How to Read a Poem.docx

1、How to Read a PoemHow to Read a Poem - Appreciation of English Poetry1. Basic termsanapestic抑抑扬格的content dactylic长短格的dimeter二步格form hexameter六步格iambic短长格meaning pentameter五步格rhyme scheme韵式trochaic扬抑格的 tetrameter四音步trimeter三音步2. Basic elements1）Rhythm韵律: The methods for creating poetic rhythm vary ac

2、ross languages and betweenpoetic traditions. Languages are often described as having timing set primarily by accents, syllables, or moras(调形, 音节延长度), depending on how rhythm is established, though a language can be influenced by multiple approaches.2） Meter步律：it is the definitive pattern established

3、 for a verse (such as iambic pentameter抑扬五音步). the meter of a line may be described as being iambic. Scanning(将（诗）划分音步) meter can often show the basic or fundamental pattern underlying a verse. As an example of how a line of meter is defined, in English-language iambic pentameter, each line has five

4、 metrical feet, and each foot is an iamb, or an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. When a particular line is scanned, there may be variations upon the basic pattern of the meter; for example, the first foot of English iambic pentameters is quite often inverted, meaning that the str

5、ess falls on the first syllable. The generally accepted names for some of the most commonly used kinds of feet include:spondee (强强格, 扬扬格, 重重格) two stressed syllables togetheriamb(抑扬格, 短长格) unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllableE.g. As fair / art thou / my bon/nie lass,So deep / in luve

6、/ am I :And I / will luve / thee still,/ my dear,Till a / the seas / gang dry:注: art=are thou=you luve=love theethou的宾格 bonnie=beautifl a=all gang=gotrochee(扬抑格, 长短格) one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllableE.g. Tiger!/ Tiger!/ burning / brightIn the / forests / of the / nightdactyl(

7、扬抑抑格) one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllablesTouch her not / scornfully,Think of her / mournfully. anapest(抑抑扬格, 短短长格) two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllableE.g. Like a child / from the womb,Like a ghost / from the tomb,I arise / and unbuild / it again.pyrrhic(

8、抑抑格) - two unstressed syllables together (rare, usually used to end dactylic hexameter)The number of metrical feet(韵脚) in a line are described in Greek terminology as follows:dimeter (二韵脚，二音步) two feettrimeter (三步) three feettetrameter(四音步) four feetpentameter(五音步) five feethexameter(六步格,) six feeth

9、eptameter(七步格) seven feetoctameter(八步格) eight feetEach of these types of feet has a certain feel, whether alone or in combination with other feet. The iamb, for example, is the most natural form of rhythm in the English language, and generally produces a subtle but stable verse. The dactyl, on the o

10、ther hand, almost gallops along. And, as readers of The Night Before Christmas or Dr. Seuss realize, the anapest(抑抑扬格, 短短长格) is perfect for a light-hearted, comic feel.Note: Rhythm and meter, although closely related, should be distinguished. Meter is the definitive pattern established for a verse (

11、such as iambic pentameter抑扬五音步), while rhythm is the actual sound that results from a line of poetry. Thus, the meter of a line may be described as being iambic, but a full description of the rhythm would require noting where the language causes one to pause or accelerate and how the meter interacts

12、 with other elements of the language.3） Metrical patternsDifferent traditions and genres of poetry tend to use different meters, ranging from the Shakespearian iambic pentameter and the Homerian dactylic hexameter to the Anapestic tetrameter used in many nursery rhymes. However, a number of variatio

13、ns to the established meter are common, both to provide emphasis or attention to a given foot or line and to avoid boring repetition. For example, the stress in a foot may be inverted, a caesura(节律的停顿)(or pause) may be added (sometimes in place of a foot or stress), or the final foot in a line may b

14、e given a feminine(阴性的) ending to soften it or be replaced by a spondee（强强格） to emphasize it and create a hard stop. Some patterns (such as iambic pentameter) tend to be fairly regular, while other patterns, such as dactylic hexameter, tend to be highly irregular. Regularity can vary between languag

15、e. In addition, different patterns often develop distinctively in different languages, so that, for example, iambic tetrameter in Russian will generally reflect a regularity in the use of accents to reinforce the meter, which does not occur or occurs to a much lesser extent in English.Some common metrical patterns, with notable examples of poets and poems who use them, include:Iambic pentameter抑扬格五音步 (John Milton, Paradise Lost)Dactylic hexameter (Homer, Iliad; Ovid, The Metamorphoses)Iambic tetramete