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What does the term "scansion" refer to in the study of poetry?
A.
The analysis of the rhyme scheme of a poem.
B.
The process of analyzing the meter of a poem by marking the stressed and unstressed syllables.
C.
The practice of interpreting the themes and imagery of a poem.
D.
The method of identifying the poetic form, such as sonnet or free verse.
Correct Answer
B. The process of analyzing the meter of a poem by marking the stressed and unstressed syllables.
Explanation Scansion is a critical technique used in poetry analysis that involves identifying and marking the metrical pattern of a poem. This is done by delineating the stressed (/'/) and unstressed (/u/) syllables in each line, which helps to reveal the rhythmic structure of the poem. This technique is essential for understanding the poetic meter and how it enhances the overall expression and impact of the poem.
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2.
Identify the stressed and unstressed syllables with caps and non caps respectively: Ashley
A.
Ashley
B.
AshLEY
Correct Answer
A. Ashley
Explanation The word "Ashley" has two syllables. The stressed syllable is indicated by capital letters, while the unstressed syllable is indicated by lowercase letters. In this case, the stressed syllable is "ASH" and the unstressed syllable is "ley".
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3.
Identify the rhythm: Elaine
A.
Dactylic
B.
Anapestic
C.
Trochaic
D.
Iambic
Correct Answer
D. Iambic
Explanation The given answer, iambic, suggests that the rhythm of the word "Elaine" follows an iambic pattern. In iambic rhythm, each foot consists of two syllables, with the first syllable being unstressed and the second syllable stressed. In the case of "Elaine," the stress falls on the second syllable, making it an iambic rhythm.
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4.
Identify the rhythm: Ashley
A.
Dactylic
B.
Anapestic
C.
Trochaic
D.
Iambic
Correct Answer
C. Trochaic
Explanation The correct answer is trochaic. Trochaic rhythm is characterized by a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable. In the given name "Ashley," the stress falls on the first syllable "Ash," while the second syllable "ley" is unstressed. This pattern of stress and unstress aligns with the trochaic rhythm, making it the most suitable option among the given choices.
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5.
Identify the rhythm: I WANT to GO to ItaLY and EAT a PIzza PIE.
A.
Dactylic
B.
Anapestic
C.
Trochaic
D.
Iambic
Correct Answer
D. Iambic
Explanation The given phrase "I WANT to GO to ItaLY and EAT a PIzza PIE" follows an iambic rhythm. In iambic rhythm, each foot consists of two syllables, with the stress falling on the second syllable. In this phrase, the stressed syllables are "WANT," "GO," "LY," and "PIE," while the unstressed syllables are "I," "to," "to," "and," "a," and "za." This pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables matches the iambic rhythm, making the answer iambic.
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6.
A line of poetry written in iambic pentameter consists of five ______.
Correct Answer Iambs, iambs
Explanation An iamb is a metrical foot in poetry consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. In iambic pentameter, each line contains five iambs, which means there are five sets of unstressed-stressed syllables. This is a common meter used in English poetry, particularly in the works of Shakespeare, where each line follows this rhythmic pattern.
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7.
Identify the rhythm and meter of the following excerpt:
Double double toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
A.
Iambic pentameter
B.
Trochaic pentameter
C.
Trochaic tetrameter
D.
Iambic tetrameter
Correct Answer
C. Trochaic tetrameter
Explanation The given excerpt "Double double toil and trouble, Fire burn and cauldron bubble" consists of four stressed syllables followed by four unstressed syllables in each line, making it a trochaic pattern. Additionally, each line contains four feet, making it tetrameter. Therefore, the correct answer is trochaic tetrameter.
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8.
In poetry, an iambic meter consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a ______ syllable.
Correct Answer Stressed, stressed
Explanation An iambic meter is a common metrical pattern in poetry where each "foot" (or unit of rhythm) consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. This pattern is found in many classical poems, including those by Shakespeare. For example, in the word "de-light," the first syllable is unstressed, and the second is stressed, which is characteristic of iambic meter.
