Size and rhythm in a poem are two criteria that are inextricably linked. The reader perceives them as a charming, inseparable from poetry sensation of harmony, meaning and style.
What is rhythm and rhyme in a poem? These are the main factors that distinguish poetry itself from prose. High-quality classical poetry is always characterized by a properly built rhythm. Without it, even perfectly rhymed lines sound clumsy.
The effect of harmony on the perception of a work
What is rhythm in a poem? This is the sound formed by the ordered repetition of syllables. The alternation of shock and unstressed elements in stanzas is the core of the entire system of addition of the Russian syllabonic-tonic verse.
Of course, there are verlibres, white verses in which the rhythmic pattern is not as important as the figurative narrative. But this can be called an exception to the rule. There is such a variation as the ancient verse. This method of versification introduced into the poetry of Asklepiad Samos more than three hundred years before our era. In a simple (short) antique verse, dactyl, spondae and trocha are used. Now these stanzas are of little use, as free verbs are more popular. But the famous poem of Horace "Monument" is written precisely by an antique verse with a unique rhythm.
When a novice poet makes the first attempts at writing, you need to focus on the rhythm. To better understand whether he is sustained or not, you need to read your essay aloud (to yourself). So it becomes more obvious if the lines are broken or everything is written well.
We will consider how rhythm is formed, what its levels are distinguished in literary criticism. We also give some examples of poetic works.
Definition of rhythm in a poem
But let's start from the very beginning, that is, from the definition. A rhythm is a harmonious alternation of sound elements in phrases. What is this concept in versification? Sound phrases are not sentences, these are all those literal elements that are spoken from one pause to another. Phrases combine into stanzas; and the stanzas in the feet.
How to determine the rhythm of a poem? To do this, an auxiliary scheme is written with stressed and unstressed syllables, between which separators are placed. Due to the rhythm, we separate the two-syllable iambic from the chorea. And even when some unstressed syllables are omitted, you can still clearly determine the size. The definition of rhythm in a poem gives an understanding of the laws of harmony in the art of poetry.
One can study literature and its theory for years, but still not understand the inner beauty of harmonious stanzas. What is rhythm in a poem? This is a kind of music in the syllable. The phenomenon that is called tact in music is called a meter in poetry. Possession of the meter determines the professional artist of the word.
A variety of alternations of sound elements
How does rhythm help the perception of a poem? The alternation of sounds in stanzas can be variable so that harmony can be felt. After all, a constant monophonic sound acts depressingly on a person.
For a verse to be pleasing to the ear, the rhythm must obey the laws of harmony. Poems, so that they differ from the army march, must be supplemented by dissonances or assonances.
Sizes and rhythms in one couplet may be different. It all depends on the author’s intention, genre and the chosen method of rhyming. For example, the avant-garde verse will have its own sound corresponding to the theme of figurative narrative. And the odic stanza has its own special rhythm, since the stanza is 6, and the male and female rhymes alternate in a special way.
In large works, especially in children's fairy tales composed in verse, freely rhymed lines are allowed. This gives more freedom to the author in the formation of the plot. But the basic rule of free rhyming is harmony.
Words should be combined in sound, not visually. In complex stanzas you need to choose a rhyme by ear. Just as a conductor determines the quality of a fugue's performance by sound, the poet selects words for the poem so that they maintain the rhythm, rather than knock it down.
The image of the pendulum
What is rhythm in a poem in your own words? The most suitable image, on the basis of which it is convenient to imagine its essence, is a pendulum that measures time into certain segments.
The forming elements of rhythm are size, rhyme and the presence of an ordered structure. All of them are very important for making an easy-to-read poem.
What are the different rhythm levels? Classification by levels is needed for those who have devoted their lives to the study and development of literature. But also this knowledge will be interesting to those who are just starting to be interested in this area of humanitarian knowledge.
The first level is, as already mentioned, the simplest syllables. The second is the paths, the third is the poetic lines, the fourth level is the stanzas. At first glance, this seems complicated. But having figured it out, everything falls into place.
