2. INTRODUCTION TO SYLLABLE STRESS, LITERARY FOOT, AND METER

3. Consider the sound of the underlined word in each sentence. General Davis decided to crush the rebel soldiers. Anthony will rebel against his father’s wishes.

4. Hear the difference between the way “rebel” sounds in the 1 st and 2 nd sentence? General Davis decided to crush the rebel soldiers. Anthony will rebel against his father’s wishes. It is spelled the same, so what made the difference in sound?

5. The difference is a change in stress. As we speak English, we stress some syllables and leave other syllables unstressed.

7. Literary Vocabulary: 1. Stress – the long and short sounds of word syllables. Note: the word “stress” has another meaning.

9. The combination of stressed and unstressed syllables represents the foot of a word.

10. Literary Vocabulary: 2. Foot – The combination two or more stressed and unstressed syllables in a word. The smallest unit of rhythm in a poem. Note: the word “foot” has another meaning.

12. Literary Vocabulary: 3. Meter – A rhythm of stressed and unstressed syllables in words in a line are organized into patterns called feet. Note: the word “feet” has another meaning.

13. In order to identify the pattern used in a foot, a two or more syllable word, or the feet, words in a line of text, we need to identify/hear the stressed and unstressed changes in a word

14. Consider our earlier example. The stress of the words would sound as follows: GENeral dAVis deCIDed to CRUSH the REBel SOLDiers. ANthony will reBEL aGAINST his FATHer’s WISHes.

15. When we mark the pronunciation of words, depending on the dictionary used, stressed syllables are indicated by a diagonal line, (/), or a macron(-) over the stressed syllables. A small curving loop (u) or a small (x) goes over the unstressed syllables. A unstressed syllable may also be left blank or unmarked. Another pronunciation mark is a schwa ( ). This symbol represents a vowel sound heard in unstressed syllables.

16. Our example sentences would be marked to show the stressed and unstressed as follows: / u u / u / u / u / u / u AN tho ny will re BEL a GAINST his FATH er’s WISH es. / u u u / u u / u u / u / u GEN er al d AV is deCIDed to CRUSH the REB el / u SOLD iers.

17. In literary terms, a foot refers to the smallest unit of rhythm in a poem. An Iamb is one foot that has two syllables, one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. For example: I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-Am

18. An anapest is a three syllable word with various stress points VIDEO WORD STRESS AND THREE SYLLABLE WORD PATTERNS https://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=08qBN29mIBs

19. COUNTING FEET The numbers of metric feet in a line are described as follows: Monometer – one foot Dimeter – two feet Trimeter – Three feet Tetrameter – Four feet Pentameter – Five feet Hexameter – Six feet Heptameter – Seven feet Octometer – eight feet

20. Iambic Petameter Each line has five feet (petameter). The feet are all iambs (daDum). Iambic Petameter is the most common meter in English, and it is Shakespeare’s favorite for both his plays and sonnets.

21. VIDEO Teaching Shakespeare: Introducing Iambic Pentameter By: The Royal Shakespeare Company https://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=0Qv-sjQHgZ8

22. For example, in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, he uses an iambic pentameter: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Notice that the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in bold does not necessarily correspond to the number of words used. One must always listen for that heartbeat pattern 'da-DUM, da- DUM.' The unstressed syllable may start in one word and the stressed syllable may follow in a completely different word.

23. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Notice that the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in bold does not necessarily correspond to the number of words used. One must always listen for that heartbeat pattern 'du-DUH, du-DUH.' The unstressed syllable may start in one word and the stressed syllable may follow in a completely different word.

24. Also, we don't read lines of iambic pentameter in an unstressed/stressed pattern of vocal inflection. The line would sound very different if we read it that way, almost like an exaggerated Count Dracula saying, 'I've COME to DRINK your BLOOD.' That is not what Shakespeare intended, as is readily evident. It sounds funny when it is read that way. The genius is in the crafting of such lines, using this poetic device so that they flow almost unsuspectingly along with iambic pentameter. The reader is hardly aware of the iambic pentameter but is absorbed in the meaning of the lines, which is as it should be.

25. An anapest is a three syllable word with various stress points VIDEO WORD STRESS AND THREE SYLLABLE WORD PATTERNS https://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=08qBN29mIBs

26. COUNTING FEET The numbers of metric feet in a line are described as follows: Monometer – one foot Dimeter – two feet Trimeter – Three feet Tetrameter – Four feet Pentameter – Five feet Hexameter – Six feet Heptameter – Seven feet Octometer – eight feet

27. Iambic Petameter Each line has five feet (petameter). The feet are all iambs (daDum). Iambic Petameter is the most common meter in English, and it is Shakespeare’s favorite for both his plays and sonnets.

28. VIDEO Teaching Shakespeare: Introducing Iambic Pentameter By: The Royal Shakespeare Company https://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=0Qv-sjQHgZ8

29. William Shakespeare was famous for using iambic pentameter in his sonnets. Here's one example from his Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?