2. Poetic Meter The Rhythm of Words

3. Adding A BEat Poetry doesn’t HAVE to have a rhythm; but if it does, that rhythm follows a pattern.Poetry doesn’t HAVE to have a rhythm; but if it does, that rhythm follows a pattern. Putting rhythm into poetry is challenging! There’s no drum or bass guitar to add a beat......so poets have to use the natural rhythm of language to create it!

4. Think about it.... Everything we say has a natural rhythm! Words are broken into syllables, and some of those syllables are accented, or stressed. When we say a sentence, we stress some words and say others more softly. Let’s say this sentence together: I’m going to a party.

5. I’ll bet you said it like this: I’m GO ing TO a PAR ty. Try saying it like this: I’M go ING to A par TY. It sounds weird, right? It’s that natural rhythm of words that poets use to create meter in poetry!

6. Showing a Poem’s Rhythm We use a special vocabulary and notation to show a poem’s rhythm.We use a special vocabulary and notation to show a poem’s rhythm. We mark the stressed (or accented) syllables with a /. We mark the unstressed (unaccented) syllables with a U. Now, our sentence looks like this: I’m going to a party. U / U / U / U Try CLAPPING out the rhythm of the sentence!

7. Each pattern of meter has its own name Please copy this chart in to your notes. Then, get ready to pound on your desk!!!

8. Iambic Meter In English, the most common rhythm pattern is IAMBIC rhythm – softLOUDsoftLOUDSoftLOUD....In English, the most common rhythm pattern is IAMBIC rhythm – softLOUDsoftLOUDSoftLOUD.... Let’s look at “Triolet,” by G.K. Chesterton, from the last page of poems in your packet.Let’s look at “Triolet,” by G.K. Chesterton, from the last page of poems in your packet. I wish I were a jellyfish That cannot fall downstairs Of all the things I wish to wish I wish I were a jellyfish That hasn’t any cares And doesn’t even have to wish I wish I were a jellyfish That cannot fall downstairs As we recite this poem together, see if you can HEAR the IAMBIC beat!

9. U / U / I wish I were a jellyfish U /U / U / That cannot fall downstairs U / U / of all the things I wish to wish U / U / I wish I were a jellyfish U / U / U / That hasn’t any cares U /U /U / U / And doesn’t even have to wish U / U / U /U/ I wish I were a jellyfish U / U / U / That cannot fall downstairs “Triolet” Mark your poem with the U/ notations. Then count and mark : HOW MANY iambs are in each line? Compare your count with your row partner’s.

10. How many per line? When we describe the rhythm in poetry, we talk about the TYPE of meter and the NUMBER of them in each line. To do that, we use numerical prefixes, just like you use in science and math class. ONE unit of meter (like one iamb, U/) is a MONOMETER Two units is DIMETER What would THREE units be??? That’s right: TRIMETER. Four = Tetrameter Five = Pentameter Six = Hexameter Seven = Heptameter etc. You’re writing this down in your notes, right?

11. So let’s look at “triolet” again U / U / I wish I were a jellyfish U /U / U / That cannot fall downstairs U / U / of all the things I wish to wish U / U / I wish I were a jellyfish U / U / U / That hasn’t any cares U /U /U / U / And doesn’t even have to wish U / U / U /U/ I wish I were a jellyfish U / U / U / That cannot fall downstairs Iambic tetrameter Iambic trimeter Iambic tetrameter Iambic trimeter

12. Now it’s your turn Look through your packet, and find one example of iambic rhythm. Have you found one? Check with your table partner.

13. There’s iambic meter in all of these poems: “Crossing the Bar: “The Road Not Taken: “Kubla Khan” “Dreams” “Alone,” by Poe “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” “Sonnet 29” “The Fly” “Triolet” Now, let’s look at some of these together!