The Rhythm of Poetry:

Syllable - Poetic feet - Meter

Syllables •  English words have clear syllables. •  We can usually divide words into

syllables easily. •  We can also determine which syllables to

emphasize, or “stress” in each word. §  For example:

•  Angel = AN-gel à (not an-GEL) •  Complete = com-PLETE à (not COM-plete)

More Syllables •  poem = PO-em…….(1 stressed + 1 unstressed)

•  poetry = PO-e-try…….(1 stressed + 2 unstressed)

•  relief = re-LIEF……. (1 unstressed + 1 stressed)

•  recommend = re-com-MEND……. (2 unstressed + 1 stressed)

•  discomfort = dis-COM-fort… (1 unstressed + 1 stressed + 1 unstressed)

•  entertainment = en-ter-TAIN-ment (2 unstressed + 1 stressed + 1 unstressed)

Scansion •  (1) the act of scanning, or analyzing poetry

in terms of its rhythmic components •  (2) the graphic representation,

indicated by marked accents, feet, etc., of the rhythm of a line or lines of verse – You may have seen scansion marks like the

following: The curved lines are “unstressed” syllables while the straight slashes are “stressed”à

Poetic Meter •  Meters are the rhythms within poems. •  Meters are the arrangement of

stressed/unstressed syllables to occur at apparently equal intervals.

•  Metered verse has prescribed rules as to the number and placement of syllables used per line.

Poetic Foot •  A poetic foot is a repeated sequence of

rhythm comprised of two or more stressed and/or unstressed syllables.

•  Poetic meter is comprised of poetic feet

Four main patterns to poetic feet:

1. Iambic (˘ ΄) or (U /) 2. Trochaic (΄ ˘) 3. Anapestic (˘ ˘ ΄) 4. Dactylic (΄ ˘ ˘) *5. Spondaic (΄ ΄) *6. Pyrrhic (˘ ˘)

Iambic pattern • 1 unstressed syllable followed by

1 stressed syllable •  EXAMPLES:

–  repose (re-POSE) – belief (be-LIEF) – complete (com-PLETE)

Trochaic Pattern • 1 stressed syllable followed by

1 unstressed syllable •  EXAMPLES:

– garland (GAR-land) – speaking (SPEAK-ing) – value (VAL-ue)

Anapestic pattern • 2 unstressed syllables followed by

1 stressed syllable •  EXAMPLES:

–  on the road –  interrupt (in-ter-RUPT) – unabridged, contradict, engineer,

masquerade, Galilee

Dactylic pattern • 1 stressed syllable followed by

2 unstressed syllables •  EXAMPLE:

– happiness (HAP-pi-ness) – galloping (GAL-lop-ing) –  fortunate, Saturday, daffodil, murmuring,

rhapsody

Spondaic Pattern •  Syllables have equal stress •  EXAMPLE:

– Heartbreak – “Out, out…” –  "pen-knife," "ad hoc," "heartburn"

Pyrrhic Pattern •  Syllables have equal lack of stress •  Never used as the sole meter •  EXAMPLE: combination of pyrrhic and

spondaic

– and the white breast of the dim sea, ˘ ˘ ΄ ΄ ˘ ˘ ΄ ΄

The Iambic Foot •  The iamb = (1 unstressed syllable + 1 stressed syllable) is the

most common poetic foot in English verse. •  iambic foot examples:

–  behold –  destroy –  the sun (articles such as “the” would be considered unstressed syllables)

–  and watch (conjunctions such as and would be considered unstressed syllables)

Lines containing iambic feet •  Behold / and watch / the sun / destroy / and grow (5 iambs)

•  When I / do COUNT / the CLOCK / that TELLS / the

TIME [Shakespeare’s Sonnet 12] (5 iambs)

•  Shall I / compare /thee to / a sum / mer's day? [Shakespeare’s Sonnet 12] (5 iambs)

•  Come live/ with me/ and be/ my love (4 iambs)

(poem by Christopher Marlowe)

Trochaic poem: a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's “The Song of Hiawatha” By the / shores of / Gitche / Gumee, By the / shining / Big-Sea /-Water, Stood the / wigwam / of No / komis, Daughter / of the / Moon, No / komis. Dark behind it rose the forest, Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees, Rose the firs with cones upon them; Bright before' it beat the water, Beat the clear and sunny water, Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water.

Anapestic poetry: 2 unstressed syllables + 1 stressed one

Limericks contain anapestic meter (in blue)

A Limerick by Edward Lear: There was / an Old Man / with a beard,

Who said, "It is just / as I feared! Two Owls / and a Hen, Four Larks / and a Wren, Have all / built their nests / in my beard!"

Dactylic poem: 1 stressed + 2 unstressed

Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson Half a league, / half a league, Half a league / onward, All in the / valley of / Death

Rode the / six hundred. "Forward, the / Light Brigade! Charge for the / guns!" he said: Into the / valley of / Death

Rode the / six hundred.

Spondaic Poem: 2 equal syllables •  Because of the nature of the spondee,

a serious poem cannot be solely spondaic.

•  It would be almost impossible to construct a poem entirely of stressed syllables.

•  Therefore, the spondee usually occurs within a poem having another dominant rhythm scheme.

Combinations of Poetic Feet

•  One foot per line: monometer •  Two feet per line : dimeter •  Three feet per line : trimeter •  Four feet per line : tetrameter •  Five feet per line : pentameter •  Six feet per line : hexameter

Type + Number = Meter Types of Poetic Feet

•  Iambic (1 unstressed + 1 stressed)

•  Trochaic (1 stressed + 1 unstressed)

•  Anapestic (2 unstressed + 1 stressed)

•  Dactylic (1 stressed + 2 unstressed) •  Spondaic (all syllables equal)

Number of feet per line

•  Monometer •  Dimeter •  Trimeter •  Tetrameter •  Pentameter •  Hexameter

Meters & Feet

• Q: If a poem had 1 foot per line, and the foot was iambic (1 unstressed + 1 stressed), what type of poem would it be?

• A: Iambic monometer

Meters & Feet

• Q: If a poem had 2 feet per line, and the foot was iambic (1 unstressed + 1 stressed), what type of poem would it be?

• A: Iambic dimeter

Meters & Feet

• Q: If a poem had 3 feet per line, and the foot was anapestic (2 unstressed + 1

stressed), what type of poem would it be?

• A: Anapestic trimeter

Meters & Feet

• Q: If a poem had 4 feet per line, and the foot was dactylic (1 stressed+2 unstressed), what type of poem would it be?

• A: Dactylic tetrameter

Meters & Feet

• Q: If a poem had 5 feet per line, and the foot was iambic (1 unstressed + 1 stressed), what type of poem would it be?

• A: Iambic pentameter

Meters & Feet

• Q: If a poem had 3 feet per line, and the foot was trochaic (1 stressed +1 unstressed), what type of poem would it be?

• A: Trochaic tetrameter

Go ahead… experiment with

different metric styles in your own poetry!

End of presentation.