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9.
Which of the following best describes the practice of scansion in poetry?
A.
Identifying the rhyme scheme of a poem
B.
Counting the number of lines in a stanza
C.
Analyzing the rhythm and meter of a poem
D.
Determining the theme and tone of a poem
Correct Answer
C. Analyzing the rhythm and meter of a poem
Explanation Scansion refers to the process of analyzing the rhythm and meter of a poem. This involves marking the stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of verse to understand its metrical pattern, such as iambic pentameter or trochaic tetrameter. Scansion helps to uncover the rhythmic structure that contributes to the poem's overall sound and meaning. Unlike rhyme scheme or thematic analysis, scansion specifically focuses on how the poem's beat and flow are organized.
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10.
Scan the phrases and poem excerpts below, typing CAPS for stressed syllables only. Also, separate the feet with the symbol |, found above the enter or return key on your keyboard.
Picture yourself in a boat on a river with
Tangerine tree-ees and marmalade ski-i-ies.
Correct Answer PICture your | SELF in a | BOAT on a | RIver with
TANgerine | Tree-ees and | MARmalade | SKI-i-ies.
11.
Identify the rhythm and meter of the following excerpt:
Picture yourself in a boat on a river with
Tangerine tree-ees and marmalade ski-i-ies.
A.
Anapestic trimeter
B.
Dactylic trimeter
C.
Anapestic tetrameter
D.
Dactylic tetrameter
Correct Answer
D. Dactylic tetrameter
Explanation The given excerpt "Picture yourself in a boat on a river with Tangerine tree-ees and marmalade ski-i-ies" has a dactylic tetrameter rhythm and meter. Dactylic meter consists of stressed syllables followed by two unstressed syllables, and tetrameter indicates that there are four feet or sets of stressed and unstressed syllables per line. In the excerpt, the stressed syllables fall on the words "Pic-", "your-", "boat-", "river-", "Tan-", "tree-", "mar-", and "ski-", and the unstressed syllables fall on the remaining words. The repetition of this pattern four times in the excerpt confirms the dactylic tetrameter rhythm and meter.
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12.
Scan the phrases and poem excerpts below, typing CAPS for stressed syllables only. Also, separate the feet with the symbol |, found above the enter or return key on your keyboard.
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Correct Answer shall I | comPARE | thee TO | a SUMmer's DAY
thou ART | more LOVE | ly AND | more TEMPerate.
rough WINDS | do SHAKE | the DARL | ing BUDS | of MAY
and SUM | mer's LEASE | hath ALL | too SHORT | a DATE.
Explanation The correct answer is the correct representation of the stressed syllables in the given phrases and poem excerpts. The stressed syllables are indicated by typing them in all caps. Each line is divided into feet, separated by the | symbol. The correct answer accurately identifies the stressed syllables in each foot and maintains the correct meter throughout the poem.
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13.
Identify the rhythm and meter of the following excerpt:
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Correct Answer iambic pentameter
Explanation The given excerpt from Shakespeare's sonnet follows a consistent pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, with each line containing five pairs of these syllables. This pattern is known as iambic pentameter. In iambic pentameter, each pair of syllables is called an iamb, with the first syllable being unstressed and the second syllable being stressed. The use of iambic pentameter in this excerpt creates a smooth and rhythmic flow to the lines, enhancing the overall musicality of the poem.
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14.
Scan the phrases and poem excerpts below, typing CAPS for stressed syllables only. Also, separate the feet with the symbol |, found above the enter or return key on your keyboard.
Tell me not in mournful numbers
Correct Answer TELL me | NOT in | MOURNful | NUMbers.
Explanation The correct answer is the correct representation of the stressed syllables in the phrase "Tell me not in mournful numbers" using the | symbol to separate the feet.
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15.