Complicated stanzas and rhythm
Let’s try to explain in a different way what rhythm is in a poem, in your own words. For the average reader and for high school students it is not at all necessary to know the rhythmic patterns. It is also not necessary to determine the size of each verse read. Let's just say that rhythm is an alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables. In some works, the authors put them somewhat unusual. For example, there are 2 stressed syllables in a row or 2 unstressed ones. This somewhat confuses the rhythm, but is also an acceptable technique in the literature.
Complex dimensions, where a lot of nuances are taken into account, is a special level of harmony in sound. If the rhythm in them is not sustained, then all efforts are in vain. New types of stanzas need to be mastered gradually.
Rhythm and rhyme
Consider two main criteria, without which it is impossible to write a poetic work. What is rhythm and rhyme in a poem? These are two concepts that are closely related. The whole stanza is united by a common rhythm. Size is determined after stanza analysis. They are three-foot, four-foot, five-foot and so on.
There are five main sizes of rhyme. These are the sizes that are obtained if you strictly maintain the alternation of syllables. Among them, two two-syllable and 3 three-syllable ones are distinguished. Iambic and trochee differ from each other in that in the first case the stress falls on the syllable at number 1, in the second case - at number 2. Without dividing the verse into lines, it would not be clear which of the syllables is the first, which is the second. Rhythm delimits the elements of the stanza.
Among the three-complex sizes, there are also bacchus, antibacchus and amphimacre. Their presence in poetry is justified if you need to emotionally highlight some plot in a long poem. What rhythm in the poem can be determined by analyzing the work and revealing its size.
What are the rhythms
Literature has its own history and established traditions, but it is constantly developing and absorbing new trends. Therefore, rhythm is not limited by any norms. The poet develops his style throughout his creative life.
For clarity, to determine the rhythm, here are a few poems in various sizes:
Morning that / semolina, / morning se / doe,
Fields / sand, / snow covered / covered,
Reluctantly, and remember the past,
Remember the faces long forgotten. (I.S. Turgenev)
This is a four-foot dactyl. Thanks to the markup, you can determine its rhythm. Three-syllable sizes are characterized by two unstressed syllables and one stressed. Dactyl, amphibrach, and anapaest are three sizes that find harmony in most 4- and 5-foot verses of the syllabonic tonic structure.
This is a poem by A. Blok, written by anapaest. When analyzing stanzas, patterns of stress that form a rhythm are clearly visible.
There are purely tonic poems in Russian, in which the poet arranges only stressed syllables, and unstressed are used inconsistently. This writing style was used quite often by V. Mayakovsky.
Our God is running
Heart - our drum
The rhythm in such a poem is very peculiar. Of course, V. Mayakovsky could express himself that way. But the novice poet must first master the syllabonic-tonic system.
Assonance and dissonance in poetry as a way to create rhythm
Let us explain these basic concepts. Assonance is a tropic path that uses the same vowels in a verse. This technique enhances the emotionality of what the author said. Lines with such frequently repeated sounds are easy to read and learn fast.
Very often assonance can be found in the verses of S. Marshak, M. Lermontov has these paths. This trail is similar to alliteration, but when using it, such repeated sound combinations are an order of magnitude greater.
What is dissonance? This trail is characterized by the fact that in the last syllables of the lines here exactly the consonants coincide, and stressed vowels are completely different. This gives a peculiar zest to verses. The author wins on the interest that the reader experiences trying to understand why the verse sounds harmonious, although a standard rhyme is not heard by ear.
And alliteration, and dissonance, and assonance make the rhythm more interesting, add variety to the overall picture created by the artist of the word. But the use of these paths requires good theoretical knowledge and experience in poetry.
Output
Parsing footsteps in the footsteps and sizing is a school program. Everyone who loved the lessons of literature knows a little about style and rhyme, remembers what rhythm is in a poem; Grade 4 already knows that there is a cross and ring form of rhyme. And older students are already studying the size.
But budding poets should already be interested in the more complex issues of poetry theory. Rhythm, size and rhyme, as we see, are interconnected concepts. The poet should have not only a significant lexical stock, but also knowledge of the laws of rhythm.