Scansion 韵律分析

Scansion 韵律分析
Scansion is the process of measuring斟酌 verse, identifying its prevailing meter 韵律,格律 and rhythm 节奏, and accounting for deviations from the metrical pattern. In scanning a poem, we try to determine its dominant rhythm and meter, and to account for variations from the norm.
The form of a poem
1. Number of lines:
A stanza or poem with
1 line: monostich
2 lines: couplet
3 lines: tercet / triplet 4 lines: quatrain
5 lines: limerick
6 lines: hexastich
7 lines: heptastich
8 lines: octave

2. A few verse forms:
u sonnet 十四行诗
u blank verse 无韵诗 / 素体诗
u free verse 自由体诗
u heroic couplet 英雄偶句体诗
u doggerel 打油诗
u Triolet 八行两韵诗
Rhythm 节奏
1. Definition:
the regular recurrence of the accent or stress in a poem
2. How do we mark the rhythm of a poem?
We use ’ for a stressed syllable and ﹀ an unstressed syllable.
For example:
﹀ ’ ﹀ ’ ﹀ ’ ﹀ ’ ﹀ ’
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Meter 韵律
Definition: the number of foot in a poetic line
Types of meter
Iamb 抑扬格
Trochee 扬抑格
Anapest 抑抑扬格
Dactyl 扬扬抑格
1． Iamb 抑扬格：an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable;
iambic抑扬格的
for example:
﹀ ’ ﹀ ’ ﹀ ’ ﹀ ’ ﹀ ’
. As soon as April pierces to the root
﹀ ’ ﹀ ’ ﹀ ’ ﹀ ’ ﹀ ’
The drought of March, and bathes each bud and shoot
2. Trochee 扬抑格：a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable;
trochaic扬抑格的
3. Anapest抑抑扬格：two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable
anapestic:抑抑扬格的
4. Dactyl扬抑抑格：a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables
dactylic:扬抑抑格的
Foot 音步
Definition：The basic unit of measurement in a line of poetry.
In scansion, a foot represents one instance of a metrical pattern and is shown either between or to the right or left of vertical lines, as in the following:
﹀ ’ ︱﹀ ’ ︱﹀ ’ ︱﹀ ’
Whose woods ︱these are︱ I think ︱ I know
Below is a list of classifications:
monometer: one foot 单音步
dimeter: two feet 两音步
trimeter: three feet 三音步
tetrameter： four feet 四音步
pentameter： five feet 五音步?
hexameter： six feet 六音步
heptameter： seven feet 七音步
octameter： eight feet 八音步
The meter in a poem is classified according both to its pattern and the number of feet to the line.
The following line is one of iambic pentameter
﹀

’ ﹀ ’﹀ ’ ﹀ ’ ﹀ ’
As soon as April pierces to the root
The following line is one of trochaic tetrameter:
’ ﹀ ’ ﹀ ’ ﹀ ’ ﹀
Whan that April with his shoures soote
Rhyme 押韵
1. Definition: the matching of final vowel and consonant sounds in two or more words.
2. How do we record the rhyme scheme of a poem?
We use a, b, c, …We use the same letter to mark the lines with the same rhyme.
3. What is the rhyme scheme of The Canterbury Tales?
Heroic couplet
Heroic couplet
Definition: lines of iambic pentameter rhymed in pairs: aa, bb, cc, and so on. （This verse form was introduced into English poetry by Chaucer, and has been in constant use ever since. ）
for example:
As soon as April pierces to the root
The drought of March, and bathes each bud and shoot
through every vein of sap with gentle showers
from whose engendering liquor spring the flowers;
Iambic Pentameter（五音步抑扬格）
A poetic line consisting of five verse feet (音步) ( penta- is from a Greek word meaning “five” ),with each foot an iamb (抑扬格)---that is , an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. ( Iambic pentameter is the most common verse line in English poetry. )