Introduction to Literature The Genre of Poetry Introduction to Literature

Poetry vs. Prose What distinguishes poetry from prose? It’s rhymed? Only sometimes… It’s about love? Only sometimes… It’s difficult to understand? Usually (but, then again, prose can be, too…) While there are many ways that poetry and prose can differ, these are the major ones: Poetry places as much importance on the sound, style, and shape of the message as the message itself. Poetry is less concerned with creating a story, defining characters, or establishing a setting than creating a mood or leaving an impression. Because poetry is often shorter and more condensed than prose, interpreting it requires the audience to “read between the lines” and consider multiple meanings.

Meter In poetry, meter refers to how we measure a line or lines of poetry. It can be: Syllabic: Measured according to the number of syllables per word Accentual: Measured according to the number of accented, or stressed, syllables Accentual-syllabic: Measured according to the combination of stressed and unstressed syllables Most common in traditional, form poetry When we are measuring the length and rhythm of a poem’s line(s), we are engaging in a process called scansion. Knowledge of poetic forms, rhythms, and scansion is called prosody. Sometimes we refer to a particular poet’s “style” with this term. Ex. Robert Frost’s prosody

Scansion Stressed Syllable: ́ or ̄ Unstressed Syllable: ˘́ Feet Break: / Caesura: // A mid-line pause

Types of Feet In accentual-syllabic verse… Each unit of stressed and unstressed syllables is known as a foot Different combinations of stresses create different feet—the building blocks of poetry TWO SYLLABLES THREE SYLLABLES IAMB: a-live TROCHEE: dou-ble SPONDEE: ra-pid PYRRHUS: and the DACTYL: mur-mur-ing ANAPEST: ‘Twas the night AMPHIBRACH: e-nor-mous AMPHIMACER: La-di-dah ˘ ¯ ¯ ˘ ˘ ¯ ˘ ˘ ˘ ¯ ¯ ¯ ˘ ¯ ˘ ˘ ˘ ¯ ˘ ¯

Number of Feet In accentual-syllabic verse… Along with the type of foot, the number of feet per line dictates the name of the structure in which the poem is written Number of Feet per Line Name of Foot 1 Monometer 2 Dimeter 3 Trimeter 4* Tetrameter 5* Pentameter 6* Hexameter 7 Heptameter 8 Octameter *Indicates most common

Examples Trochaic Trimeter Anapestic Tetrameter Iambic Pentameter Like a high-born maiden In a palace-tower, Percy Shelley, “To a Skylark” Anapestic Tetrameter And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea, When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee. Lord Byron, “The Destruction of Sennacherib” Iambic Pentameter Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 18”

Stanza In prose, we call groups of related/nearby sentences paragraphs. In poetry, we call groups of related/nearby lines stanzas. Formal poetry will contain stanzas, often with the same number of lines in each. Free verse poetry may not use stanzas, and, if it does, the stanzas may not be of uniform length. Number of Lines Stanza Name 2 Couplet 3 Tercet 4 Quatrain 5 Cinquain 6 Sestet 7 Septet 8 Octave

Types of Rhyme End Rhyme: The sounds of final vowels and consonants are identical Ex. Gig/big Masculine Rhyme: The final syllables of an end rhyme are stressed and identical (most end rhymes are masculine) Ex. Long/song Feminine Rhyme: Of an end rhyme that is identical, the penultimate syllable is stressed and the final syllable is unstressed Ex. Satin/Latin Triple Rhyme: The final three syllables of an end rhyme are all identical Ex. Deporting/resorting Half Rhyme: Only the final consonant—but not the final vowel—rhymes exactly. Ex. Card/word Eye Rhyme: Two words that look as if they rhyme but are pronounced differently Ex. Cough/bough Internal Rhyme: An exact end rhyme within (in the middle of) a line of poetry Ex. The goose on the loose is wild.

Rhyme Scheme In formal (rhymed) poetry, the rhyme scheme is the pattern of end rhymes for each line Different poetical forms—especially traditional ones—will have consistent, expected rhyme schemes Rhyme schemes are portrayed with letters Ex. AABB, ABAB, ABCABC, etc. They flee from me that sometime did me seek A With naked foot, stalking in my chamber. B I have seen them gentle, tame, and meek, A That now are wild and do not remember B That sometime they put themself in danger B To take bread at my hand; and now they range, C Busily seeking with a continual change. C Sir Thomas Wyatt, “They Flee From Me”

Rhymed Forms Terza Rima Sonnet Villanelle Sestina Ballad Ode Elegy

Unrhymed Forms Blank verse Haiku Free verse Prose poem

Diction High (Golden) Style Low (Plain) Style More complicated, fancy, or multi-syllabic words Unusual stresses or syntax Does not necessarily mean older Low (Plain) Style Common, simple, shorter words Natural syntax that mimics speech Does not necessarily mean more contemporary

Additional Terms Elision: Dropping a syllable or letter to fit in poetic meter Ex. O’er the ramparts we watched… Accented Grave: Marking a normally unaccented end syllable (almost always an –ed) to indicate that it should be pronounced Ex. Belovèd Enjambment: Breaking up a clause over multiple poetic lines. Ex. A farmer was ploughing his field End-stopped: Ending a clause or sentence at the end of a poetic line. Ex. Humpty dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty dumpty had a great fall.

Activity In groups of 3-4: Scan: Identify the type and number of feet “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” “They Flee From Me” Identify the type and number of feet Note whether lines are primarily enjambed or end-stopped Are there stanzas? If so, what type? Identify the form and rhyme scheme What imagery or metaphors do you see? Does the structure of the poem seem to fit the message? Why or why not?