Prosody - in English Literature

Prosody - in English Literature

What is Prosody?

Prosody is the part of poetry that studies the verses, rhythm, rhyme and sound structure of the poem. Prosody in English literature is extremely important for making poetry lyrical and music.

Prosody consists of the following major components:

 Rhyme (rhyme)

 Meter

 Syllable

 Stanza

 Rhyming Scheme

 Foot and Iamb

Let us understand all these components in order:

1. Rhyme – Rhyme means the use of similar sound words at the end of the rows of poetry. It creates rhythm and rhythm in the poem.

Example:

 "The sun is shining bright,

 This is a lovely sight. "

Here the words "Bright" and "Sight" are rhyme.

Major types:

 End Rhyme: Rhyme at the end of the line.

  Example:

"Humpty dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty dumpty had a great fall. "

 Internal Rhyme: Rhyme in the same line.

  Example:

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary."

 Slant Rhyme: Partial or almost equal sound rhyme.

  Example:

"Hope is the thing with feathers,

That perches in the soul. "

2. Meter - The meter is the structure of the poem that has a fixed sequence of words and letters. It is measured based on the number of syllables in the row and their pronunciation.

Main types:

 Iambic Pentameter - 5 iambic foot (˘ /) in each line.

  Example:

"Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?"

 Trochaic tetrameter - 4 trochaic foot (/ ˘) in each line.

  Example:

"Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright."

 Anapestic Trimeter - 3 Anapestic Foot (˘ ˘ /) in each line.

  Example:

"And the sound | of a voice | That is still."

3. Syllable - Syllable is the sound unit that is pronounced at once.

Example:

Words: "Poetry"

Syllables: PO-E-Try (3 Syllable)

Words: "Love"

Syllables: Love (1 syllable)

Importance:

The correct use of the syllable maintains the rhyme and rhythm in the poem.

4. Stanza - Stanza is a unit of poetry that consists of several rows. It can also be called a paragraph of poetry.

Major types:

 Couplet - 2 rows

  "Hope is the thing with feathers,

  That perches in the soul. "

 Quatrain - 4 rows

  "The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,

  But I have promples to keep,

  And miles to go before i sleep,

  And miles to go before i sleep. "

5. Rhyming Scheme - The pattern of letters reflecting the order of rhyme in the poem is called rhyming scheme.

Example (abab scheme):

 "The sky is blue (a)

 The sun shines bright (b)

 The flowers bloom (a)

 A beauty sight (b) "

6. Foot and Iamb (foot and iamb)

Foot is the smallest unit of poetry with one or more syllable.

The Iamb is the foot that has the first syllable light (˘) and the second is the sequel heavy (/).

Example:

 "To be | or not | to be | That is | The Ques | Tion."

Here is a light and a heavy syllable in each "foot".

Importance of Prosody

Rhythm and rhythm: makes the poem musical and rhythmic.

 Emotion and condolences: Expresses the poet's spirit effectively.

 Simple to remember: The poem is easily remembered due to lyricism.

 Poetry beauty: makes poetry attractive and effective.

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Read also:

👉 Rhetoric and Prosody | Figures of Speech  

👉 Go and Catch a Falling Star | important Figures of Speech