poetry: structure

Question 1

meter

Answer 1

Meter identifies the specific rhythmic pattern in a line of poetry and consists of the number of syllables and how the poet emphasizes those syllables. The lines are then broken down into “feet,” each of which has a certain number of syllables and a specific pattern.

The unit of stressed and unstressed syllables= a foot

Question 2

number of feet

Answer 2

One: monometer
Two: dimeter
Three: trimeter
Four: tetrameter
Five: pentameter
Six: hexameter
Seven: heptameter
Eight: octameter

Question 3

syllable emphasis

Answer 3

Trochee: DUM da
Iamb: da DUM
Spondee: DUM DUM
Dactyl: DUM da da
Anapest: da da DUM

Question 4

perfect/true rhyme

Answer 4

the typical rhyme where the ending sounds match exactly, e.g. ‘cat and hat’, ‘egg and beg’, ‘ink and pink’

Question 5

slant/imperfect rhyme

Answer 5

rhyme that uses repeated vowel sounds in words that are close to each other, e.g. ‘tip, slip, limp’ and ‘that, spat, bat’ and ‘bow, no, home’

Question 6

monosyllabic

Answer 6

one syllable (eg ‘good’ and ‘did’)

Question 7

polysyllabic

Answer 7

more than one syllable (e.g. ‘necessary’ or ‘volunteer’)

Question 8

rhyme scheme

Answer 8

the pattern of rhymes in a series of lines

Question 9

interlaced rhyme

Answer 9

ABAB is an example of this. Most long stanzas use it. The effect is to make the poem press forward in anticipation of the next rhyme. Poems thus interlaced often close, as many sonnets do, with a rhyming couplet

Question 10

enclosed rhyme

Answer 10

occurs when a couplet is contained in another rhyme.

Question 11

disyllabic (rhyme)

Answer 11

two syllables

Question 12

unstressed/feminine ending/rhymes

Answer 12

a disyllabic (two syllables - or more) rhyme in which the stress falls on the first syllable, e.g. ‘dying’

Question 13

stressed/masculine rhyme

Answer 13

a monosyllabic rhyme, e.g. ‘bed’

Question 14

internal rhyme

Answer 14

when the word at the end of the line rhymes with an earlier word in the same line

Question 15

para-rhyme/half-rhyme/consonantal rhyme

Answer 15

the opening and closing consonants are in accord but not the vowels, e.g. ‘head/hard’, ‘boat/bait’

Question 16

dactyl meter

Answer 16

a rhyming pattern in which the first syllable is stressed and followed by two unstressed syllables. Words of at least three syllables can be dactylic on their own. Lines of poetry with shorter words can be dactylic as well. What matters is that the pattern is stressed syllable, unstressed syllable, unstressed syllable is followed, e.g. ‘cacophonies’ and ‘hickory, dickory, dock’.

Question 17

eye/sight rhyme

Answer 17

words with similar spellings that look as if they would rhyme when spoken, yet are not pronounced in a way that actually rhymes, e.g. ‘cough and bough’

Question 18

identical rhyme/ auto/null rhyme

Answer 18

rhyming a word with itself using the exact same word in the rhyming position. In some cases, the repeated word refers to a different meaning, e.g. ‘day by day, until the break of day’.

Question 19

light rhyme

Answer 19

one syllable is stressed and another is not, e.g. ‘frog and dialog’, ‘mat and combat’.

Question 20

macaronic rhyme

Answer 20

rhyming words from different languages, e.g. ‘favor and amor’

Question 21

rich rhyme

Answer 21

involves words that are pronounced the same but are not spelled alike and have different meanings. Rich rhyme feature terms that are homonyms. e.g. ‘raise and raze’, ‘break and brake’

Question 22

scarce rhyme

Answer 22

a type of imperfect rhyme used for words that have very few other words hat rhyme with them, e.g. ‘wisp rhymed with lips’, ‘motionless with oceanless’.

