Sincerity

To me there is something disingenuous about the meter of Daniel Payne’s “The Mournful Lute or the Preceptor’s Farewell.” Knowing the historical traditions that iambic pentameter stems from, it seems as though the author is trying too hard to impress instead of convey a feeling. There was something really raw about the slave songs we read before, and it is possible that this is just related to the form. Perhaps the shorter lines and simpler lyrics are better for singing than for reading. I just can’t feel the same level of pain and sincerity when I’m being swayed by the gentle rhythm of iamb after iamb.
I suppose that it is a distinct possibility that the author and other sufferers of adverse conditions have just found more eloquent ways to express themselves. I think part of my problem is that the imagery and the diction are the stars of the poem. Payne uses the following image: “As when a deer does in the pasture graze,/ The lion roars—she’s filled with wild amaze.” To me, such images detract from the pain of what Payne should be feeling. I would be more inclined to believe him if he at least used more relevant images.