Rhythm & Meter: Literary Terms Explained!

[@Rachelsfunvideos]

I know this was 7 yrs ago, but thank you for making me giggle multiple times in this video! Your sense of humour makes learning fun and engaging.

[@traveltyp1212]

20 seconds into the video. I click subscribe. I get a comfortable feeling Tim is a confident and educated person to teach me. His public speaking commands my interest.

[@Nancenotes]

You’re very kind!

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Glad to be of service to your interest

[@Augnos]

As a musician struggling to write lyrics, this has really opened my mind to writing better already! Thanks!

[@verification535]

first

[@trancecrafter]

hey Augnos, I just spent the past 4 years or so learning poetry in order to better understand lyric writing as well. Glad to see someone else with similar thinking! Though, I would say lyric writing is similar to poetry writing and this video is helpful! but------ writing music relies less on poetic meter. more on artistic insight, and on the instrumental!!! this will be helpful for a while, but after a few years it becomes more about the music and less about the meter of the verses. etc.

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

I wish you enjoy it very much

[@jerometuo6510]

My notes in Chinese (prepared for the coming exam): 在诗歌中，我们可以在单词上标注“u”表示“unstressed”非重音，用“/”表示重音。 以重音开头，后面跟非重音的，是“falling rhythm”；以非重音开头，后面以重音结尾的，是“rising rhythm” U /是iamb（短长格或者抑扬格）是莎士比亚十四行诗常见的 / u是trochee（长短格或者扬抑格） u u /是anapest（抑抑扬格） / u u是dactyl（强弱格），这种诗歌当中很难见到。 / /是spondee（扬扬格） U U是pyrrhic（抑抑格） 诗歌的韵律可能在某些情况会发生突然的变化，可能有特殊的用途，比如让读者停下来好好思考之类的。 一个诗行中如果只有一个重音（也就是一个音步，foot）的话，就是monometer 二个音步就是dimeter 三个音步就是trimeter 四个音步就是tetrameter 五个音步就是pentameter 六个音步就是Hexameter 七个音步就是Heptameter 八个音步就是Octameter

[@sidstark7]

WOW

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Glad to be of service to your interest

[@liangqiushi5555]

Rhythm: 是诗歌中重音和非重音交替变化造成的自然节奏。 Meter: 是节奏变化的测量模式（格律）measurement。 Foot: 是轻重音组合的基本单位（音部），音部主要有四种类型： 抑扬格 iamb (unstressed / stressed) Rising feet 扬抑格 trochee (stressed / unstressed) Falling feet 抑抑扬格 anapest (unstressed / unstressed / stressed) Rising feet 扬抑抑格 dactyl (stressed / unstressed / unstressed) Falling feet Line: 一行诗中的音部数量不同又划分了多种诗行。 Monometer 单音部诗行 Dimeter 双音部诗行 Trimeter 三音部诗行 Tetrameter 四音部诗行 Pentameter 五音步诗行 Hexameter 六音步诗行 Stanza: 诗行由组成了诗节，一节诗中诗行数量不同由划分出不同的诗节模式。 couplet对联 triplet三行诗 quatrain四行诗（绝句）

[@borakeskin7872]

Why are you guys preparing for this in China? International students maybe.

[@heyythere1111]

谢谢兄弟🥲

[@samlim1280]

As someone who never took lit in secondary school and is now taking it for A Levels, thank you so much! This was really clear and great to comprehend.

[@Nancenotes]

Thanks! Glad I could help!

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

I am glad to make you happy to recognize poem

[@mustafaabdelrazik4418]

Thanks a lot ... I'm student of English literature.. and I gotta say you've done a great job.. and I learned a lot of things

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Glad to be of service to your interest

[@ryleexiii1252]

Thanks dad

[@charliereczek9690]

i dont want to like your comment and ruin a beautiful thing ...but it is a good comment

[@grishapatel1240]

Charlie Reczek 69?

