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Understanding Scansion and Metrical Feet in Poetry Analysis

Scansion is the close reading of a poem that focuses on its meter, reflecting the natural rhythm created by syllabic patterns. When analyzing a poem's scansion, consider its metrical feet, which are the basic units of rhythm. Familiarize yourself with the five primary types of metrical feet: Spondee, Iamb, Trochee, Dactyl, and Anapest. Lines of poetry can be categorized by the number of metrical feet they contain, from dimeter to octameter. This critical component of poetry helps enhance understanding and appreciation of the work.

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Understanding Scansion and Metrical Feet in Poetry Analysis

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  1. Lit. Term. Tuesday Scansion & Metrical Feet (not the kind that stink…)

  2. Scansion • A close, critical reading of a poem, examining the work for meter • When asked to analyze a poem’s scansion, you are looking at its meter and the relevance of this meter.

  3. Meter • natural rhythm of a poem • syllabic pattern • arrangements of syllables into repeated patterns • basic unit in the description of the underlying rhythm of a poem • units called ‘metrical feet’ • Determined by syllables NOT words; A foot can consist of multiple words and a single word can contain many feet

  4. Metrical Feet • 5 basic types • Spondee • Iamb • Trochee • Dactyl • Anapest • Numbered metrical feet in a line (Greek terminology): • dimeter — two feet • trimeter — three feet • tetrameter — four feet • pentameter — five feet • hexameter — six feet • heptameter — seven feet • octameter — eight feet • Feet NOT syllables

  5. Iamb • Iamb: unstressed syllable followed by a stressed • most natural form of rhythm in the English language, generally produces a subtle but stable verse • Shakespeare: blank verse = unrhymed iambic pentameter  / /  /  / / • My horse/my horse/my king/dom for/a horse -Richard III, Shakespeare • Compare/her face/with some/that I/will show And I/will make/thee think/thy swan/a crow -Romeo & Juliet, duh…

  6. Trochee, Dactyl, & Anapest • Trochee • Opposite of iamb • One stressed followed by an unstressed • Dactyl • One stressed followed by two unstressed • Moves quickly, as though it gallops • Homeric poetry (The Odyssey) • Anapest • Two unstressed followed by a stressed • Perfect for lighthearted, comic feel

  7. Anapest sample

  8. Trochaic Meter, sample • Common in nursery rhymes, typically ‘trochaic tetrameter’ OR

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