Concept of Rhythm in Poetry I: Repetitions and Rhymes

Rhythm as aspect of life Everything in life has rhythm shown through repeated Movement Breathe Cessation of rhythm = Death

Types of Rhyming patterns Different Rhyming patterns help us create rhythm in Poetry All these help reemphasize the meaning of the poem. For Example: Word rhyme Sound rhyme Phrasal rhymes Clausal rhymes Sentence rhymes Semantic rhymes (explored in the use of images)

“To the tune of Pusa man” by Wen Lingyun   Petals of deep creamy hue a Her lofty tow'ring head dress strew a With secret smile she stands arrayed b Behind the gauzy curtain's shade b They meet when peonies are gay c He comes awhile, then goes away c In golden clasp of em'rald sheen d Two dancing butterflies are seen d Does she remember former vows? e Beneath bright moon flow'rs fill the boughs e

“The Fence” by Lenrie Peters   There where the dim past and future mingle Their nebulous hopes and aspirations There I lie. (Note the Repetition of sentence here) There where truth and untruth struggle In endless and bloody combat, There I lie.

Phonetic rhyme Petals of deep creamy hue a Her lofty tow'ring head dress strew a With secret smile she stands arrayed b Behind the gauzy curtain's shade b

The couplet, alternate rhymes, refrain/chorus “If we must die” by Claude Mckay   If we must die, let it not be like hogs a Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot, b While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs, a Making their mock at our accursed lot. b It we must die, 0 let us nobly die, So that our precious blood may not be shed In vain; then even the monsters we defy Shall be constrained to honour us though dead!

phrasal rhymes, clausal rhymes “Ogun” (Traditional Yoruba poem)   Ogun kills on the right and destroys on the right, Ogun kills on the left and destroys on the left. Ogun kills suddenly in the house and suddenly in the field, Ogun kills the child with the iron with which it plays Ogun kills in silence.

sentence rhymes, syntactic parallelism “Ogun” (Traditional Yoruba poem) Ogun kills on the right and destroys on the right, S V C V C Ogun kills on the left and destroys on the left. S V C V C

Semantic Rhyme WHATEVER happened to the elephant- Hurrah for thunder “Hurrah for Thunder” by Christopher Okigbo   WHATEVER happened to the elephant- Hurrah for thunder The elephant, tetrarch of the jungle: With a wave of the hand He could pull four trees to the ground His four mortar legs pounded the earth: Wherever they treaded, The Grass was forbidden to be there. Alas! The elephant has fallen- Hurrah for thunder- But already the hunters are talking about pumpkins: If they share the meat let them remember thunder. The eye that looks down will surely see the nose; The finger that fits should be used to pick the nose. Today for tomorrow, today becomes yesterday: How many million promises can ever fill a basket... If I don't learn to shut my mouth I'll soon go to hell, I, Okigbo, town-crier, together with my iron bell. (Christopher Okigbo from New Poetry from Africa)

  Review Questions Identify and comment on the rhyming pattern in Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess.” Or “Doughnuts”   Doughnuts are good Good! Good! Good! Doughnuts are brown Doughnuts are fat Fat! Fat! Fat! Doughnuts are round Round! Round! Round

Poetry is fun Thank You