Poetry: The Poetry: The Evolution of MeterEvolution of Meter

Greek RootsGreek Roots The western tradition of poetry rests upon a The western tradition of poetry rests upon a

Greek foundationGreek foundation Greek poets introduced the idea of meter, Greek poets introduced the idea of meter,

which measure the stresses and syllables of a which measure the stresses and syllables of a poem.poem.

Consider the line: Consider the line: ““Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May”Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May”

As you say the line aloud, count how many syllables As you say the line aloud, count how many syllables there are. How many did you count?there are. How many did you count?

Shakespeare’s MeterShakespeare’s Meter

““Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May”—how many Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May”—how many iambs do you count? iambs do you count?

This line, from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 contains This line, from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 contains 5 iambs5 iambs. Since . Since there are 5 feet, the meter is referred to as there are 5 feet, the meter is referred to as Iambic Pentameter.Iambic Pentameter. Shakespeare most often used this type of meter in his plays and Shakespeare most often used this type of meter in his plays and sonnets. Other kinds of meter are used as well by formal poets:sonnets. Other kinds of meter are used as well by formal poets:

1 foot: monometer1 foot: monometer2 feet: dimeter2 feet: dimeter3 feet: trimeter3 feet: trimeter4 feet: tetrameter4 feet: tetrameter5 feet: pentameter5 feet: pentameter6 feet: hexameter6 feet: hexameter7 feet: heptameter7 feet: heptameter8 feet: octameter 8 feet: octameter

MeterMeter

Did you count 10? Did you count 10? Now say the line Now say the line again, this time again, this time focusing on how your focusing on how your voice rises and falls voice rises and falls with the natural with the natural rhythm of the line:rhythm of the line:

““Rough winds do shake Rough winds do shake the darling buds of the darling buds of May”May”

““Rough winds do shake Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May”the darling buds of May”

Did you notice a natural stress on the words: Did you notice a natural stress on the words:

Winds, shake, darling, buds, & May?Winds, shake, darling, buds, & May?

The most basic unit of meter is a The most basic unit of meter is a foot.foot. The most The most common is the common is the iambiamb, which is an unstressed , which is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. syllable followed by a stressed syllable.

The line above is made up of iambs. Say the line The line above is made up of iambs. Say the line again and notice the alternating pattern of iambs.again and notice the alternating pattern of iambs.

Scansion: how to scan a Scansion: how to scan a poem for meterpoem for meter Scansion refers to using your Scansion refers to using your

pen and pencil and marking pen and pencil and marking up a poem to find its meter. up a poem to find its meter.

Use the symbols to mark up Use the symbols to mark up the following line: “We wear the following line: “We wear the mask that grins and lies”the mask that grins and lies”

Notice that the line is iambic Notice that the line is iambic tetrameter because there are tetrameter because there are 4 iambs.4 iambs.

Types of feet!Types of feet!

TrocheeTrochee (trochaic): TUM te ex: Rotten (trochaic): TUM te ex: Rotten

SpondeeSpondee (spondaic): TUM TUM ex: grape fruit (spondaic): TUM TUM ex: grape fruit

PyrrhicPyrrhic: te te ex: at the front door: te te ex: at the front door

AnapestAnapest (anapestic): te te TUM ex: intervene (anapestic): te te TUM ex: intervene

DactylDactyl (dactylic): TUM te te ex: loveliest (dactylic): TUM te te ex: loveliest

*Use the scansion symbols to mark the stresses on each example*Use the scansion symbols to mark the stresses on each example

Meter through HistoryMeter through History

Syllable-stress meter was dominant from Syllable-stress meter was dominant from Shakespeare in the 16Shakespeare in the 16thth century to century to Robert Frost and other formal poets of Robert Frost and other formal poets of the early 20the early 20thth century. century.

In modern poetry, however, other ways of In modern poetry, however, other ways of creating the line became popular. creating the line became popular.

Nonmetrical verse, for example, is called Nonmetrical verse, for example, is called Free Verse.Free Verse.

Old vs. NewOld vs. New Sonnet 18Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too summer's lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion often is his gold complexion dimm'd; And every fair from fair dimm'd; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance sometime declines, By chance or nature's changing course or nature's changing course untrimm'd; But thy eternal untrimm'd; But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou possession of that fair thou owest; Nor shall Death brag owest; Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, thou wander'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time When in eternal lines to time thou growest: So long as men thou growest: So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this and this gives life long lives this and this gives life to thee.to thee.

William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare

it was just a little while it was just a little while agoago almost dawnalmost dawnblackbirds on the telephone blackbirds on the telephone wirewirewaitingwaitingas I eat yesterday'sas I eat yesterday'sforgotten sandwichforgotten sandwichat 6 a.m.at 6 a.m.an a quiet Sunday morning. an a quiet Sunday morning. one shoe in the cornerone shoe in the cornerstanding uprightstanding uprightthe other laying on it'sthe other laying on it'sside. side. yes, some lives were made to yes, some lives were made to bebewasted. wasted.

-Charles Bukowski-Charles Bukowski

A Tip for the beginning A Tip for the beginning poet poet

““A poems power A poems power depends less on a depends less on a choice between metrical choice between metrical and nonmetrical, fixed or and nonmetrical, fixed or free, than on the poet’s free, than on the poet’s ingenuity and skill in ingenuity and skill in taking full advantage of taking full advantage of form as the poem takes form as the poem takes shape.”shape.”

(Boisseau, Wallace, & (Boisseau, Wallace, & Mann, 33) Mann, 33)

ReferencesReferences

Joel Harrison, ‘Gace 2’, 2005. Joel Harrison, ‘Gace 2’, 2005. http://www.arts.auckland.ac.nz/online/indhttp://www.arts.auckland.ac.nz/online/index.cfm?S=OL_ENGLISH347ex.cfm?S=OL_ENGLISH347

Boisseau, Michelle, Randall Mann, and Boisseau, Michelle, Randall Mann, and Robert Wallace. Robert Wallace. Writing Poems (7th Writing Poems (7th Edition)Edition). New York: Longman, 2007. . New York: Longman, 2007.

Ingrid Oz, ‘Exploding Pink buds,’ 2009.Ingrid Oz, ‘Exploding Pink buds,’ 2009. Marcel Duchamp, ‘The Fountain,’ 1917Marcel Duchamp, ‘The Fountain,’ 1917