa' ter

Very regular trochaic tetrameter. The meter was probably determined by
the name Hiawatha (Hi' a/ wa' tha), which, by itself, is trochaic dimeter.

I confess that I've read only parts of it, and only because it was
required reading!

Carol, who thinks that three-year-olds, who love rhythm, would
probably appreciate an illustrated and highly condensed version of
that poem