Rhyme Scheme and Meter

Poetry Terms

rhyme schemerepetition of accented vowels sounds and all sounds following them in words that are close together in a poem

rhyme schemeLet’s practice with this Robert Frost poem:http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/fire-and-ice/

The LineLet’s practice with this Robert Frost poem:http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/fire-and-ice/

scansionIt is the analysis of the rhyme and meter of a poem. It should tie in to the poem’s overall meaning.

Foot

It is the basic building block of poetry.

FootIt is a pattern of syllables. Usually, one stressed syllable and one or more unstressed syllables (exceptions exist).

Foot

The pattern of feet create the meter of a poem.

Meter

It is the pattern of beats or accents. Unstressed= U Stressed = /

iamb (iambic)

An unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable

iamb (iambic)

forget

deceive

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls.

trochee (trochaic)

A stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable

trochee (trochaic)

listen

lonely

Double, double, toil and trouble

anapest (anapestic)

Two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable

anapest (anapestic)

obvious

regular

For the moon never beams without bring-ing me dreams

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

dactyl (dactylic)

One stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables

dactyl (dactylic)

excellent

temperate

…you murdering ministers...

spondee (spondaic)

Two stressed syllables

spondee (spondaic)

downtown

shoeshine

ROCKS, CAVES | LAKES, FENS | BOGS, DENS| and SHADES | of DEATH

pyrrhic

Two unstressed syllables

pyrrhicand the

of the

Be near me when my light is low,    When the blood creeps and the nerves prick    And tingle; and the heart is sick,And all the wheels of Being slow.

The Line

The poetic line is measured by the number of feet it contains.

The Line1 foot Monometer

2 feet Dimeter

3 feet Trimeter

4 feet Tetrameter

5 feet Pentameter

The Line6 feet Hexameter

7 feet Heptameter

8 feet Octameter

9 feet Nonometer

10 feet Decameter

The Stanza1 line………...a line

2 lines……….a couplet

3 lines……….tercet

4 lines……….quatrain

5 lines……….cinquain

6 lines……….sestet

7 lines……….septet

8 lines……….octave

Write out the poetic markings for

Dactylic trimeter

Anapestic dimeter

Spondaic monometer

Trochaic tetrameter

Identify the meter of each line

And today the Great Yertle, that Marvelous he

Is King of the Mud. That is all he can see