Rhythm in Poetry
Further to my comments a few blogs ago re rhythm in poetry there are a couple of points I feel could do with clarification:
Rhythm is dependent NOT upon words but on the syllables that make up those words. While a word is at times only a single syllable (e.g.cat/dog/plant/then/through/thought…) many have two or more syllables (i.e. are multi-syllabic).
However, looking at that list of single-syllable words above it is obvious that the number of letters in a written word has little or nothing to do with the matter. Syllables are based on the number of sounds rather than the number of letters used to represent those sounds in the written form of the language.
All spoken language consists of two sorts of sounds: vowels and consonants; the vowels themselves come in two sorts: short and long. In English there are six short vowels – the middle sounds in pat/pet/pit/pot/putt/put. All the rest (14 in all) are long. To name but a few for example: the middle sounds in pool/paid/peel/pout/pipe/part/pert/port/pose.
The consonants on the other hand (25 in all) are the first one or two and the last sounds in all the examples above – apart from “through” where the last sound is “oo” (as in “soon”). Quite clearly, spelling in our written language and the sounds of the spoken language seem to bear little relationship to each other. But in saying that I’m teaching my grandma to suck eggs; aren’t I? Regardless of the fact that it is syllables and therefore the sounds of those syllables that are critical to rhythm I won’t go into all the intricacies here as it distracts from what I need to say about rhythm in poetry.
If the rhythm doesn’t “sing” properly when you read your poem aloud it is the syllables you must consider: maybe change a three or four syllable word to one of two or three (or vice versa) or remove a word; or add another; or repeat a word or a whole line or… Maybe you need to change a short vowel for a long one (or again, vice versa!).
The permutations can be seemingly endless. Just keep playing with it until it feels right when you read it aloud. Remember: poetry is music using words instead of notes and, like music, is meant to be performed. We miss much of the joy of poetry if we simply skim the words on the page; eyes only.
Secondly, prose marches across the page, words side by side like an army, ranks of soldiers filling the space. Poetry is more like a company of dancers, short lines, long lines, single words, spaces, positions on the page…
By simply changing the length of lines in a poem you can change the mood entirely. By way of example consider two versions of the A.A. Milne poem “Happiness”:
These 16 short lines give a beautiful, clear picture of John’s joy as he stomps around; jumping in puddles; splish, splashing in the rain. No words detailing any of this. But no words needed. Now read aloud those same words arranged differently:
How did that feel to you? Much slower; much more thoughtful is how it seems to me; almost as if he’s looking at his wet weather gear and wondering if it’s worthwhile going to the bother of putting it all on just to go out in the rain. Wouldn’t it be better to stay inside by the fire and read a book?
By the by, in the second, longer, more discursive version I found myself saying “has” instead of “had” as I was reading it. A small point indeed. But this is a lot of what poetry is about – small points can have a big impact!!
And another small point with a big impact: all the capital letters in the original provide emphasis plus; an emphasis that adds to the mental picture of a small boy stomping around, splashing in puddles, having a joyously wonderful time and to hell with the rest…
Do you too feel that it adds to the whole thing in a way that mere words alone could not possibly do?
© Mary McDee 2023
Feature Photo: Singing Under the Sprinkler © L.M. Kling 2019
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