[@andyisdead]

daddy

[@burgerboyy]

@Cynthia Cao its a joke lol

[@Sw33tOldS0ul]

Lol

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Knowing poetry is a provision for being able to write poetry, your tutorial is very useful for developing a culture of writing poetry

[@TheArhorn]

I've always wondered what meter was. Now I feel I have a much better grasp. Thank you!!!

[@Nancenotes]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@DannyGurlA7X]

This is really helping me with online classes--its a shame teachers don't know how to explain things this simply when they teach online classes.

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Have a nice enjoying it

[@hassanechetouane1092]

Dear teacher, I am learning English by reading poetry; This pushes me to understand how poetry is constructed by watching your amazing video. But I see my appetite increasing by seeing myself writing poesy. If one day, I will be a famous poet, I will never forget to mention you as my initiator.

[@Nancenotes]

I love it! That’s wonderful! I wish you much success!

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Glad to be of service to your interest

[@wazzouz]

Great explanation of rhythm and meter. I knew that Shakespeare wrote in iambic pentameter and didn't understand what that meant until I watched this lecture. Thank you very much!

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Glad to be of service to your interest

[@mebearcreations]

who's taking notes? I surely can't be the only one, right? :D

[@urboiwill4464]

U are

[@ryuuki4406]

XD Nerd

[@heirofdraxeon7677]

Bearvalley.art I’m with you, I’ve been taking notes this entire time!

[@malinpetersson4182]

I am 😂

[@joyacha9026]

Me

[@valerudy1490]

I’m an elementary school teacher. I came here to get some last minute clarification for a lesson I’m doing. I Learned So Much. Thank you.

[@Nancenotes]

Yay! Glad I could help! Good luck with the lesson! What grade do you teach?

[@gavinblythen6386]

thanks for the assistance bud, I enjoyed your method of putting your hand underneath your jaw to determine unstressed and stressed syllable

[@Slick411]

My Man, I've been hunting for an analysis of "It was a Lover and His Lass" for my dissertation and have been coming up dry, so I've been having to learn how to do it myself. It's pretty cut and dry except for the line "In springtime, the only pretty ringtime." This video was awesome! Got me the info I needed and fast. Only wish I could reference you in my dissertation! But my committee probably wouldn't be crazy about that. Funny how we study these days; learn it here, then get your reference somewhere else. Doesn't make much sense. Thanks again!

[@Nancenotes]

One of the best songs in Shakespeare! My six-year-old daughter sings and dances to it all the time. Thank you for the compliments! If you want a fantastic little book on the topic that would definitely work for your dissertation, check out Robert Pinsky’s The Sound of Poetry.

[@kailyndekker-black1179]

This is a great video A+ content. I'd love to see more text over the video for us notetakers.

[@wazzouz]

Good point - more text in the white space next to his head would be great, although I used Microsoft OneNote while watching this and finished with a great outline of rhythm!

[@ivymowry2251]

Barely making it through highschool English lit. This was super helpful, the teachers explanation of stressed and unstresses syllables and how to mark them was super confusing.

[@phoenixed523]

Thank you so much, currently im undertaking year 12 lit, and this video is making me more interested in poetry and its structure. Probably should’ve found this before my sac but this helps so much for the upcoming exam!

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Glad to be of service to your interest

[@annadrake3839]

I adore Robert Pinsky's poetry.

[@Reuben_Lalnunzira]

wow, so useful and clear. so musical too

[@ayyoubhamtat8524]

I subscribed after 30 Seconds of watching this vid. Thanks Tim. You've been a great help.

[@sanaafzalmir]

Thank you. It was very helpful, you explained a difficult topic so easily.

[@metalhearted1]

Thanks for the video. This was educational and instantly reminded me of old lessons lost.

[@nasserlouh6855]

Thanks a bundle..I really enjoyed the video..I have learned a lot from you. Thank you so much indeed.

[@maheennadeem7760]

the best english helping video online:))))) Thank you. It helped alot.

