253. The Form Of Poetry
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This section is from the book "Lessons In English", by Chestine Gowdy, Lora M. Dexheimer. Also available from Amazon: Lessons in English.
253. The Form Of Poetry
You know that most poetry differs from prose in being written in lines that rhyme. There is another difference in the form of prose and poetry that you may not have clearly recognized. But you have felt it when you have read or recited poetry in a "sing-song" fashion. The singing movement of poetry is called rhythm. It is due to the more or less regular appearance of accented and unaccented syllables.
A group of syllables consisting of one accented and one or two unaccented syllables is called a foot. A line of poetry is called a verse. A group of verse is called a stanza.
Exercise 314. Development
The following passages show the most common ways of grouping accented and unaccented syllables in poetry.
Read the lines, overstressing the accented syllables slightly, and making a brief pause after each foot. Beading poetry in this way is called scanning it.
/ / / /
1. Heap high the farm ers win try hoard 1
/ / /
Heap high the gold en corn !
/ / / /
No rich er gift has au tumn poured.
/ / /
From out her lav ish horn.
/ / / /
2. It was ma ny and ma ny a year ago.
/ / /
In a king dom by the sea.
/ / / /
That a maid en there lived whom you may know
/ / /
By the name of An nabel Lee.
/ / / /
3. At the door on summer evenings
/ / / /
Sat the little Hia watha;
/ / / /
Heard the whisperings of the pine trees,
/ / / /
Heard the lapping of the water,
/ / / /
Sounds of music sounds of wonder;
/ / / /
" Minnie wawa!" said the pine trees,
/ / / /
"Minway aushka!" said the water.
/ / / /
4. This is the forest pri meval. The murmuring
/ / pines and the hemlocks
/ / / /
Bearded with moss and in garments green indis-
/ / tinct in the twilight,
/ / / /
Stand like Druids of eld with voices
/ / sad and pro phetic.
/ / / /
5. Upon an emp ty tor toise shell
/ / /
He stretched some chords and drew / / / /
Music that made men's bo soms swell / / / /
Fearless or brimmed their eyes with dew.
/ / / /
6. Jack and Jill went up the hill
/ / /
To fetch a pail of wa ter
/ / / /
Jack fell down and broke his crown
/ / /
And Jill came turn bling af ter.
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