Meter or How to Scan a poem This is easy

Anyone can hear Meter Do you know the difference between the words “refer” and “reefer” when you hear them? If not, you might have trouble in your next job interview That’s all you need in order to hear the meter of a poem. You need a little more information to explain it, so that’s what we’ll cover.

A quick demonstration Mark accented syllables (louder parts of the word or phrase) with a forward slash on top of the word / Mark unaccented syllables (quieter parts of the word or phrase) with a loop like a U Here’s a piece from Hamlet with scanning marks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGuFfps63YI

Let’s do it to part of Sonnet U / U / U / U / U / My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; / U U / U / U / U / Coral is far more red than her lips’ red; U / U / U / U / U / If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; U / U / / / U / U / If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

Names of poetic meters The “feet” or repeating pattern within the line. Iambic = 2 syllables, first unaccented, second accented: U / to BE or NOT to BE; Detroit, Detroit Trochaic = 2 syllables, opposite of above: / U DOUble, DOUble, TOIL and TROUble; Boston, Boston Anapestic = 3 syllables, two unaccented, third accented U U / I arRISE and unBUILD it aGAIN. Dactyllic = 3 syallables, first accented, last 2 unaccented / U U Openly. Spondee = 2 accented syllables (for variety) Heartbreak

poetic meters Cont. The number of “feet” in a line is the second part of the name of the meter Monometer One Foot Dimeter Two Feet Trimeter Three Feet Tetrameter Four Feet Pentameter Five Feet Hexameter Six Feet Heptameter Seven Feet

Now let’s figure out the pattern and name it First group the lines into “feet” and count them up. U / U / U / U / U / 5 iambic feet My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; / U U / U / U / U / one irregualr (dactlil), the rest iambic Coral is far more red than her lips’ red; U / U / U / U / U /  If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; U / U / / / U / U /  If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. Mostly iambic pentameter, so that’s the metric pattern for the poem.

Meter is (almost) never totally uniform Great poets draw attention to important ideas by breaking meter. Breaking or changing the meter for a few beats slows down or speeds up your reading Extra un-naccented => speed. Extra accents => slowing down. U / U / U / U / U / My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; / U U / U / U / U / Coral is far more red than her lips’ red; U / U / U / U / U /  If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; U / U / / / U / U /  If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

Sonnet form Petrarchan (Italian): 14 lines divided into two stanzas, the octave (the first eight lines) followed by the answering sestet (the final six lines). Rhyme scheme, abba, abba, cdecde or cdcdcd (easier in Italian than English) Petrarchan presents an argument, question, or some other answerable idea in the octave, and a turn, or volta, occurs between the eighth and ninth lines. Shakspearean (English): 14 lines divided into three quatrains and a couplet.  Rhyme scheme: abab, cdcd, efef, gg The couplet plays a pivotal role: providing conclusion, amplification, epiphany or refutation of the previous three stanzas.

the rest of Sonnet 130 (see how the couplet refutes the rest?)  My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;  Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;  If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;  If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.  I have seen roses damasked, red and white,  But no such roses see I in her cheeks;  And in some perfumes is there more delight  Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.  I love to hear her speak, yet well I know  That music hath a far more pleasing sound;  I grant I never saw a goddess go;  My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.  And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare  As any she belied with false compare. (see how the couplet refutes the rest?)