Terms for Discussing Prosody

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

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

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 OER 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 well 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 crimeMacavity's not there!

Answer to Example 2
Iambic heptameter (or the septenary). Note the stresses: MaCAViTYs the MYStery CAT: hes CALLED the HIDden PAW. Mystery is pronounced like mystry here. This type of seven-stress line is often used in childrens 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 GITCHeGUmee / BY the SHINing BIG-sea-Water This is trochaic tetrameter with the last syllable added. Youll recall that Blakes 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.