Poetry

ELEMENTS OF POETRY
CONTENTS:
RHYTHM
– METER
– RHYME
IMAGERY
SENSE OR MEANING
SOUND EFFECTS
The Rhythm of Poetry:
Syllable - Poetic feet - Meter

RHYTHM
 The beat created by the
sounds of the words in a
poem
 Patterned recurrence, within a
certain range of regularity, of
specific language features,
usually features of sound.
 Rhythm can be created by
meter, rhyme, alliteration and
refrain.
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  (not an-GEL)
• Complete = com-PLETE  (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)

Poetic Meter
 Meters are the rhythms within poems.
 Meters are the arrangement of
stressed/unstressed
stressed syllables to
occur at apparently equal
intervals.
 Metered verse has prescribed rules as to
the number and placement of syllables
used per line.
Five main patterns to poetic meter:
1. Iamb
2. Trochee
3. Anapest
4. Dactyl
5. Spondee
Iamb
 1 unstressed syllable followed
by 1 stressed syllable
 EXAMPLES:
– repose (re-POSE)
POSE
– belief (be-LIEF)
LIEF
– complete (com-PLETE)
PLETE
Trochee
 1 stressed syllable followed by
1 unstressed syllable
 EXAMPLES:
– garland (GAR-land)
– speaking (SPEAK-ing)
– value (VAL-ue)
Anapest
 2 unstressed syllables followed
by 1 stressed syllable
 EXAMPLES:
– on the road
– interrupt (in-ter-RUPT)
RUPT
– unabridged,
bridged contradict,
dict engineer,
eer masquerade,
rade
Galilee
Dactyl
 1 stressed syllable followed by
2 unstressed syllables
 EXAMPLE:
– happiness (HAP-pi-ness)
– galloping (GAL-lop-ing)
– fortunate,
for Saturday,
Sat daffodil,
daf murmuring,
mur
rhapsody
rhap
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
Number of Poetic Foot per line
 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
Meter + Feet = Rhythm
Types of Poetic Meter Number of feet per line
 Iambic (1 unstressed + 1 stressed)  Monometer
 Trochaic (1 stressed + 1 unstressed)  Dimeter
 Anapestic (2 unstressed + 1 stressed)  Trimeter
 Dactylic (1 stressed + 2 unstressed)  Tetrameter
 Spondaic (all syllables equal)  Pentameter
 Hexameter
Here’s a line to try…
 Write this line of poetry in your notes
 My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun
 Consider the meaning of this comparison.
Which words are most important?
Identifying meter
My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun
Use an accent mark ( / ) to indicate
syllables that get emphasized, and a
shallow ( u ) symbol to indicate unstressed
syllables. In a single syllable word, that’s
easy. What about two syllable words?:
/ U / / U / /
My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun
Another exercise to try…
RHYME
 Is the regular recurrence of  LAMP
similar sounds usually at the  STAMP
end of the lines or within the
lines.
 Words sound alike because  Share the short “a”
they share the same ending vowel sound
vowel and consonant sounds.  Share the combined
 (A word always rhymes with “mp” consonant
itself.) sound
END RHYME
 A word at the end of one line rhymes with a
word at the end of another line
 Hector the Collector

 Collected bits of string.
 Collected dolls with broken heads
 And rusty bells that would not ring.
INTERNAL RHYME
 A word inside a line rhymes with another
word on the same line.
 Once upon a midnight dreary, while I

pondered weak and weary.
 From “The Raven”

 by Edgar Allan Poe
RHYME SCHEME
 A rhyme scheme is a pattern of rhyme
(usually end rhyme, but not always).
 Use the letters of the alphabet to represent

sounds to be able to visually “see” the
pattern. (See next slide for an example.)
SAMPLE RHYME SCHEME
 The Germ by Ogden Nash
 A mighty creature is the germ, a

 Though smaller than the pachyderm. a
 His customary dwelling place b
 Is deep within the human race. b
 His childish pride he often pleases c
 By giving people strange diseases. c
 Do you, my poppet, feel infirm? a
 You probably contain a germ. a
BLANK VERSE POETRY
from Julius Ceasar
Cowards die many times before their

 Written in lines of deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but
iambic pentameter, but once.
does NOT use end Of all the wonders that I yet have
rhyme. heard,
It seems to me most strange that men
should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.
FREE VERSE POETRY
 Unlike metered  Free verse poetry is
poetry, free verse very conversational -
poetry does NOT have sounds like someone
any repeating patterns talking with you.
of stressed and
unstressed syllables.  A more modern type
 Does NOT have of poetry.
rhyme.
Another terms:
 VERSE (in poetic lines) – is  A word is dead
a group of poetic lines or  When it is said,
verse.  Some say.
 LINE - a group of words
together on one line of the
 I say it just
poem.
 Begins to live
 STANZA - a group of lines
or verses arranged together.  That day.
Other Sound Devices:
Assonance
Alliteration
Onomatopoeia
ASSONANCE
 Repeated VOWEL sounds in a line or lines
of poetry.
 (Often creates near rhyme.)
 Lake Fate Base Fade

 (All share the long “a” sound.)
ASSONANCE cont.
Examples of ASSONANCE:
“Slow the low gradual moan came in the
snowing.”
- John Masefield
“Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep.”

- William Shakespeare
ALLITERATION
 Consonant sounds repeated at the
beginnings of words
 If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled

peppers, how many pickled peppers did
Peter Piper pick?
ONOMATOPOEIA
 Words that imitate the sound they are
naming
 BUZZ
 OR sounds that imitate another sound
 “The silken, sad, uncertain, rustling of

 each purple curtain . . .”
IMAGERY
 Language that appeals to the senses.
 Most images are visual, but they can also
appeal to the senses of sound, touch, taste,
or smell.
then with cracked hands that ached

from labor in the weekday weather . . .
from “Those Winter Sundays”
Sense or Meaning
 the message expressed in the poem. A
poem must say something. It may
enlighten, reveal truth, give new
perception, enable us to understand.
QUESTIONS???
IT’S SCANSION TIME!!!
Group yourselves into four.
Analyze the poem in terms of its rhythmic,
rhyme components, imagery, and sense.
Write your scansion on a 1 whole sheet of paper.
List of the members is written at the back of your
paper. (DO NOT FORGET TO WRITE THE
DATE TODAY)
IDENTIFICATION
1. It is the regular recurrence of similar
sounds usually at the end of lines or within
one line.
2. It is a pattern of rhyme represented by
letters like abba abbc.
3. It is a type of rhyme where similar sounds
located within the lines.
4. It is a type of rhyme where similar sounds
located at the end of the lines.
IDENTIFICATION
5. It is a verse that is unrhymed iambic
pentameter.
6. It is a verse without a fixed metrical
pattern, usually having unrhymed lines of
varying length.
7. It is the repetition of the vowel sounds
within the lines.
8. It is the repetition of the consonant sounds
near or at the beginning of the words.
IDENTIFICATION
9. It is the message expressed in the poem.
10. It refers to expressions evocative of
objects of sensuous appeal.

Poetry

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ELEMENTS OF POETRY

Syllable - Poetic feet - Meter

 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)

 Hector the Collector

 Once upon a midnight dreary, while I

 From “The Raven”

 Use the letters of the alphabet to represent

 A mighty creature is the germ, a

Cowards die many times before their

 (Often creates near rhyme.)

 Lake Fate Base Fade

“Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep.”

 If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled

 “The silken, sad, uncertain, rustling of

then with cracked hands that ached

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