This exercise has two parts: five pairs of unrhymed iambic pentameter, with the first line being end-stopped and without caesuras, and another five pairs with enjambment and caesuras. In translation, the first five pairs should have each line complete a full sentence, without other pauses within the lines, while the second five pairs should include pauses within the lines but the overall thought should run between the two lines.
I didn’t do anything interesting for this exercise, although I will say that writing with enjambment was much easier – it made sense to me for the lines to be continuous when writing contained couplets like these. This exercise is also where I started trying to pay more attention to stresses as opposed to syllables, which will become much more relevant in the next couple exercises.
I much regret the lazy start I got.
My salvage efforts cannot be too late.
What happened to “we should stay together?”
Not that it’s the option that we’d prefer.
These lines are using iambs somewhat wrong.
They’ve the right syllables but the wrong stress.
Another thing I’m doing wrong it seems.
Though that one might be closer to the form.
It’s always cheaper closer to the source.
Let’s look at window treatments after work.
I made a lazy start; in spite of that
I’ll strive to compensate, for both our sakes.
That Marriott: reminder, book before
The weekend comes, and share it with the group.
My use of stress in recent lines, I think
is improved from before, though not by much.
A little progress, though, line by line, is
Not to be discounted – such is practice.
Materials cost less than products, but
Investing time does not costs obviate.
IGC Publishing 