The Ode Less Travelled Part 2

7.

8.

9.

10.

He bangs the drum and makes a dread ful noise

Ten syllables where in this metre the accent always falls on the even-numbered beat even-numbered beat. Notice, though, that there aren't ten words words in this example, there are only nine. That's because 'dreadful' has two syllables. in this example, there are only nine. That's because 'dreadful' has two syllables.

Bangs, drum, makes, dread and and noise noise are those even-numbered accented words (and syllable) here. You could show the rhythm of the line like this: are those even-numbered accented words (and syllable) here. You could show the rhythm of the line like this:

Some metrists would call 'he', 'the', 'and', 'a' and '-ful' DEPRESSIONS DEPRESSIONS. Other words to describe a non-stressed syllable are SLACK SLACK, SCUD SCUD and and WEAK WEAK. The line has a rising rhythm, that is the point: from weak to strong, terminating in its fifth stressed beat.

The most usual way to SCAN SCAN the line, in other words to demonstrate its metric structure and show the cardiogram trace as it were, is to divide the five feet with this mark (known as a the line, in other words to demonstrate its metric structure and show the cardiogram trace as it were, is to divide the five feet with this mark (known as a VIRGULE VIRGULE, the same as the French word for 'comma' or 'slash' that you might remember from school) and use symbols to indicate the accented and the weak syllables. Here I have chosen to represent the off-beat, the depressed, unaccented syllable, and to represent the off-beat, the depressed, unaccented syllable, and for the beat, stress or accented syllable. for the beat, stress or accented syllable.

There are other accepted ways of marking SCANSION SCANSION: usingor u or x for an un un accented beat and / for an accented beat and / for an accented accented one. If you were taught scansion at school or have a book on the subject you will often see one of the following: one. If you were taught scansion at school or have a book on the subject you will often see one of the following:

For the most part I shall be sticking to and and however, as I find they represent the ti and the however, as I find they represent the ti and the tum tum more naturally. Besides, the other scansion marks derive from cla.s.sical metre, which was concerned with vowel more naturally. Besides, the other scansion marks derive from cla.s.sical metre, which was concerned with vowel length length rather than stress. rather than stress.

The Great Iamb (and other binary feet) The word for a rising-rhythm foot with a ti-tum, beat like those above is an iambus, more usually called an beat like those above is an iambus, more usually called an IAMB IAMB.

I remember this by thinking of Popeye, whose trademark rusty croak went: I yam yam what I what I yam yam...Iamb, iamb, iamb We will concentrate on this foot for the rest of this section, but you should know that there are three other feet in the same BINARY BINARY (two unit) family. (two unit) family.

The TROCHEE TROCHEE is a backwards iamb, a is a backwards iamb, a falling falling rhythm, rhythm, tum tum-ti:

The trochee obeys its own definition and is p.r.o.nounced to rhyme with po poky or cho choky.

Thus was was born born my my Hi Hiawatha,Thus was was born born the the child child of of wond wonder;LONGFELLOW: The Song of Hiawatha The Song of Hiawatha As a falling falling rhythm, a rhythm, a tick tick-tock, tick tick-tock, tick tick-tock, it finishes on an unaccented syllablean 'and' if you're counting and clapping musically:

The SPONDEE SPONDEE is of equal stressed units: is of equal stressed units:This also obeys its own definition and is p.r.o.nounced to rhyme with the name John Dee John Dee. You may feel that it is almost impossible to give absolutely equal absolutely equal stress to two successive words or syllables in English and that there will always be some slight difference in weight. Many metrists (Edgar Allan Poe among them) would argue that the spondee doesn't functionally exist in English verse. Again, we'll think about the ramifications later, for the time being you might as well know it. stress to two successive words or syllables in English and that there will always be some slight difference in weight. Many metrists (Edgar Allan Poe among them) would argue that the spondee doesn't functionally exist in English verse. Again, we'll think about the ramifications later, for the time being you might as well know it.

The fourth and final permutation is of unstressed unstressed units units and is called the and is called the PYRRHIC PYRRHIC foot. Don't bother to think about the pyrrhic either for the moment, we'll be looking at it later. All the feet possible in English are gathered in a table at the end of the chapter, with examples to demonstrate their stresses. foot. Don't bother to think about the pyrrhic either for the moment, we'll be looking at it later. All the feet possible in English are gathered in a table at the end of the chapter, with examples to demonstrate their stresses.

The iamb iamb is the hero of this chapter, so let us take a closer look at it: is the hero of this chapter, so let us take a closer look at it:

Ten syllables, yes, but a count, or measure, of five feet, five iambic iambic feet, culminating (the opposite of the trochaic line) in a feet, culminating (the opposite of the trochaic line) in a strong strong or accented ending. S or accented ending. SAY IT OUT LOUD AGAIN: and one one and and two two and and three three and and four four and and five fiveHe bangs bangs the the drum drum and and makes makes a a dread dreadful noise noise It is a measure of five and the prosodic word, from the Greek again, for 'measure of five' is PENTAMETER PENTAMETER. That simple line is an example therefore of IAMBIC PENTAMETER IAMBIC PENTAMETER.

