Tick, tock

Johann Maelzel invented it in 1815. He called it "Instrument/Machine for the Improvement of all Musical Performance, called Metronome"

In the 20th century and esp. today the metronome is generally positively regarded in Europe and Western culture. The metronome is used by some musicians for practice in maintaining a consistent tempo with steady regular beats and it can be used by composers, as an approximate way of specifying the tempo. But other musicians rejected the metronome completely! Johannes Brahms said: "I am of the opinion that metronome marks go for nothing. As far as I know, all composers have, as I, retracted their metronome marks in later years."

A Metronomic Poem.... (My Grandfather's Clock)

In watching its pendulum swing to and fro,
Many hours he spent as a boy.
And in childhood and manhood the clock seemed to know,
And it shared both his sorrow and joy.

And it struck twenty-four when he entered the door,
With a blooming and beautiful bride,
And it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering, tick, tock, tick, tick,
It's life seconds numbering, tick tock, tick, tock,
And it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

It's a very windy day here. There is a car underneath this tree - couldn't get close enough to show that - but it was parked, thank goodness, and no one inside.