Poetry - Rhythm and Meter

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English Literature – Poetry Ellora – Meterical unit and meterical devices Ariel – Rhythm and Meter Kendrix – Feet DEFNITION OF TERMS 1. Rhythm * Rhythm is the pattern of stresses in a line of verse. When you speak, you stress some syllables and leave others unstressed. * Rhythm describes in general the patterns of stressed and unstressed, or long and short, syllables found in language, and especially in verse. * We automatically vary the stress in multi-syllable words when we speak. 2. Verse * A single metrical line in a poetic composition; one line of poetry. * Compositions written in meter are said to be in verse. 3. Metre * Metre describes the particular kinds of rhythm found in verse. * A recognizable though varying pattern of stressed syllables alternating with syllables of less stress. 4. Feet * Feet are the individual building blocks of meter. * A foot is a unit of meter that consists of a combination of two or more stressed or unstressed syllables. When analyzing poetry, a stressed syllable is marked as (/) and an unstressed syllable is marked as (^). * Feet represent the rhythmic structure of the word and are the units that allow us to describe stress patterns. In each foot, one of the syllables is more prominent or stronger than the other syllable(s) and it is called the strong syllable. It is the head of the syllable. The other syllables in the foot are the weak syllables. EXAMPLE: In "party", the first syllable is strong and the second syllable is weak. 5. Syllable * A syllable is a vocal sound or set of sounds uttered with a single effort of articulation and forming a word or an element of a word. STRESSED SYLLABLE – SYLLABLE that receives more emphasis, more volume, when it is said. UNSTRESSED SYLLABLE – SYLLABLE that receives less emphasis, less volume, when it is

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