The Iambic Pentameter The rising rhythm of the five-beat iambic pentameter has been since the fourteenth century the most widely used metre in English poetry. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales Canterbury Tales, Spenser's Faerie Queen Faerie Queen, Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, Milton's Paradise Lost Paradise Lost, the preponderance of verse by Dryden, Pope, Wordsworth, Keats, Browning, Tennyson, Owen, Yeats and Frost, all written in iambic pentameter. It is the very breath of English verse and has earned the t.i.tle the HEROIC LINE HEROIC LINE.

Poetry Exercise 1 Try reading the following extracts out loud to yourself, noting the varying pulses, some strong and regularly accented, others gentler and more flowing. Each pair of lines is an example of 'perfect' iambic pentameter, having exactly ten syllables, five iambic feet (five stresses on the even-numbered even-numbered beats) to the line. Once you've read each pair a few times, beats) to the line. Once you've read each pair a few times, TAKE A PENCIL AND MARK UP EACH FOOT TAKE A PENCIL AND MARK UP EACH FOOT. Use a or a / for the or a / for the accented accented syllables or words and a syllables or words and a or afor the or afor the un un accented syllables or word. I have double-s.p.a.ced each pair to make it easier for you to mark them. accented syllables or word. I have double-s.p.a.ced each pair to make it easier for you to mark them.

I really would urge urge you to take time over these: savour every line. Remember G you to take time over these: savour every line. Remember GOLDEN R RULE O ONEreading verse can be like eating chocolate, so much more pleasurable when you allow it slowly to melt inside you, so much less rewarding when you snap off big chunks and bolt them whole, all but untasted.

DON'T LET YOUR EYE FALL FURTHER DOWN THE PAGE THAN THIS LINE until you have taken out your pencil or pen. You may prefer a pencil so that you can rub out your marks and leave this book in pristine condition when you lend it to someone elsenaturally the publishers would prefer you to until you have taken out your pencil or pen. You may prefer a pencil so that you can rub out your marks and leave this book in pristine condition when you lend it to someone elsenaturally the publishers would prefer you to buy buy another copy for your friendsthe important thing is to get used to defacing this book in one way or another. Here are the rules of the exercise again: another copy for your friendsthe important thing is to get used to defacing this book in one way or another. Here are the rules of the exercise again: Read each pair of lines out loud, noting the ti-tum rhythms. rhythms.

Now MARK MARK the weak/strong (accented/unaccented) syllables and the 'bar lines' that separate each foot in this manner: the weak/strong (accented/unaccented) syllables and the 'bar lines' that separate each foot in this manner:

Or you may find it easier with a pencil to do it like this:

When you have done this, read each pair of lines OUT LOUD OUT LOUD once more, exaggerating the stresses on each beat. once more, exaggerating the stresses on each beat.

He sit hym up withouten wordes mo,And with his ax he smoot the corde atwo,4 CHAUCER: The Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve's Tale That time of year, thou mayst in me beholdWhen yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang SHAKESPEARE: Sonnet 73 In sooth I know not why I am so sad:It wearies me; you say it wearies you; SHAKESPEARE: The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice, Act I, Scene 1 Their wand'ring course, now high, now low, then hidProgressive, retrograde, or standing still MILTON: Paradise Lost Paradise Lost, Book VIII Oft has our poet wisht, this happy SeatMight prove his fading Muse's last retreat.

DRYDEN: 'Epilogue to Oxford' 'Epilogue to Oxford'

And, spite of Pride, in erring Reason's spite,One truth is clear, 'Whatever is, is right.'

POPE: An Essay on Man An Essay on Man, Epistle 1 And thus they formed a group that's quite antique,Half naked, loving, natural, and Greek.

BYRON: Don Juan Don Juan, Canto II, CXCIV Now fades the glimm'ring landscape on the sightAnd all the air a solemn stillness holds.

GRAY: 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard' 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard'

And certain hopes are with me, that to theeThis labour will be welcome, honoured Friend!

WORDSWORTH: The Prelude The Prelude, Book One St Agnes' EveAh, bitter chill it was!The owl for all his feathers was a-cold; KEATS: 'The Eve of St Agnes' 'The Eve of St Agnes'

The woods decay, the woods decay and fall,The vapours weep their burthen to the ground TENNYSON: 't.i.thonus' 't.i.thonus'

If you could hear, at every jolt, the bloodCome gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs WILFRED O OWEN: 'Dulce et Decorum Est' 'Dulce et Decorum Est'

When you are old and grey and full of sleepAnd nodding by the fire, take down this book W. B. YEATS: 'When You Are Old' 'When You Are Old'

And death is better, as the millions know,Than dandruff, night-starvation, or B.O.

W. H. AUDEN: 'Letter to Lord Byron', II 'Letter to Lord Byron', II He's worn out. He's asleep beside the stove.When I came up from Rowe's I found him here, ROBERT F FROST: 'The Death of the Hired Man' 'The Death of the Hired Man'

Round hayfields, cornfields and potato-drillsWe trekked and picked until the cans were full, SEAMUS H HEANEY: 'Blackberry Picking' 'Blackberry Picking'

And praised his wife for every meal she made.And once, for laughing, punched her in the face.

