ENGL 3033 Mercer

Guidelines for Doing a Scansion Page

(Revised 3-2-04)

I. Setting up form

A. Exact words

Reproduce the poem EXACTLY as it appears in the text. It=s impossible to get the scansion right if you don=t have the right words. Either carefully type and proofread the poem, or photocopy it.

B. Line spacing

Double-space (at least) between the lines of the poem to allow plenty of room to write your scansion legibly. If you photocopy the poem, enlarge it to create more space between the lines.

C. Numbering of lines

To make it easier for your reader to refer to the poem while reading the explication, please write the line number at the beginning of each line.

D. Use of ink

Please write in ink any scansion marks that you make by hand. Do not leave any pencil marks on the scansion (or the explication) that you submit.

II. Marking syllables and feet

A. Number of syllables

Determine the correct number of syllables in each word. When in doubt, consult a college dictionary. Be aware, however, that some words can be correctly pronounced in more than one way. Hour and flower, for example, may each be pronounced as one or two syllables.

B. Accented and unaccented syllables

1. Symbols

Mark each syllable with an accented ( « ) or unaccented (c ) symbol.

2. Words with more than one syllable

Determine the accented syllable(s) in a word with more than one syllable by saying the word out loud and listening for the accent(s). If you still aren=t sure, look up the word=s pronunciation (which includes accent[s]) in a college dictionary.

3. Words with only one syllable

Determine whether words with one syllable are accented by reading aloud the entire line in which they appear, listening for where you naturally place the accents. In general, important words will be accented, and unimportant words that can be passed over quickly (articles: a, an, the; prepositions: on, to, by, for, through; conjunctions: and, or, as) will not be accented.

C. Divisions between feet

1. Symbol

Use a vertical line (# ) to mark divisions between feet.

2. Placement of divisions between feet

Place the divisions between feet so that they create groups of syllables that are iambic (c « ) trochaic ( «c ), spondaic ( « « ), anapestic (c c « ), and/or dactylic ( « c c ). A foot by definition must have at least one accented syllable. If you find what appears to be a foot with two unaccented syllables and no accented syllable, do one of the following: (a) determine which of the two gets slightly more stress than the other or (b) change the divisions within the line to create one or more feet with three syllables (anapestic or dactylic).

3. Different strokes for different folks

Be aware that divisions between feet can be correctly put in different places. Determining whether syllables are accented or unaccented is more important than correctly placing the divisions between feet.

III. Identifying basic meter and metrical variations

A. Determining basic meter

Determine the poem=s basic meter by (1) looking at the most frequent patterns created by your marking of accented and unaccented syllables and divisions between feet and (2) by reading the poem aloud to hear what clear pattern (if any) is discernable.

B. Labeling basic meter

If you can determine the poem=s basic meter, identify it at the top of the scansion page (e.g., Aiambic pentameter@ or Aiambic tetrameter alternating with iambic trimeter@). The vast majority of poems in English use some form of iambic meter.

C. Identifying metrical variations

Most good poems will NOT follow the basic meter in every foot. If your scansion is perfectly regular, go back and find the poem=s metrical variations. On the scansion page, mark and label each deviation from the basic meter, whether created (1) by substitution of a different foot for the basic foot, (2) by the addition of an extra-metrical syllable at either end of a line, or (3) by the truncation (omission) of an unaccented syllable at either end of a line. (See page 920 in Perrine=s Literature for fuller explanation of these variations.)

IV. Marking rhyme scheme

A. Assignment of letters to lines that rhyme with each other

Looking at the last word in each line, assign the same letter of the alphabet (beginning with a) to all lines in the entire poem (not just in one stanza) that rhyme with each other.

B. Assignment of letters to lines that do not rhyme

If a line does not rhyme with any other line in the entire poem, it may be marked either (1) as the only line with a particular letter (such as a, b, or c) or (2) with the letter x. The lines marked x will not rhyme with each other.

C. Perfect and approximate rhymes

For the purposes of marking the rhyme scheme, approximate rhymes usually do count as rhymes. On your scansion page, however, label them (for example, as Aapproximate rhyme,@ Aeye rhyme,@ or Aconsonance,@ etc.) to show your awareness that they are not perfect rhymes.