John Skelton, The Original Rapper and Cultural Appropriation

A poetic form called Skeltonic Verse was invented by English honky poet John Skelton (1460-1529). You'd probably recognize this verse form. You've certainly heard it on the radio. John Skelton was a colorful character. He was teacher of Prince Henry, later King Henry the VIII (the original party king). Leading the way for modern rappers, Skelton did a stretch in the big house when prisons weren't the fun places they are now. He also was banned by the Church as a "corrupter of youth". Appropriate, given Skelton was the original rapper.

Like rap music, Skeltonic verse has two stresses per line and any number of unstressed syllables. Every line is rhymed with the line before it – unless the poet decides to change the rhymed last word. So sometimes you’ll get 2 lines that rhyme with each other and then two more with a different rhyme. The rhymes could be repeated three or four or ten times – however many times the poet decides he wants to repeat the rhyme. The rhyme pretty much goes on till the rhyme runs out of “energy”. 

 

Given that Skeltonic verse was invented in the 15th century in England, I think it’s fair to say that the rap rhyme scheme was appropriated from medieval Anglo-Saxon culture – at any rate, we had it first. In exchange for my foregoing corn rows, I demand that those folk loudly protesting "cultural appropriation" forego appropriating our historic honky rhyme schemes.

 

As John Skelton would say, "If you play it loose, what's sauce for the goose......

 

* On the other hand if you don't mind me borrowing from your culture, you guys go right ahead and appropriate. Meanwhile, I'm gonna have me some Tex-Mex, maybe some Italian, or Chinese for supper being careful not to get it on my Hawaiian shirt. Perhaps I'll play my banjo, bagpipes, bodhran or digeridoo. If you don't like it come on. I know enough karate and some akido to defend myself.

 

Me? I think this wide world has some really cool stuff in it, if you aren't afraid to appropriate some things you admire wherever they came from.

© by Tom King