[@abhishektodmal1914]

Thank you for this fantastic lesson, Tim. Really helpful, and much appreciated most certainly. Wish you all the best, and lots of love! :)

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Glad to be of service to your interest

[@JoshNunnyt]

5:36 just imaging this guy on his own with a cameraman in front of a green screen whilst turning around and dancing 😂😂

[@yeetmaster808]

He's a boomer

[@vladimirremmirez7671]

im confused, so how do you count rhythm. By using the meter

[@thilypad557]

but wouldn't this be heavily dependent on your speech; how fast you speak or what words you emphasize?

[@Nancenotes]

Personal speed and emphasis can change delivery, and some poets (Gerard Hopkins, for example) play on unique emphasis, but for the most part rhythm is determined by natural emphasis in the language. If you are native to English, you’ll naturally put the emphasis on the correct syllable; doing otherwise will sound and feel awkward. Try taking words with multiple syllables and deliberately emphasizing the wrong ones. You should notice it sounds wrong. There are still subtle variations and not all emphases are exactly the same, but sharp poets tend to play with these variations, too. Try reading Pinsky’s book The Sound of Poetry for an excellent discussion of this topic.

[@charlottehughes2162]

Best video by far , learned so much in this short video 🙏

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Glad to be of service to your interest

[@jerometuo6510]

Your video saved my day. Thanks a lot. 😃

[@kristinemilyfriend2066]

I'm writing a rhyming picture book which is proving to be more complicated than I expected. Your videos are very helpful. I am struggling to grasp exceptions. In your Robert Frost example, "Whose woods these are I think I know," "I" is an unstressed noun. Since one-syllable nouns are typically stressed, how does the reader know that "I" is an unstressed syllable rather than an exception in the meter? Thanks for all your help! I appreciate it!

[@Nancenotes]

Language is quite pliable, and though poor meter can sound very forced, most syllables are not emphasized with equal distinction. Therefore, whether a syllable counts as stressed or unstressed sometimes depends on context. “I” is one of those which could probably lean either way. I could lay emphasis on it, or I could lighten its emphasis by surrounding it with more emphatic syllables. Robert Pinsky’s book, which I reference here, notes that the rhythm in this particular line gradually lightens-the beginning of the line is much more emphatic than the end, so much so that some of the later stressed syllable are actually as emphatic as the earlier unstressed syllables! He has a good discussion of it, if I recall correctly. (Unfortunately, I don’t have the book ready at hand.) I recommend checking it out for a more complex and nuanced read of rhythm. Thanks for your question! I wish you luck with your picture book!

[@kristinemilyfriend2066]

@@Nancenotes Thanks so much!

[@journey9411]

Thank you so much! Poetry has always been a mystery to me. This cleared up so many questions.

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Glad to be of service to your interest

[@mr.arshadali1758]

Amazing method,sir You have just cleared all the confusions.

[@michellekuemmet5323]

Excellent explanation and examples. THANK YOU!

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Glad to be of service to your interest

[@thefogisgone3662]

You think there's any way you could make a video on what the difference between homophones and entendres are. And triple and quadruple entendres?

[@Nancenotes]

That sounds fun! I’m currently unable to make anything because of some unfortunate tech trouble, and I also have some stuff I have to finish for my students first, but that sounds like a great video to pursue soon.

[@gladstonelesliesamuel5316]

Thanks Tim. Very useful. It will take some time for me to understand these concepts and put in practice.

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Glad to be of service to your interest

[@uranusgemini3388]

Hello. Can anyone tell us how the speech of Lawrence Washington posted below measures up?

[@anoushhovnanian6051]

this gets so much more interesting when we put the video at 1.5 speed x) but great video none the less

[@Nancenotes]

+anoush Hovnanian Thank goodness for speed control. I listen to most things in 2x as well.

[@ambarpathak6237]

i just tried that

[@Hirosada]

Question: what's to stop a reader from stressing whatever syllable he wants, thereby ruining the pattern?

[@Nancenotes]

You can try, but you'll sound wrong. It's possible sometimes, but usually a natural English speaker will hear the error. It can be done on a few beats deliberately for a purpose (See Gerard Manly Hopkins), but only under special circumstances.