SIMON A ARMITAGE: 'Poem' 'Poem'

Nearly seven hundred years of iambic pentameter represented there. Marking the beats is not a supremely challenging exercise, but remains a good way of becoming more familiar with the nature of the line and its five regular accents.

Having marked the couplets up, now GO BACK AND READ THEM, GO BACK AND READ THEM, either out loud or to yourself. Simply relish them as if you were tasting wine. either out loud or to yourself. Simply relish them as if you were tasting wine.

Lines of iambic pentameter are, as I hope you will agree, capable of being formal, strongly accented, flowing, conversational, comic, descriptive, narrative, contemplative, declamatory and any combination of those and many other qualities. I deliberately chose pairs of lines, to show the metre flowing in more than just one line.

For all that the progression of beats is identical in each extract I hope you also saw that there are real differences of bounce and tempo, rise and fall, attack and cadence. Already it should be apparent that a very simple form, constructed from the most basic rules, is capable of strikingly different effects.

Armed with nothing more than the knowledge that an iambic pentameter is a line of five alternating weak-strong beats, it is time to attempt our own!

Poetry Exercise 2 What I want you to do in a moment in a moment is to put down this book, pick up your notepad and write out at least twenty lines of your is to put down this book, pick up your notepad and write out at least twenty lines of your own own iambic pentameter. If you haven't time, or you're in an unsuitable place, then wait until the moment is right or go back and read the samples above again. I don't want you to read iambic pentameter. If you haven't time, or you're in an unsuitable place, then wait until the moment is right or go back and read the samples above again. I don't want you to read any further any further until you've tried this exercise. Before we begin, here are the rules: until you've tried this exercise. Before we begin, here are the rules: Write some SINGLE LINES SINGLE LINES and some and some PAIRS OF LINES PAIRS OF LINES.

For this exercise, do not not use rhyme. use rhyme.

Write some lines, or pairs, that are conversational, some that are simple, some that are more complicated in construction, some that are descriptive, some that are silly, some that are grave.

Write with increasing speed: allow the rhythm and line length to become second nature. You will find yourself feeling feeling ten syllables and five accents in an iambic line very quickly. You will hear the feet falling ahead of you to their final stressed syllable. ten syllables and five accents in an iambic line very quickly. You will hear the feet falling ahead of you to their final stressed syllable.

By all means revise and rewrite your lines but DO NOT DO NOT polish or strive for any effect beyond the metrical. polish or strive for any effect beyond the metrical.

This is an exercise exercise: even if you already know about enjambment and feminine endings, or trochaic and pyrrhic subst.i.tutions avoid avoid them. If you don't know about them, don't worry or be put off. You soon will. them. If you don't know about them, don't worry or be put off. You soon will.

Give yourself about thirty seconds a line. That's ten minutes for twenty. No more. This is not about quality, it is about developing a feel for the metre and allowing it to become second nature.

Try to use a variety of word lengths: heed Alexander Pope's warning against monosyllables: And ten low words oft creep in one dull line5 Avoid 'wrenching': a wrenched wrenched accent is a false stress applied to a word in order for it to fit the metre, thus: accent is a false stress applied to a word in order for it to fit the metre, thus: He chose a word to force a wrenched accent Write in contemporary contemporary English, avoiding archaic 'poetical' vocabulary, word order inversions, unnecessary ('expletive') filler words like 'did' and 'so' in tortured constructions of this kind: English, avoiding archaic 'poetical' vocabulary, word order inversions, unnecessary ('expletive') filler words like 'did' and 'so' in tortured constructions of this kind: The swain did stand 'midst yonder sward so green

Then heard I wide the vasty portals ope I shall do the exercise myself now, adhering to all the conditions, just to give a vague idea of the kind of thing I'm expecting.

Tock-tick tock- tock-tick tock- tock-tick tock- tock-tick tock- tock-tick...

Right. This is what I have come up with.

I wonder why the postman hasn't come.I looked at eight, I'll look again at nine.The curtains closed remind me of my death.You might induce excretion using figs.Don't worry if the words don't make no sense.You look at me, your looking turns me on.I haven't time to take your call right now,So leave a message when you hear the tone.The mind of man can not contain itself.Some people eat like pigs and some like birds,Some eat like horses nosing in a trough.I write the line and feel the metre flow.There's nothing you can say to ease my pain.You can't explain the beauty of a deskThat rightness ink and paper seem to breathe.The needs of many far outweigh our own.Oh Christ, I hate the way you do your hair,Expect you feel the same about my tie.Your sharpness rips my paper heart in two.I've been and gone and done a stupid thing.

I hope that gives you the confidence to see that this exercise isn't about quality, poetic vision or verbal mastery.

Your turn now. I'll give you some blank s.p.a.ce. It's just in case you've come without a pad. Well, blow me, look at that line 'it's just just in in case case you've you've come come with without a a pad pad'iambic pentameter gets into the system like a germ, as a seasoned Shakespearean actor will tell you.

By all means refer to the samples of iambic pentameter above: mine or those of the Masters...

It is time to make your metre...now.