Prose and Poetry

  Words or ideas are arranged in no fixed pattern of strong or weak beats  Often used for “common” speech, by lower class characters  Example: Sir Toby says, “What a plague means my niece to take the death of her brother thus? I am sure care’s an enemy to life” ( ). Prose

  Up until the late 1500s, all English plays were written in verse (poetry).  Hence, playwrights in Shakespeare’s day were called poets.  Audiences in Shakespeare’s day expected to hear the actors speak in verse.  Shakespeare’s plays were meant to be heard (they weren’t published in his day, and most of the population was illiterate anyway)  This rhythm made it easier to follow Background: Poetry

  Place your right hand over your heart  You’ll feel the familiar thump: DA- DUM, DA- DUM, DA- DUM, DA- DUM  This rhythm is called “iambic”  in other words, the weak beat is first and the strong beat is second: DA- DUM, DA- DUM How the rhythm works: Iambic

  Although  Because  Unless  Today  Perhaps  For sure  I think  Indeed  delight Some words with iambic rhythm:

  Trochaic rhythm puts stress on the first syllable:  Happy  Frightened  Lovely  Certain  Starving  Roasting  Love it  Bring it….  Shakespeare Compare to trochaic rhythm:

  “Pente” means “five”  “Pentameter” means 5 strong beats per line  In total, there will be 10 syllables per line (5 strong beats and 5 weak beats)   /  /  /  /  /  But soft what light through yonder window breaks? (Romeo and Juliet)  If I profane with my unworthiest hand  This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this  Thou chid’st me oft for loving Rosaline.  For doting, not for loving, pupil mine. How it works: Pentameter

  Each line of iambic pentameter can be broken down like this:  O, teach (1) me how (2) I should (3) forget (4) to think (5)  By gi- (1) ving li- (2) berty (3) unto (4) thine eyes (5)  With love’s(1) light wings (2) did I (3) o’erperch (4) these walls (5)  I wish (1) my class (2) would read (3) the play(4) at home (5)  If on- (1) ly kids (2) could love (3) the Bard (4) like me (5) Iambic Pentameter

  Iambic pentameter that does not rhyme is called blank verse  Example:  Rebellious subjects, enemies of peace,  Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,  Will they not hear?—What, ho! You men, you beasts,  That quench the fire of your pernicious rage  With purple fountains issuing from your veins, Blank verse…

  A 14 line poem  Rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg  Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets  Sometimes characters’ lines combine to make a sonnet Sonnet

  ROMEO [To JULIET] If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.  JULIET Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.  ROMEO Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?  JULIET Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.  ROMEO O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.  JULIET Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.  ROMEO Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Sonnet from Romeo and Juliet :

  Speech spoken by one person, seemingly to himself/herself but really to inform the audience of his motives and to reveal true character. Often is it a kind of internal debate.  Example: ( )  “Tis but thy name that is my enemy;  Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.  What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,  Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part  Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! Soliloquy

  A figure of speech in which two or more contrasting ideas are placed beside each other, often in parallel grammatical form.  The purpose is to emphasize the ideas being contrasted  Examples:  Romeo : O brawling love! O loving hate! ( )  Juliet: Parting is such sweet sorrow. ( ) Oxymoron

  Actor’s comment or a short speech meant to be heard by the audience and not by other performers  Example: on the balcony, while Juliet is speaking to herself…  Romeo: [Aside.] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? (2.2.37) Aside

  Two rhyming lines are called a rhyming couplet  A rhyming couplet will usually complete a long speech or a scene  Example:  Hence will I to my ghostly father’s cell,  His help to crave, and my dear hap to tell.  ( ) Rhyming couplet

  A reference to a historical, literary, religious, mythological figure, event or object (the reader makes the association)  Example:  “She’ll not be hit with Cupid’s arrow  She hat Dian’s wit. ( )  At lovers’ perjuries, / They say, Jove laughs. ( ) Allusion

  Gibson, Rex, and Field-Pickering, Janet. Discovering Shakespeare’s Language. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, Print.  “Stressing Shakespeare.” Literary Cavalcade 54.7 (2002): 10. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 16 May Sources: