Basic Terms

Prosody: The metrical pronunciation of a song or poem.

Rhythm: A combination of vocal speeds, rises, and falls; in poetry, heavy and light stress. Patterns are called "feet."

Scansion (scan). The process of marking beats in a poem to establish the prevailing metrical pattern.

Naming Numbers of Feet

One foot: monometer

Two feet: dimeter

Three feet: trimeter

Four feet: tetrameter

Five feet: pentameter

Six feet: hexameter

Seven feet: heptameter or the septenary

Eight feet: octameter

Kinds of Feet: Spondaic and Pyrrhic

Spondee stressed stressed

Pyrrhic unstressed unstressed

Kinds of Feet: Iambic

1. Iamb/ iambic unstressed stressed

The most natural and common kind in English, this meter elevates speech to poetry (iambic pentameter)

Example:

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,

The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,

The plowman homeward plods his weary way,

And leaves the world to darkness, and to me.

When you say this aloud, what syllables are stressed? Mark them with a “strong” mark (‘) above the syllable.

Sounding out the Rhythm

The CURfew TOLLS the KNELL of PARTing DAY,

The LOWing HERD wind SLOWly O’ER the LEA,

The PLOWman HOMEward PLODS his WEARy WAY,

And LEAVES the WORLD to DARKness, AND to ME.

Kinds of Feet: Trochaic

2. Trochaic/trochee stressed unstressed

Example:

Tyger, tyger, burning bright

In the forest of the night

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

Say this quatrain aloud and mark the accented syllables. Where are the strong syllables?

Sounding out the Rhythm

TYger, TYger, BURNing BRIGHT

IN the FORest OF the NIGHT

WHAT imMORtal HAND or EYE

COULD FRAME thy FEARful SYMmetRY?

Kinds of feet: Dactylic

3. Dactyl/dactylic

stressed unstressed unstressed

Example:

This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks,

Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight,

Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic.

Say the first line aloud and mark the stressed syllables.

Sounding out the Rhythm

THIS is the FORest primEVal. The MURmuring PINES and the HEMlocks,

Kinds of Feet: Anapestic

4. Anapest/ anapestic unstressed unstressed stressed

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.

Say this aloud and mark the stressed syllables.

Sounding out the Rhythm

'Twas the NIGHT before CHRISTmas and ALL through the HOUSE,

Not a CREAture was STIRring, not EVen a MOUSE.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there

Examples

Try to figure out the meter for each selection, and then go on to the next slide, where the answer will be given.

Example 1

1. Go, and catch a falling star,

Get with child a mandrake root

Tell me where all past years are,

Or who cleft the Devil's foot . . .

--John Donne, “Song”

Answer to Example 1

Trochaic tetrameter. Notice the words that are emphasized:

Line 1: Go, catch, fall, star

Line 2: Get, child, man, root

Example 2

Macavity's a Mystery Cat: he's called the Hidden Paw--

For he's the master criminal who can defy the law.

He's the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad's despair:

For when they reach the scene of the crime-Macavity's not there!

Answer to Example 2

Iambic heptameter (or the septenary). Note the stresses: MaCAViTY’s the MYStery CAT: he’s CALLED the HIDden PAW. “Mystery” is pronounced like “mystry” here.

This type of seven-stress line is often used in children’s poems or humorous poems.

Example 3

'Tis the voice of the Lobster: I heard him declare

"You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair."

As a duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose

Trims his belt and buttons, and turns out his toes.

Answer to Example 3

Anapestic tetrameter. ‘Tis the VOICE of the LOBster: I HEARD him deCLARE.

If you listen to the rhythm, it sounds just like “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” which is written in the same meter.

Example 4

By the shores of Gitche-Gumee,

By the shining Big-Sea-Water

Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,

Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.

Dark behind it rose the forest,

Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees

Rose the firs with cones upon them.

Answer to Example 4

Trochaic tetrameter. BY the SHORES of GITCHe-GUmee / BY the SHINing BIG-sea-Water

This is trochaic tetrameter with the last syllable added. You’ll recall that Blake’s “The Tyger” had the last syllable of the line omitted (“Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright”). The example here is a much more sing-song rhythm as a result of having that final syllable.

Example 5

How say that by law we may torture and chase

A woman whose crime is the hue of her face?-

With her step on the ice and her arm on her child,

The danger was fearful, the pathway was wild. . . .

Answer to Example 5

Anapestic tetrameter, although this meter varies somewhat. How SAY that by LAW we may TORture and CHASE / A WOman whose CRIME is the HUE of her FACE?

