1. Dactylic Hexameter: The Epic Meter

2. What is Meter The rhythm of a piece of poetry In Latin meter is defined in terms of quantity i.e. the length of a vowel sound The Aeneid uses dactylic hexameter

3. Dactylic Hexameter  Each line is divided into six measures or feet.  Each foot will be either a dactyl or a spondee.  Arma virumque cano, Toriae qui primus ab oris  Arma vi|rumque ca|no, Troi|ae qui | primus ab | oris

4. Measures  Syllables are usually divided between a vowel and a single consonant.  Vi – rum not vir – um  When a vowel is followed by two consonants in the same word, the division falls between the two consonants  Ar – ma nor arm – a  When p, g, d, k, t is followed by an l or r, treat as a single consonant.  Pa – tres not pat – res

5. Dactyl  A dactyl comes from the Greek word daktulos meaning finger.  A dactyl is made up of a long vowel sound followed by two short vowel sounds.

6. Spondee  A spondee is a foot with two long vowel sounds  –– ––

7. Tips The 6 th foot in a line will always be a spondee The 5 th foot in a line will almost always be a dactyl

8. Reading Aloud Do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orzrnEzKbaE&feature =related Don’t Do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoD0vjQidrc&playnex t=1&list=PL7A4E520B6DBD65C1&feature=results_mai n

9. Long Syllables Long by nature Diphthongs like ae, au, ei, eu, oe Marked with a macron _ _ Coeptus in villa Long by position Followed by two or more consonants (even in a different word) Followed by a double consonant like x = ks or z = ds

10. Exceptions H does not count as a consonant When p, g, d, k, t is followed by an l or r, treat as a single consonant. I.e. this will not make a vowel long by position.

11. Elision Elision is the omission of syllable E.g. I’m instead of I am. When a word ending in a vowel or vowel + m is followed by a word beginning with a vowel or h + a vowel, the first vowel sound is omitted.

12. Remember I can be either a consonant or a vowel. When I occurs at the beginning of a word and is followed by a vowel, it functions as a consonant. Iungo = jugo iam = jam Iuno = Juno Qu, su, and gu functiuon as a single consonant.