Prosody in English PoetryIambic PentameterSlide 3Slide 4Slide 5Slide 6Slide 7Slide 8Slide 9Slide 10Slide 11Four-Stress Alliterative VerseSlide 13Slide 14Four-Stress Accentual VerseSlide 16Prosody in English Poetry Prosody: The arrangement of sounds and pattern of repetition of sounds that gives poetry its emphatic, distinctive effect.Iambic Pentameter• Most common form of poetic meter in modern EnglishIambic Pentameter• Most common form of poetic meter in modern English• Alternating unstressed and stressed syllablesIambic Pentameter• Most common form of poetic meter in modern English• Alternating unstressed and stressed syllables• Five beats to the lineIambic Pentameter The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain. (From My Fair Lady)Iambic Pentameter The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain. (From My Fair Lady)Iambic Pentameter The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain. (From My Fair Lady)Iambic PentameterAt last he rose, and twitch’d his mantle blueTomorrow to fresh woods, and pastures new.John Milton, Lycidas, lines 192-3Iambic PentameterAt last he rose, and twitch’d his mantle blueTomorrow to fresh woods, and pastures new.John Milton, Lycidas, lines 192-3Iambic PentameterOr:Tomorrow to fresh woods, and pastures new.John Milton, Lycidas, lines 192-3Iambic PentameterAt last he rose, and left without a clue;To pass the test, he knew he must review.Four-Stress Alliterative Verse• Alliterative verse depends upon alliteration (repeated sounds of vowels and consonants on stressed syllables) rather than a fixed meterFour-Stress Alliterative Verse• Alliterative verse depends upon alliteration (repeated sounds of vowels and consonants on stressed syllables) rather than a fixed meter• Four-stress meter is in Beowulf and other Old English poemsFour-Stress Alliterative Verse• Alliterative verse depends upon alliteration (repeated sounds of vowels and consonants on stressed syllables) rather than a fixed meter• Four-stress meter is in Beowulf and other Old English poems• Beowulf also uses medial caesuraFour-Stress Accentual Verse So! The Spear Danes in days of oldWere led by a lord famed for his forays.Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad,weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah,oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra ofer hronrade hyran scolde, gomban gyldan. þæt wæs god
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