This serious poem makes use of galloping meter because it deals with a mother escaping from slavery. She is pursued as she crosses the river into freedom. The meter gives the rhythm of the poem a sense of urgency.

Test-Yourself Quiz

You should also try the test-yourself quiz on prosody at http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/quiz/prosquiz.htm

Note: This is NOT a graded quiz. Anybody can take it, and the results are available only to you.


	Prosody: The metrical pronunciation of a song or poem.

	Rhythm: A combination of vocal speeds, rises, and falls; in poetry, heavy and light stress. Patterns are called "feet."

	Scansion (scan). The process of marking beats in a poem to establish the prevailing metrical pattern.



	One foot: monometer
	Two feet: dimeter
	Three feet: trimeter
	Four feet: tetrameter
	Five feet: pentameter
	Six feet: hexameter
	Seven feet: heptameter or the septenary
	Eight feet: octameter


	1. Iamb/ iambic unstressed stressed
	The most natural and common kind in English, this meter elevates speech to poetry (iambic pentameter)

	Example:
	The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
	The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,
	The plowman homeward plods his weary way,
	And leaves the world to darkness, and to me.
	When you say this aloud, what syllables are stressed? Mark them with a “strong” mark (‘) above the syllable.


	The CURfew TOLLS the KNELL of PARTing DAY,
	The LOWing HERD wind SLOWly O’ER the LEA,
	The PLOWman HOMEward PLODS his WEARy WAY,
	And LEAVES the WORLD to DARKness, AND to ME.


	2. Trochaic/trochee stressed unstressed
	Example:
	Tyger, tyger, burning bright
	In the forest of the night
	What immortal hand or eye
	Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
	Say this quatrain aloud and mark the accented syllables. Where are the strong syllables?


	3. Dactyl/dactylic
	stressed unstressed unstressed
	Example:
	This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks,
	Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight,
	Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic.
	Say the first line aloud and mark the stressed syllables.


	4. Anapest/ anapestic unstressed unstressed stressed
	'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,
	Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
	The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
	In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.
	Say this aloud and mark the stressed syllables.


	Try to figure out the meter for each selection, and then go on to the next slide, where the answer will be given.


	1. Go, and catch a falling star,
	Get with child a mandrake root
	Tell me where all past years are,
	Or who cleft the Devil's foot . . .

	--John Donne, “Song”


	Trochaic tetrameter. Notice the words that are emphasized:
	Line 1: Go, catch, fall, star
	Line 2: Get, child, man, root


	Macavity's a Mystery Cat: he's called the Hidden Paw--
	For he's the master criminal who can defy the law.
	He's the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad's despair:
	For when they reach the scene of the crime-Macavity's not there!


	Iambic heptameter (or the septenary). Note the stresses: MaCAViTY’s the MYStery CAT: he’s CALLED the HIDden PAW. “Mystery” is pronounced like “mystry” here.
	This type of seven-stress line is often used in children’s poems or humorous poems.


	'Tis the voice of the Lobster: I heard him declare
	"You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair."
	As a duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose
	Trims his belt and buttons, and turns out his toes.


	Anapestic tetrameter. ‘Tis the VOICE of the LOBster: I HEARD him deCLARE.
	If you listen to the rhythm, it sounds just like “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” which is written in the same meter.


	By the shores of Gitche-Gumee,
	By the shining Big-Sea-Water
	Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,
	Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.
	Dark behind it rose the forest,
	Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees
	Rose the firs with cones upon them.


	Trochaic tetrameter. BY the SHORES of GITCHe-GUmee / BY the SHINing BIG-sea-Water
	This is trochaic tetrameter with the last syllable added. You’ll recall that Blake’s “The Tyger” had the last syllable of the line omitted (“Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright”). The example here is a much more sing-song rhythm as a result of having that final syllable.


	How say that by law we may torture and chase
	A woman whose crime is the hue of her face?-
	With her step on the ice and her arm on her child,
	The danger was fearful, the pathway was wild. . . .


	Anapestic tetrameter, although this meter varies somewhat. How SAY that by LAW we may TORture and CHASE / A WOman whose CRIME is the HUE of her FACE?
	This serious poem makes use of galloping meter because it deals with a mother escaping from slavery. She is pursued as she crosses the river into freedom. The meter gives the rhythm of the poem a sense of urgency.


	You should also try the test-yourself quiz on prosody at http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/quiz/prosquiz.htm

	Note: This is NOT a graded quiz. Anybody can take it, and the results are available only to you.