Question 23

syllabic rhyme

Answer 23

involves rhyming the last syllable of words. It is also called tail rhyme or end rhyme, e.g. ‘silver and cleaver’, ‘litter and latter’

Question 24

wrenched rhyme

Answer 24

an imperfect rhyme pattern. It rhymes a stressed with an unstressed syllable, e.g. ‘caring and wing’

Question 25

alternating rhyme scheme

Answer 25

features an ABAB pattern. It is also referred to as crossed rhyme or interlocking rhyme.

Question 26

intermittent rhyme scheme/ cross rhyme

Answer 26

a pattern in which every other line rhymes- ABAB. Has a very tick-tock feel to it. Carries things forward quite strongly and flowingly, often used for narrative

Question 27

envelope rhyme/inserted rhyme scheme

Answer 27

ABBA rhyming pattern

Question 28

irregular rhyme scheme

Answer 28

does not have a fixed pattern to the rhyming. This is common in free verse poetry.

Question 29

sporadic/occasional rhyme scheme

Answer 29

an unpredictable pattern with mostly unrhymed lines.

Question 30

thorn rhyme scheme

Answer 30

features a line that does not rhyme in a passage that would be expected to rhyme based on the pattern of the poem.

Question 31

vowel rhyme- a form of imperfect rhyme

Answer 31

if the vowel is the same, e.g. hand and bang

Question 32

mosaic rhyme

Answer 32

rhyme is being made up out of more than one word, e.g. tanned hands rhymed with band stands

Question 33

leonine rhyme

Answer 33

when there is a rhyme right in the middle of the line and the word at the end- sometimes find it in ballads

Question 34

mono rhyme scheme

Answer 34

AAAA, all of the lines rhyming together

Question 35

couplet rhyme scheme

Answer 35

AABB- couplets arranged in a quatrain

Question 36

chiasmic/arch rhyme scheme

Answer 36

ABBA, has the feeling of starting and then reversing itself, coming back to itself. Not good for narrative. It's good for meditation; dwelling on something

Question 37

semantic rhyme

Answer 37

the words that rhyme have the same meanings

Question 38

counter-semantic rhyme

Answer 38

the words that rhyme have opposite meanings

Question 39

iambic foot

Answer 39

an unstressed followed by a stressed syllable, as in ''describe''

Question 40

trochaic foot

Answer 40

a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable, as in ''custom''

Question 41

anapaestic rhythm

Answer 41

two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable, as in “understand”

Question 42

dactylic rhythm

Answer 42

a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables, as in “bicycle”

Question 43

more on metre...

Answer 43

meter is the basic rhythmic structure of a line within a poem or poetic work. Meter functions as a means of imposing a specific number of syllables and emphasis when it comes to a line of poetry that adds to its musicality. It consists of the number of syllables and the pattern of emphasis on those syllables. In addition, meter governs individual units within a line of poetry, called “feet.” A “foot” of a poetic work features a specific number of syllables and pattern of emphasis.

Question 44

spondee metrical foot

Answer 44

equal stress for both syllables, as in “cupcake”

Question 45

pyrrhus/ pyrrhic rhythm

Answer 45

two unstressed syllables back to back

Question 46

rising feet/rhythm

Answer 46

when the stresses are at the end- English naturally has a rising rhythm. It is very similar to regular speaking voice, and carries easily

Question 47

falling rhythm

Answer 47

the stress is at the beginning. Instead of flowing easily, it judders and drags. There's resistance.

Question 48

scansion

Answer 48

scansion only happens when a voice reads a word/line. It is the action of scanning a line of verse to determine its rhythm. The way a voice reads a line may not be the same as the exact rhythm and structure of the metre that it is in.

Question 49

cadence

Answer 49

the movement and (usually) the change in pitch of the voice towards a close. The close may be the end of a line, sentence or clause. Cadences can be steady, falling or rising. It's a natural part of speech.