Scansion

SCANSION TO HELP YOU WIN THE AFFECTIONS OF YOUR HEARTTHROB

Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump

Scansion: the rhythm of poetry

As beat is to music, rhythm is to poetry. All life on earth is rhythmic. Make a list of

rhythms you can think of: lunar phases, tides, breath....

Sing a Song

Think of a song you know or a poem you know by heart. Chances are it is strongly rhythmic. A limerick is a good example – try tapping out the beat or saying a limerick with simple syllables (da DUM da da DUM da da DUM – There ONCE was a LAdy from FRANCE).

It’s not just Irish people that use rhythm

What is rhythm?

Rhythm is made up of a few things – rhyme, repetition, sound patterns, line and meter

What is meter?

Meter is the organization of words’ accents into a pattern. It helps keep our attention on the unfolding of the poem or song.

An interview with a teacher who loves scansion

Student: I know you probably don’t mean “accent” like someone from a foreign country speaking English. What do you mean?

Teacher: “Accent” refers to the emphasized part of a word. The word teacher has two syllables. The accent is on the first syllable. Monkey, termite and feisty are all words with an accented first syllable. When we start to put words with certain strong and weak (accented and unaccented) syllables together, we’ve got rhythm, baby.

Can I try this out?

Teacher: OK, try it with your name. Say your name out loud and figure out which syllable is accented. If you have a monosyllabic name like Max or Doug, don’t just sit there smugly, use someone else’s name or your pirate name (piratequiz.com)

What are some different beats I can try out?

Iambic u /Trochaic / uAnapestic u u /Dactylic / u u Spondaic //

MistakeAfterAnd a brushDesperatePost card

How many of these little suckers can I put together?

As many as you like!Is there a technical name for “little suckers”?Yes. Feet.Feet. Are you serious?Yes.

Do the feet have names?

Of course.One foot (one iamb or one dactyl, etc.) –

monometer2 – dimeter3 – trimeter4 – tetrameter5 – pentameter6 – hexameter...and so on

So....how do I put it all together?

Meter + foot Ex: Anapestic tetrameter

“’Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house

Not a creature was stirring not even a mouse”Ex: Trochaic Trimeter

“Keen as are the arrows”Ex: Iambic Tetrameter “The splendor falls on castle walls”

Can we look at some examples?

Yes.Scan the following lines:

1. How can we know the dancer from the dance? 2. The shattered water made a misty din. 3. Yertle the Turtle was king of the pond. 4. And a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush. 5. Keen as are the arrows. 6. I saw a pale green pair of pants with nobody inside

them.

Are there any really crazy meters?

Yes. Like antibacchius nonometer.(/ / u x 9 feet).

Will we be tested on this?Yes. Extensively.

Are you going to make us design our own poetic form that uses rhythm?

Yes. You’ll need one of these:

What is the assignment?

Design your own form of poetry. You have heard of the sonnet, the villanelle, the pantoum – now create your own. How about the “Shakt” or the “Jordio” or the “Saige-inator”? You’ll come up with names for your form that are less corny, don’t worry.

Decide on the rhyme scheme, length of stanzas, rhythm, repetition and other features. Post the directions for writing your poem and a poem written in the form on your blog.

The end.

Begin writing your awesome poems.