[@duckyduck1233]

Thanks I have a quiz tomorrow

[@Curlzyness]

Best explanation ever

[@OrbanHill]

Very nicely done, both clear and nicely delivered

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Glad to be of service to your interest

[@NeenaSharmainspirations]

Great enthusiastic explanation.Thanks a lot Sir @inspirationsbyneena

[@aidahabdghani3173]

Very informative.

[@aelumag4662]

This is the best explanation on KZbin, congratulations! I have a question though: How do you tell what type of meter you have in verses where they kinda blend in and there can be a little ambiguity as to how to set the feet. Here is what I mean exactly: Where, oh/ where have /you been /my love? If I group the feet by two syllables then I would have trochee/trochee/iamb/iamb If I group the feet by three syllables as well, I would have: Where, oh/ where have /you been my/ love? trochee/trochee/amphibrach/spondee/ - or this cannot be because you cannot have a foot made of only one syllable? If we separate them like this: Where, oh/ where have you/ been my love? We would have trochee/dactyl/cretic? The next verse cannot be separated into 2 syllable meter, one syllable is left out, so how do we know whether it is: It's been /so long/ since the /moon has gone/ iamb/iamb/pyrrhus/cretic or It's been /so long/ since the moon /has gone/ Iamb/iamb/anapest/iamb So I guess the right question would be: what are the criteria for separating the feet? how do you tell the 3 syllabic feet from the 2 syllabic feet? How do you decide if to put the slash after 2 syllables or after 3 - when more of them are in a verse like in this example? I watched many videos on this but this answer I could not find; Thank you!

[@straightforward9566]

Someone answer this please I also want to know this

[@kateshirinda3063]

thank you somuch ,great explanation really helped alot

[@imannatasha3302]

You made my e-learning easier thanks

[@straightforward9566]

Thanks Professor 👏

[@latoyabolt9459]

I really appreciate this video! Thank you!

[@JunkDrawerVideos]

Are you the guy from PBS idea channel???

[@martinstent5339]

The first thing I learned here is that Americans and Brits pronounce indefatigable differently.

[@christiancadelina6424]

I learned a lot. Thank you!

[@alptekintalanc7145]

my man sounds as if he is spitting some harsh bars :D thanks sir

[@albinocatfish9132]

I had to watch this for homework but if I did want to pursue poetry I would look for things like this.

[@carolinamartinel7754]

Thank you! Very helpful and fun to watch!

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Glad to be of service to your interest

[@judykoren2604]

Interesting that you scan Browning's line as trochees. I doubt very much that he meant AS and AND to be stressed. I think it reads much more naturally when scanned as four-syllable feet with the stress on the third syllable: as for VEnice / and its PEOple, / merely BORN to / bloom and DROP (I've used slashes here to mark the foot divisions) - in this case too there's a caesura at the end of the line, no final unstressed syllable. There aren't recognized names for four-syllable feet in English but that doesn't mean you can't write in such a metre. What poem does it come from? Reading more lines from the poem should enable us to tell which metre he's actually using.

[@Nancenotes]

Okay, I'm a little confused. I couldn't remember using a Browning poem in the video, and after rewatching it twice, I'm quite sure I didn't. I used the Macbeth witches as my example of trochee. Maybe you're confusing me with another video on rhythm that you've recently watched? I do agree with you that the unnamed four-syllable foot works better on those particular lines, though, and I was a little inaccurate to give off the impression that only two or three-syllable rhythms exist.

[@judykoren2604]

@@Nancenotes Now I'M confused! The video I was watching when I commented was not yours, it was a 6-minute video called "How to find poetic metre" and the Browning example is at around 3:30 minutes. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJuZf6WLfa2rfs0 - I have no idea why my comment got attached to your video instead. KZbin has a habit of running on automatically from video to video so perhaps by the time I finished typing my comment and hit Reply, KZbin had switched the URL... Really sorry... I'll copy over my comment to the other guy and hope that this time it finds the right home :)

[@vishakhasingh4855]

Thank you so much. This really really helped. It was so overwhelming!!1

[@ryandavis280]

Instant subscribe!!!

