'The Lay of This Our Language' (acrostic)

THE LAY OF
THIS OUR LANGUAGE

acrostic of
a tongue

T
This language that we nourish,
it grips us and ungirds;
our lives may start to flourish
and thus be worth the words.
H
Humanity has choices,
lets good and bad abound,
conveys in many voices
the shallow and profound.
I
In truth there's one relation,
with facts, there's no taboo;
we're all of a persuasion,
but don't confuse the two.
S
Suggesting yours is better
shows off the pride of pricks,
denies that, sound or letter,
correct is oft what sticks.
L
Like trees they stand, the fearless,
preparing for the fray;
like birds they fly, the peerless,
in peace, without dismay.
A
A common tongue will bind us,
it's how we can be strong;
its statements may remind us:
"Distinguish right from wrong".
N
(November, the eleventh,
Gregorian May, June,
before July, the seventh:
Is that a timeless tune?)
G
"Goodday", we say when coming,
"Goodbye" is one farewell,
"Okay, mate"'s apt for chumming,
the heartless 'go to hell'.
U
Until the world's inclusive
and doesn't discriminate,
support what is conducive
to love instead of hate.
A
A lot of words together
form one unhidden hoard;
they make birds of a feather,
not wont to wield the sword.
G
Graffiti, flags and banners
instil the story well;
some folks have fouler manners,
are under someone's spell.
E
Elect what doesn't misguide you,
not dumb the country down,
by words does not divide you;
this tongue is our renown.

Vincent van Mechelen
63.ENE

Audio (MP3)
2:29, 5.8 MB

Door Deze Taal verbonden is a language acrostic in Deze Taal,
《我们这种语言》 (Wǒmen Zhèzhǒng Yǔyán) in Zhezhong Yuyan
and « Cette Langue qui unit les nôtres » in Cette Langue

Each line in this poem consists of or starts with 3 iambics. At the end of every odd line an unstressed syllable is added, so that the sentence or smaller grammatical unit concerned counts 13 syllables, with a cesura in the middle. Each block of four lines has crossed rime and at least some alliteration. These alliterative cross-rime quatrains are presented as separate stanzas.

The title and subtitle have the same form as the first two lines of a stanza:
The Lay of This Our Language,
acrostic of a tongue.

Below you will find an of the stanzas of the poem. In this analysis the stressed syllables are underlined. Together they indicate the regular and rhythmic arrangement to which they have been subjected. Repetitions of single sounds or groups of sounds in the same line, in consecutive lines or in corresponding lines within the same stanza are in boldface. Obviously, the effect of these repetitions is stronger as they occur closer together, and these repetitions are most striking if at least one of the syllables in which they occur receives primary or else secondary stress. Only then does one speak of 'rime' ('rhyme'), and only then should one speak of 'alliteration'.

This language that we nourish, it grips us and ungirds; our lives may start to flourish and thus be worth the words.	November, the eleventh, Gregorian May, June, before July, the seventh: Is that a timeless tune?
Humanity has choices, lets good and bad abound, conveys in many voices the shallow and profound.	"Goodday", we say when coming, "Goodbye" is \|W\|one farewell, "Okay, mate"'s apt for chumming, the heartless 'go to hell'.
In truth there's one relation, with facts, there's no taboo; we're all of a persuasion, but don't confuse the two.	Until the world's inclusive and doesn't discriminate, support what is conducive to love instead of hate.
Suggesting yours is better shows off the pride of pricks, denies that, sound or letter, correct is oft what sticks.	A lot of words together form one unhidden hoard; they make birds of a feather, not wont to wield the sword.
Like trees they stand, the fearless, preparing for the fray; like birds they fly, the peerless, in peace, without dismay.	Graffiti, flags and banners instil the story well; some folks have fouler manners, are under someone's spell.
A common tongue will bind us, it's how we can be strong; its statements may remind us: "Distinguish right from wrong".	Elect what doesn't misguide you, not dumb the country down, by words does not divide you; this tongue is our renown.

The Lay of This Our Language is an acrostic with the twelve letters of THIS LANGUAGE as the initial letters of the twelve stanzas. It belongs to a series of four acrostics. The other three poems are about Deze Taal, Zhezhong Yuyan (这种语言) and Cette Langue, and have been written in the respective languages. Their titles are Door Deze Taal verbonden, 《我们这种语言》 (Wǒmen Zhèzhǒng Yǔyán) and « Cette Langue qui unit les nôtres ». These language acrostics have the same general structural characteristics, except that the last poem is an acrostic on the level of poetic lines (rather than on that of stanzas). However, they differ considerably in content.

THE LAY OF THIS OUR LANGUAGE acrostic of a tongue

THE LAY OF
THIS OUR LANGUAGE

acrostic of
a tongue