TECHNIQUES OF VERSIFICATION
DEFENITION
Prosody, or the systematic study of speech rhythms and versification, is also known as the study of the rhythmic aspects of language. Most poetry relies on rhythmic elements such as the alteration of stress and non-stress syllables, vowel length, consonant clusters, and pauses. Different rhythmical patterns in poetry have varying effects on readers or listeners. Versification, on the other hand, refers to the skill of creating verses or crafting poetry. It is an artistic practice that encompasses rhythm, rhyme, and meter (Abrams, 1999, p. 247).
3.3.1. Rhyme (Rime)
Rhyme is the recurrence of similar sounds in different words across different lines or within the same line of a poem. Poets deliberately use identical sounds in words to facilitate the memorization of poetry and enhance its aesthetic quality. Rhyme is typically characterized by the repetition of similar alphabetical letters (abcdef).
English poetry encompasses various types of rhymes, two of which are explained below, accompanied by examples from poems:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
And snowy summits old in story:
The long light shakes across the lakes
And the wild cataract leaps in glory.
3.3.2. Rhythm:
Rhythm in poetry is the musical quality created by the repetition of syllables leading up to stressed beats throughout the poem. This repetition establishes a distinct beat within each line of poetry, capturing the listener's or reader's attention.
3.3.3. Scansion
Scansion involves examining the mechanical elements present in a poem to determine its meter. It serves as a visual method for marking and understanding the patterns of meter and rhythm within a poem. In scansion, feet, which are units of stressed and unstressed syllables, are identified using slashes (/), and the stressed syllables are appropriately accented. This prosodic technique utilizes specific symbols to indicate the stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem.
__ = a stressed (or strong, or loud) syllable
U = an unstressed (or weak, or quiet) syllable
Emily Dickinson’s poem Because I Could Not Stop for Death is scanned here:
Be-cause / I could / not stop / for Death
U __ / u __ / u __ / u __
He kind- / ly stopped / for me
U __ / u __ / u __
The Car- / riage held / but just / our-selves
U __ / u __ / u __ / u __
And Im- / mor-tal- / i-ty.
U __ / u __ / u _
3.3.4. Metre (meter):
Metre refers to the structured arrangement of syllables, both stressed and unstressed, within poetic verse. Each meter is made up of multiple feet, and each foot consists of a combination of a stressed syllable with one or more unstressed syllables. A foot, or a rhythmical unit, is the distinct grouping of stressed and unstressed syllables. The presence of multiple feet within a single line of poetry determines its meter. Therefore, meter is measured in terms of the number of feet it contains.
There are eight metres in English poetry named in Greek numbers:
Sound patterns are literary devices predominantly employed in poetry, although they can also be found in prose, with the purpose of highlighting sounds and producing musical effects. By utilizing these devices, writers bring vitality, emotional impact, and a pleasing quality to their texts. Moreover, these devices create distinct and powerful effects in their writings, aiding readers in comprehending the literary work on a deeper level. They are commonly referred to as the repetition of the same sound, be it a vowel or consonant, within a single line of verse. While there exist various types of sound patterns, the most frequently utilized ones are mentioned here (Lethbridge & Mildorf, pp. 163-164).
A. Assonance: it is the repetition of two or more vowel sounds within the same poetic verse.
E.g. Pope, Imitations of Horace, Ep. II.i: With Gun, Drum, Trumpet, Blunderbuss and Thunder
B. Consonance: it is the repetition of two or more consonant sounds within the same line.
Gerard Manley Hopkins, “God’s Grandeur”:
And all is seared with trade; bleared smeared with toil;
John Donne, “The Sun Rising”: Love, all alike, no season knows, nor clime,
C. Alliteration: the repetition of one or more stressed sounds, usually the first consonants, in words within a line.
Prosody, or the systematic study of speech rhythms and versification, is also known as the study of the rhythmic aspects of language. Most poetry relies on rhythmic elements such as the alteration of stress and non-stress syllables, vowel length, consonant clusters, and pauses. Different rhythmical patterns in poetry have varying effects on readers or listeners. Versification, on the other hand, refers to the skill of creating verses or crafting poetry. It is an artistic practice that encompasses rhythm, rhyme, and meter (Abrams, 1999, p. 247).
3.3.1. Rhyme (Rime)
Rhyme is the recurrence of similar sounds in different words across different lines or within the same line of a poem. Poets deliberately use identical sounds in words to facilitate the memorization of poetry and enhance its aesthetic quality. Rhyme is typically characterized by the repetition of similar alphabetical letters (abcdef).
English poetry encompasses various types of rhymes, two of which are explained below, accompanied by examples from poems:
- End rhyme: most used rhyme in English poetry. It is the repetition of the sound at the end of several lines e.g. William Blake, A Poison Tree
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
- Internal rhyme: it is the repetition of the same sound within the same verse e.g. (Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Blow, Bugle, Blow
And snowy summits old in story:
The long light shakes across the lakes
And the wild cataract leaps in glory.