Identify the rhythm and meter of the following excerpt:
Tell me not in mournful numbers
Correct Answer trochaic tetrameter
Explanation The given excerpt "Tell me not in mournful numbers" follows a trochaic meter. Trochaic meter consists of stressed syllables followed by unstressed syllables, and in this case, each foot in the line starts with a stressed syllable ("Tell," "me," "not," "in," "mourn"). The line also has four feet, making it trochaic tetrameter.
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16.
Scan the phrases and poem excerpts below, typing CAPS for stressed syllables only. Also, separate the feet with the symbol |, found above the enter or return key on your keyboard.
And the sound of a voice that is still
Correct Answer and a SOUND | of a VOICE | that is STILL
Explanation The given answer correctly identifies the stressed syllables in the phrase "and a SOUND | of a VOICE | that is STILL". The stressed syllables are indicated by typing them in capital letters. The phrase consists of three feet, each separated by the symbol "|". The stressed syllables in each foot are "SOUND", "VOICE", and "STILL".
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17.
Identify the rhythm and meter of the following excerpt:
And the sound of a voice that is still
Correct Answer anapestic trimeter
Explanation The given excerpt "And the sound of a voice that is still" follows an anapestic meter, which means it consists of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable. The word "And" is unstressed, "the" is unstressed, "sound" is stressed, "of" is unstressed, "a" is unstressed, "voice" is stressed, "that" is unstressed, "is" is unstressed, and "still" is stressed. This pattern of unstressed-stressed-unstressed syllables is repeated throughout the line. The excerpt also follows a trimeter, which means it has three metrical feet in total.
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18.
Scan the phrases and poem excerpts below, typing CAPS for stressed syllables only. Also, separate the feet with the symbol |, found above the enter or return key on your keyboard.
The morns are meeker than they were,
The nuts are getting brown;
The berry’s cheek is plumper,
The rose is out of town.
--Emily Dickinson
Correct Answer the MORNS | are MEEK | er than | THEY were
the NUTS | are GET|ting BROWN
the BERR|y's CHEEK | is PLUMPer
the ROSE | is OUT | of TOWN.
Explanation The correct answer is the scansion of the phrases and poem excerpts provided. The stressed syllables are indicated by typing them in all caps, and the feet are separated by the symbol "|". The scansion accurately represents the stress patterns in the lines of the poem by Emily Dickinson.
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19.
Identify the rhythm and meter of the following excerpt:
The morns are meeker than they were,
Correct Answer iambic tetrameter
Explanation The given excerpt "The morns are meeker than they were" follows an iambic tetrameter rhythm and meter. This means that each line contains four iambs, which are metrical feet consisting of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable. In this case, the stressed syllables fall on "morns," "meek," "than," and "were," while the unstressed syllables fall on the remaining words. This consistent pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables creates a rhythmic and melodic flow to the verse.
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20.
Identify the rhythm and meter of the following excerpt:
This is the forest primeval, the murmuring pine and the hemlocks
Correct Answer dactylic hexameter
Explanation The given excerpt "This is the forest primeval, the murmuring pine and the hemlocks" follows a dactylic hexameter rhythm and meter. Dactylic hexameter is a poetic meter commonly used in ancient Greek and Latin epic poetry. It consists of six metrical feet per line, with each foot containing either a long syllable followed by two short syllables (dactyl) or a long syllable followed by a short syllable (spondee). In the given excerpt, the stressed syllables fall in a pattern of one long syllable followed by two short syllables, which is characteristic of dactylic hexameter.
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21.
Scan the phrases and poem excerpts below, typing CAPS for stressed syllables only. Also, separate the feet with the symbol |, found above the enter or return key on your keyboard.
This is the forest primeval, the murmuring pine and the hemlocks
Correct Answer THIS is the | FOR est prime | Eval the | MURmuring | PINE and the | HEMlocks
Explanation The correct answer is the correct representation of the stressed syllables in the given phrase and poem excerpt. It follows the pattern of marking stressed syllables with capital letters and separating the feet with the symbol "|". The stressed syllables are accurately identified in the answer.
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