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Explore the Craft of Writing Greek Verse, the beginnings. Complaint, sometimes called Jeremiad is a genre of poetry that carries a theme of bitter sorrow. The rhetoric "rails against cruel fate" NPOPP. The Occitan version of the Complaint is the enuig. By the Middle Ages there were loosely 3 types of Complaint: satirical poems exposing evil in the world. didactic verse focusing on the decline of someone "great" and verse lamenting over unrequited love. Although there is not always a specific structure identified with this genre, an interpretation of the Complaint made popular by Scot poet, William Dunbar's (1460-1520) Lament for Makers , is framed: stanzaic, written in any number of quatrains. metered, often iambic or trochaic tetrameter. rhymed, rhyme scheme aabB ccbB ddbB etc. B being a refrain Lament for the Makers by William Dunbar (1460-1520) I that in hell was and gladness, Am trublit now with great sickness, And feblit with infermite; Timor mortis conturbat me. Our plesance heir is all vane glory, This false world is but transitory, The flesche is brukle, the Fend is sle; Timor mortis conturbat me*. The state of man does change and vary, Now sound, now sick, now blyth, now sorry, Now dansand mirry, now like to die:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. No state in Erd here stands sicker; As with the wand waves the wicker So wants this world's vanity:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. Into the Death gois all Estatis, Princis, Prelatis, and Potestatis, Baith rich and poor of all degree:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. He takis the knichtis in to the field Enarmit under helm and scheild; Victor he is at all mellie:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. That strong unmerciful tyrant Takis, on the mother's breast sowkand, The babe full of benignitie:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. He takis the campion in the stour, The captain closit in the tour, The lady in bour full of beauty:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. He spairis no lord for his piscence, Na clerk for his intelligence; His awful strike may no man flee:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. Art-magicianis and astrologgis, Rethoris, logicianis, and theologgis, Them helpis no conclusionis slee:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. In medecine the most practicianis, Leechis, surrigianis, and physicianis, Themself from Death may not supplee:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. I see that makaris amang the lave Playis here their padyanis, syne gois to grave; Sparit is nocht their facultie:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. He has done petuously devour The noble Chaucer, of makaris flour, The Monk of Bury, and Gower, all three:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. The good Sir Hew of Eglintoun, Ettrick, Heriot, and Wintoun, He has tane out of this cuntrie:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. That scorpion fell has done infeck Maister John Clerk, and James Afflek, Fra ballat-making and tragedie:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. Holland and Barbour he has berevit; Alas! that he not with us levit Sir Mungo Lockart of the Lee:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. Clerk of Tranent eke he has tane, That made the anteris of Gawaine; Sir Gilbert Hay endit has he:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. He has Blind Harry and Sandy Traill Slain with his schour of mortal hail, Quhilk Patrick Johnstoun might nought flee:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. He has reft Merseir his endite, That did in luve so lively write, So short, so quick, of sentence hie:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. He has tane Rowll of Aberdene, And gentill Rowll of Corstorphine; Two better fallowis did no man see:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. In Dunfermline he has tane Broun With Maister Robert Henrysoun; Sir John the Ross enbrast has he:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. And he has now tane, last of a, Good gentil Stobo and Quintin Shaw,| Of quhom all wichtis hes pitie:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. Good Maister Walter Kennedy In point of Death lies verily; Great ruth it were that so suld be:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. Sen he has all my brether tane, He will naught let me live alane; Of force I man his next prey be:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. Since for the Death remeid is none, Best is that we for Death dispone, After our death that live may we:-- Timor Mortis conturbat me. *("Timor mortis conurbat me" is Latin, loosely translated, I'm scared to death of dying.)