- Feminine Rhyme: also known as double rhyme or disyllabic rhyme occurs when the rhyming sounds involve two or more syllables. In feminine rhyme, the stressed syllable is followed by one or more unstressed syllables that rhyme. This type of rhyme is often associated with a softer and more melodic quality in poetry. An example of feminine rhyme can be seen in the following lines:
- Masculine Rhyme: also known as single rhyme or monosyllabic rhyme occurs when the rhyming sounds involve only one syllable. In masculine rhyme, the rhyming words end with the same stressed syllable. This type of rhyme is often perceived as more strong and direct in its effect. Here's an example of masculine rhyme:
- Half Rhyme: Half rhyme, also known as slant rhyme, imperfect rhyme, or near rhyme, is a type of rhyme where the sounds of the rhyming words are similar but not identical. The similarity can be in terms of consonant sounds, vowel - sounds, or both. Half rhyme is used to create a subtle or unusual effect in poetry. Here's an example of half rhyme:
3.3.2. Rhythm:
Rhythm in poetry is the musical quality created by the repetition of syllables leading up to stressed beats throughout the poem. This repetition establishes a distinct beat within each line of poetry, capturing the listener's or reader's attention.
3.3.3. Scansion
Scansion involves examining the mechanical elements present in a poem to determine its meter. It serves as a visual method for marking and understanding the patterns of meter and rhythm within a poem. In scansion, feet, which are units of stressed and unstressed syllables, are identified using slashes (/), and the stressed syllables are appropriately accented. This prosodic technique utilizes specific symbols to indicate the stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem.
__ = a stressed (or strong, or loud) syllable
U = an unstressed (or weak, or quiet) syllable
Emily Dickinson’s poem Because I Could Not Stop for Death is scanned here:
Be-cause / I could / not stop / for Death
U __ / u __ / u __ / u __
He kind- / ly stopped / for me
U __ / u __ / u __
The Car- / riage held / but just / our-selves
U __ / u __ / u __ / u __
And Im- / mor-tal- / i-ty.
U __ / u __ / u _
3.3.4. Metre (meter):
Metre refers to the structured arrangement of syllables, both stressed and unstressed, within poetic verse. Each meter is made up of multiple feet, and each foot consists of a combination of a stressed syllable with one or more unstressed syllables. A foot, or a rhythmical unit, is the distinct grouping of stressed and unstressed syllables. The presence of multiple feet within a single line of poetry determines its meter. Therefore, meter is measured in terms of the number of feet it contains.
There are eight metres in English poetry named in Greek numbers:
The connection between the foot and meter is often referred to as a metrical foot. It
serves as a fundamental rhythmic framework within a poetic verse. Therefore, meter
showcases the rhythmic pattern of strong and weak syllables in poetry.
3.4. 4 Patterns of Poetic Feet (metrical feet)
Fussell (1967, p. 26) has identified numerous types of metrical feet, but the ones most
frequently employed in English poetry are:
- Iambic: a combination of two syllables, while the first is unstressed, the next is stressed, often symbolized as / U__ /, as in Shakespeare’s poetry: If af/ter eve/ry tem/pest come/ such calm
- Trochaic: the trochaic is the opposite of the Iambic; i.e., it is a
combination of one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable
/ __ U / E.g. in Edgar Allan Poe’s poem The Raven:
- Anapest: consists of three syllables, the two first syllables are unstressed while the third one is stressed, referred to as / U __ __ /
- Dactyl: consists of three syllables, the first of which is stressed, while
the two following syllables are unstressed, referred to as / __ U U / as in
‘’happily’’.
Sound patterns are literary devices predominantly employed in poetry, although they can also be found in prose, with the purpose of highlighting sounds and producing musical effects. By utilizing these devices, writers bring vitality, emotional impact, and a pleasing quality to their texts. Moreover, these devices create distinct and powerful effects in their writings, aiding readers in comprehending the literary work on a deeper level. They are commonly referred to as the repetition of the same sound, be it a vowel or consonant, within a single line of verse. While there exist various types of sound patterns, the most frequently utilized ones are mentioned here (Lethbridge & Mildorf, pp. 163-164).
A. Assonance: it is the repetition of two or more vowel sounds within the same poetic verse.
E.g. Pope, Imitations of Horace, Ep. II.i: With Gun, Drum, Trumpet, Blunderbuss and Thunder
B. Consonance: it is the repetition of two or more consonant sounds within the same line.
Gerard Manley Hopkins, “God’s Grandeur”:
And all is seared with trade; bleared smeared with toil;
John Donne, “The Sun Rising”: Love, all alike, no season knows, nor clime,
C. Alliteration: the repetition of one or more stressed sounds, usually the first consonants, in words within a line.
- Eliot, Book of Practical Cats: Was Firefrorefiddle, the Fiend of the Fell.
- Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “The Eagle”: He clasps the crag with crooked hands
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