Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 06:53:06 -0800 (PST)
From: StreetWrites 
Subject: {poetry} EXERCISE: More on Rhythm

Thanks, Judy, for the editing job on the Exercise Intro.

My server has eaten another exercise-in-progress, more on echoes, and I'm
waiting to see if it will spit it back out.  That happens sometimes. In
the meantime, here is another exercise on Rhythm, that my server let me
finish.  It was written PICO, so it houldn't have any weirdcodes in it.

All Syllables Are Not Created Equal
-----------------------------------

	Foot and meter are not all there is to rhythm in poetry.  To the
vast number of modern poets, foot and meter are the most minor aspects of
rhythm.

	In this topic, we will cover other ways to build the rhythm into
words, give you examples of their use, and let you play with them.  I
don't guarantee you'll wind up another Dylan Thomas - but not everyone
wants to be.  You will have more of a feel for the music of your own
language.

Stress Levels
-------------

	"Feet" are composed of stressed and unstressed syllables. 
However, not all syllables are stressed equally.  Some are completely
relaxed, like the suffix "er".  Others are sitting up and alert, but not
all that active, like the "posed" in "composed".  Some jump up and demand
attention, like the "ev" in "howEVer" can, if spoken urgently.  And some
need Valium, like the capitalized words in certain modern poetry.

	This difference in stress can be used in writing to vary the sound
of a passage while keeping to a unified meter.

Exercise : Stress Variations
--------

Write an eight-line poem in iambic pentameter.  Start out with a slow,
calm feel.  Accelerate the urgency until you wind up with an effect of
panic, rage, or demand.  Achieve this by selecting words with different
stress levels.

Optionally, you may reverse the pattern.

Guidelines for critique
-----------------------
What is the effect?

Is it achieved by syllable stress?

Is the basic meter kept (basically)?


Long and Short
--------------

	"Attention" is pronounced "uh-TEN-shun".  Both the "uH" and the
"shun" are unstressed.  But the "shun" is slightly longer than the "uh".

	Using the variation between long and short syllables can also be a
way to create effect in poetry.

	"A gladiolus" and "a soft and sweet flush" have an equal number of
syllables, and almost the same stress pattern - but quite different
rhythms.  The length of words can be another variation in effect.

Exercise : Syllable Length
--------

Write an eight-line poem in iambic pentameter, using variations in
syllable and word length to vary the rhythm.

Guidelines for Critique
-----------------------

Was the meter basically kept throughout the poem?

Did the rhythm vary?

Was the variation in rhythm achieved by variations is syllable and word
length?

What was the effect of the changing rhythm?


Sentences
---------

	Poetry has sentences, too - at least some of it does.  A line
broken into two sentences, a line that comes to a full stop at the end,
and a sentence that extends over two or more lines, will each have a
different rhythm.

Exercise : Sentence Length
--------

Write an eight-line poem in iambic pentameter that either starts with long
sentences and accelerates the pace with shorter ones, or starts with short
sentences and slows the pace by extending them. 

Guidelines for critique
-----------------------

Was the basic meter kept throughout the poem?

Did the rhythm vary as the line length changed?

What was the effect of the change in rhythm?


Inflection
----------

	The cat in the hat has sat.  
	And what do you think of that?

	Those two lines have exactly the same meter, but entirely
different inflections - and rhythms.  There are other variations of
inflection in English, besides questions and exclamations, but those are
the most common.

Exercise : Inflection
--------

Write an eight-line poem in iambic pentameter in which the rhythm varies
due to different inflections.  Ty to find as many ways of varying the
inflection as you can, besides questions and exclamations.

Guidelines for critique
-----------------------

Was the meter basically kept throughout the poem?

Did the rhythm vary?

Was the variation due to differences in inflection?

What were the differences in inflection?

What was the effect of the changing rhythm?


	There you go.  Now --

WRITE ON!
Anitra
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     "Beware of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup."  ABS
	   anitra@speakeasy.org   http://www.speakeasy.org/~anitra
	   thalia@speakeasy.org   http://www.speakeasy.org/~thalia

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