Page 22 - eMuse Vol.9 No.05_Classical

Always read your work aloud as this will help you to “scan”
(count and identify) the number and type of sounds in your work
and recognise the meter.
We identify meter by the number and arrangement of stresses
in each foot and the number of feet in a line. There are two types
of rhythm — RISING AND FALLING
RISING RHYTHM goes from a light to a heavy beat and has a
HURLING , THROWING FEEL AND IS GREAT FOR SATIRE.
FALLING RHYTHM goes the opposite way, from heavy to light
(as in the word “beauty” shown above), and has a TRIPPING, RUN-
NING FEEL, is lively by nature.
RISING RHYTHMS are

TYPE SCANNING MARKS USED
ABOVE THE WORDS
Iambic _ / = light/heavy
Anapaestic _ _ / = light/light/heavy

FALLING RHYTHMS are

by Jenny Jeays TYPE SCANNING MARKS USED
ABOVE THE WORDS
A.T.C.L. in Art of Speech and Drama (Lon.) Trochaic / _ = heavy/light
Dactylic / _ _ = light/light/heavy
Meter and Rhythm
Meter is a measure, a poetic measure. It measures the type and These 4 rhythms (or a combination of these rhythms) are the
number of feet in a line. (Gasometers and watermeters measure most commonly used.
the quantity used, and so does the poetic meter.) There are two others (for your information rather than use) and
Although it is acceptable today to spell “meter” — m-e-t-r-e, I they are as follows
prefer “metre” as it harmonises with meters that measure and with
the spelling used in naming poetic lines — “tetrameter”, “penta- TYPE SCANNING MARKS USED ABOVE THE WORDS
meter”, etc.
As the main ingredient in poetry is WORDS, we need to be TYPE SCANNING MARKS USED
aware that words are made up of segments called syllables. The ABOVE THE WORDS
Macquarie Dictionary puts it this way — Amphibrachic _ / _ = light/heavy/light

“SYLLABLE . . . 1. A segment of speech uttered with a single Spondaic / / = heavy/heavy
impulse of air-pressure from the lungs. 2. The least portion or
amount of speech or writing.” Iambic (pronounced “I-AM-bick) feet have two beats (or sounds)
When Syllables are read aloud, they become SOUNDS and you to a foot — one light and one heavy, or one unstressed and one
can hear that some sounds are heavier (or stronger) than others stressed.
— as in light or heavy drumbeats. The word “beauty” has a heavy The names of the feet are —
sound followed by a light sound.
No OF fEET TO THE LINE PRONOUNCED
/ — 1 . = monometer (“mono” meaning 1) Mon-OM-e-ter
beau ty 2. = diameter (“di” meaning 2) Dim-e-ter

(The heavy sound is marked with a heavy downward slash and 3. = trimeter (“tri” meaning 3) Tet-Tram-e-ter
the light sound with a light horizontal line to indicate the differ- 4. = tetrameter (“tetra” meaning 4) Tet-Tram-e-ter
ence.)
5. = pentameter (“penta” meaning 5) Pen-TAM-e-ter
Sometimes people think if they put the same number of syl- 6. = hexameter (“hexa” meaning 6) Hex-AM-e-ter
lables in their line of poetry as Henry Lawson did, they have used
the same metre. But this is not so, as the syllables which become 7. = heptameter (“hepta” ” meaning 7) Hep-TAM-e-ter
sounds are either light or heavy beats and there must be a regular 8. = octamber (“octa” meaning 8) Oct-TAM-e-ter
repetitive pattern for it to be poetry.

FORGET ALL ABOUT SYLLABLES a|b
AND THINK OF THEM AS SOUNDS.

22 eMuse May 2020