[@Adsterr]

perfect for artists/rap artist like myself.

[@brandon5058]

this is amazing!

[@alexmalaba30]

nice! thanks for clarifying

[@anneedwards1804]

An excellent explanation

[@ISTG420]

Am i the only person who just learned that gibberish is actually a language

[@nagahumanbeingzooofparticl8836]

Great explanation.. thank you

[@Rvgtdiddy]

hey, does anyone know the ryhme and meter of Charlie Howards Descent by Mark Doty? I NEED HELP ASAP essay is due soon !

[@fatemehheidari1965]

Very precious lesson,Thanks a lot!

[@whatireadinaday.4864]

Hello sir , could you plz cover literary terms from MH Abraham's

[@Nancenotes]

Do you mean “M. H. Abram’s”? Which literary terms were you interested in hearing more about?

[@kankshita2071]

Thanks! This helps SO much!

[@bhaktiadzani2145]

this is epic, thanks a lot of ur brief explanations

[@parvintelli5178]

Thank you very much... Big help

[@pauldzinnjr]

THIS IS THE BEST!!!!! THANK YOU!!!

[@vishalshukla5536]

Great job sir

[@thelazypanda3469]

Very helpful, thanks a lot

[@enjoyingpoetry-rizalelsarif]

Glad to be of service to your interest

[@abdulquadir6268]

Being a master in english literature today i really tackled these meter mysteries .thanx man

[@benmoody1394]

Don't blame you. Probably can't think about anything but rhythm.

[@Nancenotes]

I was just teasing. Thanks for taking it well. Hope you get it figured out!

[@benmoody1394]

@@Nancenotes I don't think I'm the one that needs to get figured out.

[@bsingh8709]

Excellent!

[@a5othercules431]

great explaination! please,prof can you help me in this? comment on the single effect of "the lottery" by Shirley Jackson? thanks

[@Nancenotes]

Can you elaborate on what you mean by "Single Effect"?

[@a5othercules431]

I think "single Effect" means form and content. Do you agree with me ,prof?

[@kubolor1234]

I suggest listening to Migos.

[@rivalili]

this really helped!!

[@aminaaminabb7897]

So funny and enlightening

[@mirandablackford6353]

if you had more visual ways to explain the differences between all the different terms and meters, it would have more helpful I believe. Your definitions and examples were nice, but it's easily glossed over without a visual reference to help connect the words to the meanings.

[@Ellooooeeh]

Anybody here for Clark LOL it'll be interesting to see this in the future.

[@zahraarahal9208]

The name of the book please?! Thanks

[@Nancenotes]

The Sound of Poetry by Robert Pinsky

[@zahraarahal9208]

Thanks

[@rameenkhan64]

Wow ur amazing

[@estee9180]

Thank you so much :)

[@cartoonp9355]

I like meth but I love literature and write poems too. thanks for the vid

[@哈哈哈娃哈哈]

@Dolores Claiborne 💊 xddd

[@kendrakaybee]

😂😂😂

[@rahafsmile8608]

I am student at English literature and my teacher asked us to watch this video and comment on it so,I do

[@corithompson9516]

Keep your shoes on man

[@mercury527]

nice cut

[@lifelearner45lloyd97]

Best video!

[@metam1000]

im 11 yr old and so confused

[@crocodile1728]

Relax enjoy life

[@be_hope_dk6547]

Thanks, mate!

[@carolinecook8855]

go to 2:59

[@itznoxy7193]

u u / u u / u u / u This really cleared this up for me. Thank you.

[@Sw33tOldS0ul]

Who’s here for Simply homeschool??

[@Nancenotes]

What is Simply Homeschool? Tell them thanks for showing my videos!

[@catherinewalch1930]

so helpful :)

[@cottontaelle]

this dude looks exactly, and i mean EXACTLY, like folding ideas/dan olson

[@Nancenotes]

Look out for Literary Terms Explained: Doppelgängers!

[@faustianacademia]

I love this one. Still, too many information at once; I might die but happily shall be.