Rippling Rhymes — Key Ideas to Explore

Rhythm as a Structural Device

Mason's poems are built on a steady, almost singsong rhythm that propels the reader forward. In "Inauguration Day, 1913," lines such as "Their battle shout is thrilling as they go marching by" maintain a consistent anapestic beat (da-da-DUM) that mimics the march of a parade. This rhythmic regularity is not merely decorative; it serves as a framework for Mason's satirical observations. The meter often undercuts the grandiosity of the subject—political rallies, patriotic fervor—by making the language sound slightly mechanical or forced. When Mason writes, "No wonder Woodrow Wilson, as this great crowd appears, his silken kerchief spills on some proud and grateful tears," the elevated diction clashes with the rigid rhythm, producing a gently mocking effect. The reader is invited to hear the poem as a kind of musical patter, where the content is secondary to the beat.

Colloquial Voice and Dialect Play

Mason frequently adopts a folksy, vernacular persona, using contractions, dropped consonants, and informal phrasing. In "Prayer of the Heathen," the bridegroom speaks in a plain, unadorned style: "This maid," the bridegroom muttered, "is fresh from Nature's hands; her boudoir is not cluttered with strings and pins and bands." The use of "ain't" and other colloquialisms is rare in the excerpts, but the overall tone is conversational and direct. Mason also employs dialectal rhymes and wordplay, such as "waxin'" and "teetering" in the inauguration poem, which ground the poems in a specific American vernacular. This voice is consistent across topics, whether Mason is describing political processions or domestic squabbles, creating a unified authorial presence that feels like a wisecracking neighbor rather than a lofty poet.

Shifts in Pace and Subject

The collection moves rapidly between subjects, from political satire to domestic humor to philosophical musings. In "Theory and Practice," Mason contrasts public praise for Milton with private preference for lighter reading: "I talk much of Thomas Hardy wh..." (the excerpt cuts off). This poem exemplifies a common pattern: a quick pivot from highbrow pretension to everyday reality. The pace of individual poems also varies; some, like "Inauguration Day, 1913," build a cumulative, list-like momentum with repeated phrases ("the men from desks and foyers, the sheepmen and the sawyers"), while others, like "Prayer of the Heathen," unfold as a dialogue with a slower, more deliberate rhythm. This variety prevents monotony and keeps the reader engaged, as each poem offers a new angle on human behavior.

Readers approaching Rippling Rhymes should listen for the beat beneath the prose. Mason's poems reward reading aloud, where the rhythm becomes most apparent. The collection is best taken in small doses, allowing each poem's humor and observation to land without the cumulative effect of the meter becoming tiresome. Pay attention to how Mason uses the same rhythmic structure for both earnest and ironic subjects—this tension is the key to his craft.

That rainy afternoon, Mason’s witty couplets about stubborn politicians and domestic squabbles felt like a warm, dry room. His rhythm got into my head, a gentle, rocking meter. Later, thumbing the shelf, I found an old collection of verses, and his voice echoed there—older, stranger, but the same human tune. Choyce Drollery: Songs and Sonnets Being a Collection of Divers Excellent Pieces of Poetry, of Several Eminent Authors. — Background and Themes felt less like a discovery and more like remembering where that rain had come from.