Reply To: The Random Post Thread (Game Potential)
i never realised this about still alive, but i have the first 18 lines up on my whiteboard at work, and i was looking at them when i noticed a certain similarity in the stress structure of some of the lines. the first and sixth line have the same accenting, as do the second and seventh, and the third and eighth:
(o = stressed syllable, – = unstressed syllable)
1: o – – – o
6: o – – – o
2: – o – – o –
7: – o – – o -*
3: o – o
8: o – o*
*note that to mantain this pattern, you have to break “because” up into two lines, as thus:
7: we do what we must be-
8: cause we can
in any case the pattern breaks on the tenth line, “except the ones who are dead”, but a quick reading suggests it continues on after that since both line 11 and line 16 are straight-up trochaic tetrameter.
it occurs to me this unexpected break in the verse form is probably intended to highlight line 10 in order to enhance the comedic impact of the line.
god damn it, this guy is good.
eta: line 11 is actually only trochaic tetrameter if you count the dead syllables after “no” and “sense” as unstressed. i was aware of this with the original post, but i realised i should mention it somewhere. and yes i’m dumb – i do realize that “but there’s” would actually have to be the first trochee in this line for this to work. hey, at least i caught it.