Poetry
Basics
(Page
2)
Rhyme
Rhythm
5-step
method for writing poetry
Rhythm:
Rhythm
makes poetry appealing, often adding an almost musical quality. Rhythm is created by placing emphasis on
certain syllables in a poem. Basic rhythms of English poetry
include:
1. Iamb:
One unstressed syllable, followed by one stressed syllable.
This pattern is most similar to normal speech and it is often used.
x = unstressed/not
boldface
/ =
stressed/boldface
x
/ x
/
I rode
a horse.
I’m sore,
of course.
My mo-ther
thought,
I’d be-tter
not.
Notice
that the stressed syllables used in “mother” and “better”
are the accented syllables for these words. Primary and secondary
accented syllables are generally used as stressed syllables, while unaccented
syllables are not. But, accomplished poets occasionally don't follow this
rule because they want to emphasize, or de-emphasize, certain
syllables.
In
a poem, each repeating pattern is called a foot. Both of the above poems have two feet: x / and x /.
2. Trochee: One stressed syllable, followed by one unstressed
syllable.
/ x / x / x / x (4
feet)
When
the ra-vens call so loud-ly,
3. Anapest: Two unstressed syllables, followed by one stressed.
x x / x x / x x / x
x / (4 feet)
Twas the night
before Christ-mas and all through the house,
4. Dactyl:
One stressed syllable, followed by two unstressed. This is a difficult pattern to use for
more than an few lines.
/ x x / x x / x x
(3 feet)
That is the sound of
the wailing voice,
5.
Spondee: Two equally stressed
syllables, which is call spondee. Though rarely used, and probably never
for an entire line, this
pattern can be used to emphasize
certain
words.
/ / (1 foot, even thought both syllables are stressed)
Two roads diverged ...
Below
is an example of poetry using the iambic unstressed/stressed (x /) pattern.
The rhyming words are the last syllables on the second line and
fourth lines (ABCB).
|
My
|
sha-
|
dow’s
|
be-
|
ing
|
stub-
|
born,
|
|
x
|
/
|
x
|
/
|
x
|
/
|
|
|
it’s
|
keep-
|
ing
|
me
|
out-
|
side.
|
|
|
x
|
/
|
x
|
/
|
x
|
/
|
x
|
|
It’s
|
cling-
|
ing
|
to
|
the
|
fence-
|
post;
|
|
x
|
/
|
x
|
/
|
x
|
/
|
|
|
I
|
can’t
|
go
|
in,
|
I’ve
|
tried.
|
|
Copyright
© Derby Hampton. Permission is granted to use this poetry verse for classroom instruction.
Generally,
children's
poetry strictly follows basic rhythm patterns, such as in the above
example. This creates patterns that children can recognize and enjoy
reading (i.e.
hickory dickory dock). However, accomplished
poets often combine different patterns for variety. A good
example of this is found in
Robert Frost's poem, The Road Not Taken. As shown in the verse
below, each line combines a variety of rhythm elements. The rhyme pattern for this verse is ABAAB.
/
/
x
/
x x
/ x /
Two
roads diverged in a yellow wood,
x
/ x x
/
x
/
x /
And sorry I could not travel both
x /
/
x x
x
/ x
/
And be one traveler, long I stood
x
/
x /
x /
x
x /
And looked down one as far as I could
x
/ x /
x
x /
x
/
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Iambic = Purple
Anapestic =
Green
Dactylic =
Black
Spondaic =
Red
Frost believed in using either a
strict iambic rhythm (read Emily Dickinson for strict rhythms) or a
"loose" rhythm, as shown above. But, don't think that
Frost wasn't deliberately choosing the poem's rhythm. For example,
notice in the first line that the spondee pattern emphasizes
"two roads." Then in the third line, the dactyl pattern
stresses "one." With these patterns, Frost emphasizes that
one person faces two choices. His deliberate rhythm is also
demonstrated by each line having four feet.
Poetry
Basics - Rhyme
Poetry
Basics - 5-step poetry writing method
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