The Rhythm and Meter in Poetry

Rhythm in English Poetry

Rhythm in English poetry is realized by the alternation of beats and offbeat, writes Thomas Carper and Derek Attridge (2003). Rhythm is characterized as the repetition of a certain sound pattern within a poem. Rhythm is typically produced in a poem by alternating between long and short tones, as well as stressed and unstressed syllables. English poetry primarily employs five rhythms of contrasting stressed and unstressed syllables: iambs, spondees, trochees, dactyls, and anapests. The most debated form of rhythm in English poetry is iambic pentameter. In Iambic pentameter, each line of the poem has ten syllables that always alternate either in an unstressed or stressed rhythmic pattern.

An Analysis of Elizabeth Bishop’s Poem ’One Art’

One poem I would like to analyses is Elizabeth Bishop’s poem ‘One Art’. Elizabeth uses a meter very close to iambic pentameter in her poetry. Each line in the poem is about ten or eleven syllables (“Shmoop Editorial Team,” 2008). The poem seems to be losing when Elizabeth Bishop uses a flexible and lacking effort of making the poem iambic. She assumes the extra syllables, which makes the poem lose its identification as a perfect iambic pentameter. For instance, in line 5, ”Lose something every day. Accept the fluster“, tempts the reader to finish the thought (Schwartz, 2004). This line can be seen to be halfway iamb when we consider the 11th beat of what should have been the 10th beat line.

The Importance of Rhythm and Meter in Poetry

Rhythm and meter are essential tools in poetry writing. Rhythm in poetry acts as beat does in music (”Shmoop Editorial Team,” 2008). The need to express certain points more strongly in a poem is what stirs up the use of rhythm in a poem. Rhythm has become a common culture in poetry. Almost every poet makes use of rhythm in his or her poetry. The poet might stress them for a long period that creates a repetition in rhythmical patterns to produce a rhythmic effect. The rhythmic effects ensure that the poem has a pleasant sound to the mind and soul of the reader. Rhythm captures the reader’s attention by creating a musical effect in a poem (Schwartz, 2004). The musical aspects make the poem more enjoyable and pleasing to the reader. If the Bishop could not have used a refrain in her poem, it could not have been easy for the reader to understand the point Bishop was driving at (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008).

Repetition and Meter in Elizabeth Bishop’s Poem

The number of times Elizabeth Bishop repeats the poem’s basic rhythmic foot is what determines the meter of the poem. In her poem, two lines have been repeated severally. The repetition aspect enhances readers understanding hence delivering the legit meaning of the poem to the reader. In this poem, Bishop strictly sticks to one refrain - ”the art of losing’s not too hard to master“ (Schwartz, 2004). A villanelle should have another line similar to the above line repeating itself throughout the poem; however, Bishop does not follow the required pattern in repetition. Bishop develops a refrain that is repeated all over the poem. Repeating lines in a poem is an acceptable practice that most poets prefer to use to stress its meaning. Repeating slightly changes the appearance of the poem hence making it pleasant to the reader.

Identifying Meter in a Poem

In an iambic pentameter - which is usually a common rhythm in such a poem, villanelles have no rhythm. In any case, if you are told to analyze the meter of the poem, the first approach is to first identify whether the poem is iambic. This is because iambi is a common element in all traditional poems and Shakespeare’s works.

References

Carper, T., & Attridge, D. (2003). Meter and Meaning: An Introduction to Rhythm in Poetry. Psychology Press.

Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008, November 11). One Art Form and Meter. Retrieved December 10, 2017, from https://www.shmoop.com/one-art/rhyme-form-meter.html

Schwartz, L. (2004). Elizabeth Bishop and her art. Ann Arbor: Univ. of Michigan Press.