Unit 4 Working with rhythms, sounds and movement

Scansion

the analysis of poems into stanzas, lines and pauses. This includes rhythm and rhyme, and the effects of sound and pace

Rhythm

The measured flow of words and phrases in verse or prose as determined by the relation of long and short or stressed and unstressed syllables

Metre

the organisation of rhythms into regular and recurring patterns, such as you find in poetry

Foot

where two or three syllables recur in a pattern to form a metrical unit of rhythm (the plural is feet)

Trochee

a metrical foot consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one

Spondee

an occasional foot with two stressed syllables

lambus

(" - ) is known as an lambus or you can call it an lambic foot. It has a rising rhythm

Anapaest

this is another rising rhythm, but the pattern here of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one (" " -) is called an anapaest (or anapaestic foot).

Dactyl

the pattern here is known as a dactyl (- " ") and these are dactylic feet. It has a falling rhythm

Alexandrine verse

a line of iambics with 6 feet - 12 syllables in all

Blank verse

written in iambic pentameter but has no rhyme at the end of each line.

Pace

a word used to denote the speed at which a verse moves.

Rhyme

agreement in sound between words or syllables

Internal rhyme

when words within the same line rhyme.

Feminine rhyme

a rhyme on two syllables

Masculine rhyme

a rhyme on one syllable only

Ear-rhyme

a true rhyme when spoken aloud, but looks as if it shouldn't be by its spelling

Eye-rhyme

a rhyme that looks as if it should rhyme from the spelling but doesn't

Half-rhyme

repeats the final consonant sound in words without the vowel sound corresponding. Helps to create a sense of unease or disturbance.