Poetic MeterThe Rhythm of Words

Adding A BEat

• Poetry doesn’t HAVE to have a rhythm; but if it does, that rhythm follows a pattern.

Putting rhythm into poetry is challenging! There’s no drum or bass guitar to add a beat...

...so poets have to use the natural rhythm of language to create it!

Think about it....

Everything we say has a natural rhythm! Words are broken into syllables, and some of those syllables are accented, or stressed.

When we say a sentence, we stress some words and say others more softly.

Let’s say this sentence together:

I’m going to a party.

I’ll bet you said it like this:

I’m GO ing TO a PAR ty.

Try saying it like this:

I’M go ING to A par TY.

It sounds weird, right?

It’s that natural rhythm of words that poets use to create meter in poetry!

Showing a Poem’s Rhythm

• We use a special vocabulary and notation to show a poem’s rhythm.

We mark the stressed (or accented) syllables with a /.

We mark the unstressed (unaccented) syllables with a U.

Now, our sentence looks like this:

I’m going to a party. U / U / U / U

Try CLAPPINGout the rhythmof the sentence!

Each pattern of meter has its own name

Please copy this chart in to your notes.

Then, get ready to pound on your desk!!!

Iambic Meter

• In English, the most common rhythm pattern is IAMBIC rhythm – softLOUDsoftLOUDSoftLOUD....

• Let’s look at “Triolet,” by G.K. Chesterton, from the last page of poems in your packet.

I wish I were a jellyfish

That cannot fall downstairs

Of all the things I wish to wish

I wish I were a jellyfish

That hasn’t any cares

And doesn’t even have to wish

I wish I were a jellyfish

That cannot fall downstairs

As we recitethis poemtogether,see if you canHEAR the IAMBIC beat!

U / U / U / U /I wish I were a jellyfishU /U / U /That cannot fall downstairsU / U / U / U /of all the things I wish to wishU / U / U / U /I wish I were a jellyfishU / U / U /That hasn’t any caresU /U /U / U /And doesn’t even have to wishU / U / U /U/I wish I were a jellyfishU / U / U /That cannot fall downstairs

“Triolet”

Mark your poemwith the U/notations.

Then count and mark : HOW MANYiambs are ineach line?

Compare yourcount with yourrow partner’s.

How many per line?

When we describe the rhythm in poetry, we talk about the TYPEof meter and the NUMBER of them in each line. To do that, weuse numerical prefixes, just like you use in science and math class.

ONE unit of meter (like one iamb, U/) is a MONOMETER

Two units is DIMETER

What would THREE units be???

That’s right: TRIMETER.

Four = TetrameterFive = PentameterSix = HexameterSeven = Heptameteretc.

You’re writing this d

own

in your notes, r

ight?

So let’s look at “triolet” again

U / U / U / U /I wish I were a jellyfishU /U / U /That cannot fall downstairsU / U / U / U /of all the things I wish to wishU / U / U / U /I wish I were a jellyfishU / U / U /That hasn’t any caresU /U /U / U /And doesn’t even have to wishU / U / U /U/I wish I were a jellyfishU / U / U /That cannot fall downstairs

Iambic tetrameter

Iambic trimeter

Iambic tetrameter

Iambic tetrameter

Iambic tetrameter

Iambic tetrameter

Iambic trimeter

Iambic trimeter

Now it’s your turn

Look through your packet, and find one example of iambic rhythm.

Have you found one?Check with your table partner.

There’s iambic meter in all of these poems:

“Crossing th

e Bar:

“The Road Not Taken:

“Kubla Khan”

“Dreams”

“Alone,” by Poe

“Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?”

“Sonnet 29”

“The Fly”

“Triolet”

Now, let’s look atsome of these together!