FOOL Mark110 it, nuncle: Have more than thou showest, Speak less than thou knowest, Lend less than thou owest113, Ride more than thou goest114, Learn more than thou trowest115, Set less than thou throwest116; Leave thy drink and thy whore, And keep in-a-door, And thou shalt have more119 Than two tens to a score120.
Overall metre: Iambic trimeter
Iambic Trimeter: Iamb; Stress on the second syllable (da-DUM), Trimeter; 3 feet per line (6 syllables)
Variations: Occasional trochaic substitutions or irregular feet, especially for emphasis or comic effect.
Trochee: Street on the first syllable (DUM-da)
Contains Feminine Endings: Lines that end on an extra, unstressed syllable
Style: Rhymed, proverbial, sing-song — designed to sound like folk wisdom, not polished poetry.
Analysis (ChatGPT):
1. Have MORE / than THOU / SHOW-est
Feet: iamb / iamb / trochee
Ending: Feminine
Notes: Core iambic trimeter, final trochee adds variety.
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2. Speak LESS / than THOU / KNOW-est
Feet: iamb / iamb / trochee
Ending: Feminine
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3. Lend LESS / than THOU / OW-est
Feet: iamb / iamb / trochee
Ending: Feminine
Notes: Same pattern again—Shakespeare loves the triplet sound here.
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4. Ride MORE / than THOU / GO-est
Feet: iamb / iamb / trochee
Ending: Feminine
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5. Learn MORE / than THOU / TROW-est
Feet: iamb / iamb / trochee
Ending: Feminine
Notes: "Trow" = to believe (archaic), preserves the rhyme scheme.
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6. Set LESS / than THOU / THROW-est
Feet: iamb / iamb / trochee
Ending: Feminine
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7. Leave THY / DRINK and / THY WHORE
Feet: trochee / iamb / iamb
Ending: Masculine
Notes: Stronger, punchier rhythm. Opening with a trochee gives it weight.
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8. And KEEP / in-a- / DOOR
Feet: iamb / anapest / stress
Ending: Masculine, irregular
Notes: An anapestic substitution in the second foot (in-a-), followed by a stressed final syllable. This line trips the metre a bit—perhaps intentionally.
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9. And THOU / shalt HAVE / MORE
Feet: iamb / iamb / stress
Ending: Masculine, short final line
Notes: Seems compressed—a dimeter + stress, or you might see the last foot as a catalectic iamb.
Dimeter: 2 feet per line (4 syllables)
Catalectic Iamb: Metrically incomplete iambic line of verse; Lacks a syllable at the end.
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10. Than TWO / TENS to / a SCORE
Feet: iamb / iamb / iamb
Ending: Masculine
Notes: A return to regular iambic trimeter
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Summary:
Lines 1–6: Iambic trimeter with feminine endings (trochee at the end)
Lines 7–10: Meter becomes looser, more irregular and punchy:
Line 7 opens with a trochee
Line 8 includes an anapest
Line 9 is short and almost feels like a refrain
Line 10 returns to regular iambic trimeter
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Why it matters:
This movement from regular to irregular metre mirrors the Fool’s craft: he begins with balanced, proverbial wisdom, then shifts into more earthy, energetic language. It shows the Fool’s dual role—sage and jester.
