A Guide to Structure, Form, Rhythm, Meter

• What is the basic difference between structure and form in poetry?

  Structure mirrors or juxtaposes thematic content
• How does a poet use structure in their writing?

  To emphasize points and messages
• What are the individual patterns in poetry called?

  Meters
• What do meters consist of in poetry?

  Combinations of unstressed and stressed syllables
• How can you identify stressed syllables in a poem?

  By emphasizing them when reading aloud
• What do the bolded letters in "Hickory Dickory Dock" represent?

  Stressed syllables
• What are the four common types of meter in poetry?

  da-da-DA, DA-da-da, da-DA, DA-da
• What does the meter "da-da-DA" represent?

  Stressed syllable follows two unstressed
• Which poet is known for using iambic pentameter in all their works?

  Shakespeare
• Why might a poet change the meter in their poem?

  To emphasize important meanings
• What can a sudden break in meter indicate in a poem?

  It may highlight important lines
• How can assigning a specific meter to a character be revealing?

  It can indicate their social status
• What effect does meter have when poetry is read aloud?

  It creates a more appealing sound
• How can meter create different tones in poetry?

  By manipulating rhythmic patterns
• What does poetic form describe?

  The rules a poem follows
• What are some elements included in poetic form?

  Number of lines, stanza lengths, rhyme scheme
• What is the most famous type of poetic form?

  Sonnet
• Who introduced the Italian/Petrarchan sonnet?

  Francesco Petrarch
• What is the rhyme scheme of the Italian/Petrarchan sonnet?

  ABBA ABBA for the octet
• What typically occurs after the eighth line in a Petrarchan sonnet?

  A volta or shift in tone
• What differentiates types of sonnets?

  Stanza length and rhyme scheme
• What is the structure of a Shakespearean sonnet?

  Three quatrains and a couplet

  
• What is the rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet?

  ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
• What did John Milton do regarding sonnets?

  Stopped using the sonnet form regularly
• What is a characteristic of Miltonic sonnets?

  Focus on internal conflict
• What is the rhyme scheme of a Spenserian sonnet?

  ABAB BCBC CDCD EE
• How does the Spenserian sonnet combine elements of other sonnets?

  Merges Shakespearean and Petrarchan structures
• Why do poets often choose to write sonnets?

  To use a traditional structure with historical weight
• What theme is often associated with Petrarchan sonnets?

  Love poetry
• What concept did Petrarch explore regarding poetry?

  Art forms outliving their creators
• What is a Villanelle?

  A French poetic form with five tercets
• How does the structure of a Villanelle work?

  First and third lines repeat in stanzas
• What is the rhyme scheme of a traditional ballad?

  ABCB rhyming quatrains
• What distinguishes traditional folk ballads from literary ballads?

  Origin and style of communication
• What is blank verse?

  Unrhymed poetry in iambic pentameter
• How many syllables are in a line of blank verse?

  Ten syllables
• What is the beat pattern in blank verse?

  Pairs of beats going da-DA
• What is repeated throughout the poem?

  The first and third lines of the stanza
• What do the repeated lines create at the end of the poem?

  A final rhyming couplet
• What is a ballad?

  A narrative song communicated orally