Poetic Techniques Poetic TECHNIQUES Line DEFINITION basic structural

Poetic Techniques

Poetic TECHNIQUES Line DEFINITION: basic structural component of a poem. Literally, a row of words that ends somewhere.

Poetic TECHNIQUES Stanza DEFINITION: a formal division of lines in a poem that is considered as a unit. Separated by spaces. Like prose paragraphs, only for poetry. Conveys a single idea.

Poetic TECHNIQUES Types of Stanzas Couplet Triplet (tercet) Quatrain Quintet (cinquain) Sestet (sextet) Septet (heptastich) Octave = = = = 2 -line stanza 3 -line stanza 4 -line stanza 5 -line stanza 6 -line stanza 7 -line stanza 8 -line stanza

Poetic TECHNIQUES Meter DEFINITION: the rhythmical pattern of the poem. Determined by the number of stresses or beats in each line.

Poetic TECHNIQUES Foot DEFINITION: a basic unit of a meter. Normally contains either two or three syllables with varying patterns of stress.

Poetic TECHNIQUES Types of Meter monometer dimeter trimeter tetrameter pentameter hexameter heptameter octometer = = = = 1 foot per line 2 feet per line 3 feet per line 4 feet per line 5 feet per line 6 feet per line 7 feet per line 8 feet per line

Poetic TECHNIQUES Now practice them aloud… monometer dimeter trimeter tetrameter pentameter hexameter heptameter octometer = = = = mon – ah – meh – ter dih – meh – ter trih – meh – ter teh – tra – meh – ter pen – ta – meh – ter hex – a – meh – ter hept – a – meh – ter oct – ah – meh – ter

Poetic TECHNIQUES Types of Feet iambic trochaic anapestic dactylic – – unstressed, stressed ˘ / stressed, unstressed / ˘ unstressed, stressed ˘ ˘ / stressed, unstressed / ˘ ˘ ˘ / / ˘ ˘ before listen in a jiff run in a [iambic] [trochaic] [anapestic] [dactylic]

Shakespearean Sonnet FOOT A B FOOT ˘ / ˘ / ˘ / 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Two households, both alike in DIGNITY ˘ / ˘ / ˘ / 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (In fair Verona, where we lay our SCENE), Type of foot = Type of meter = iambic pentameter

Limerick FOOT A A B FOOT ˘ / ˘ ˘ / 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 There once was an ape in a zoo ˘ ˘ / 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Who looked out through the bars and saw YOU! ˘ ˘ / 1 2 3 4 5 6 Do you think that it’s fair Type of foot = Type of meter = anapestic trimeter

by Timothy Steele FOOT A A FOOT / ˘ / ˘ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 First come I; my name is Jowett. / ˘ / ˘ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 There’s no knowledge but I know it. Type of foot = Type of meter = trochaic tetrameter

Poetic TECHNIQUES Types of Rhymes End/Audible Visual Near/Incomplete Internal – – words at the ends of lines rhyme words look like they should rhyme (see assonance & alliteration) words inside the line rhyme with words at the end of the line

Poetic TECHNIQUES Rhyme Scheme DEFINITION: a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem. Each new rhyme is assigned the next letter of the alphabet, while repeat sounds get whatever letter they were first assigned.

What’s the rhyme scheme? From “Fireflies” by Owl City You would not believe your eyes If ten million fireflies Lit up the world as I fell asleep Cause they fill the open air And leave teardrops everywhere You'd think me rude, but I Would just stand stare. A A B C C A C I'd like to make myself believe That planet Earth turns slowly. It's hard to say that I'd Rather stay awake when I'm asleep, Cause everything is never as it seems. B B A B B

Poetic TECHNIQUES Alliteration DEFINITION: the repetition of initial consonant sounds. Writers use alliteration to draw attention to certain words or ideas, to imitate sounds, and to create musical effects.

Alliteration Paul Mc. Cann’s “Dewdrops Dancing Down Daisies” Don't delay dawns disarming display. Dusk demands daylight. Dewdrops dwell delicately drawing dazzling delight. Dewdrops dilute daisies domain. Distinguished debutantes. Diamonds defray delivered daylights distilled daisy dance.

Poetic TECHNIQUES Assonance DEFINITION: the effect created when words with the same vowel sound are used in close proximity, but where the consonant sounds in these words are different.

Poetic TECHNIQUES Consonance DEFINITION: the effect created when words with the same consonant sound are used in close proximity, but where the vowel sounds in these words are different.

Assonance Cormac Mc. Carthy’s Outer Dark And stepping softly with her air of blooded ruin about the glade in a frail agony of grace she trailed her rags through dust and ashes, circling the dead fire, the charred billets and chalk bones, the little calcined ribcage. alliteration

Poetic TECHNIQUES Free Verse DEFINITION: poetry not written in a regular, rhythmical pattern, or meter. The poet is free to write lines of any length or with any number of stresses, or beats. Free verse is therefore less constraining than metrical verse, in which every line must have a certain length and a certain number of stresses.

Poetic TECHNIQUES Blank Verse DEFINITION: Poetry without a rhyme scheme, but it has meter of some kind.

MARULLUS Where is thy leather apron and thy rule? What dost thou with thy best apparel on? You, sir, what trade are you? Second Commoner Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but, as you would say, a cobbler. From william shakespeare’s First Commoner Why, sir, a carpenter. Julius caesar FLAVIUS Hence! home, you idle creatures get you home: Is this a holiday? what! know you not, Being mechanical, you ought not walk Upon a labouring day without the sign Of your profession? Speak, what trade art thou? Blank verse

Poetic TECHNIQUES Refrain DEFINITION: a regularly repeated line or group of lines in a poem or a song