How to Scan

CEIAPTER V

How to Scan

L. X'iret, d,iaida the words (except monos5'iiabic words) into syllables by hyphens, e,g., mankind :man-kind.. Note z Ono aowel, one sullable is tlta genera,l, ,t'r.tle. \Mhen two vowels side by eide are pronounced. as one sound, they also noake one syllable-as 'ea' in please. ( gut real, may be two syllabies ). There may even be three vowels together which give onl5, one vowel-sounC, e.g., beautg =beau-ty. Here three vowels eau, Eive only one u-sounC. 2, Next, Ttlace accente on the syllables by giving a elanting stroke like this ( ' ) un the vowel of the accerted syilable* ; aB pa'-tience,

Sc

'd -Ie ss

.

accent generalll. falls cn the rootNote : kemember that ^n, syllable of a word,, and nat on a, prefix or a suffix. R,emember also that an accent generally falls on a nlore in'tportattt word,. An accent d,oes not, as a rule, falls on a preposition, coniunction or inberjeetion, articles (a or th,e), cL?L and. such endings as -ed, -gs, -'iruT.

3. I{ow, co%?Tt the number of syllables and the aumber of accents. If ihe number of sytrlables be double or about double the num,i:er of aecents, tl:en the verse is Disllllabic ; if treble or about treble, then the verser is Tri,sull'ab'ic.

( |) after each group af two syllables. I{ it is Trisgllabic draw a vertical liue iit* this ( l) after each group af. t'hree syllables. &. If it

ie Dlsyllabi,c, d.raw s vertical line iike thia

in the lasc letter of the s5,11ab1e, lun'-ar. The stud.e:rt migb.t foLlorv eitlter

*, Eomo authorii;ies prefer placing the stroke

thus ior lu'rvar mothod.

,

they u ould writo

PROSODY-EOIT TO SCAN

5. fn a

135

Disyllabic rnetre when the first syliable of each foot

it is Trochaic, and when the second, syllable of each foot is aecented it is lambic. I Wh.n both the syllables are accented it is Spondee, and when both of them are unaccented. it is Pyrnhic. 'But these will be very r*re. ] is

&ccented.

6. A metre witb ' Trisgll,abi,c feeb in which the f,rtt syllable of each foot ,i,s accented, is Dactylic, and. when only the last syilable ,is accented, it is Anapaestic and. when oniy the midd,,Ie one is accented. it is Annphibrachic. 7

.

Verses

at

th

e end, of which unaccented. syilables

d,re

drop;ted, are called. Catalectic and. verses ab the beg'innin g of which una,ccented. syllables are Cropped are called. Acephalous. Lings

ending with exbra unaccented syllables Itrypermeirical.

at the end, are called

Note : ft follorvs therefore that a Trochaic verse withoui the final unaccented syllable is the same as arr f a m bic verse without the inibial sy'llable. So some prosod.iste {ee1 juatified in scanning fambic acephalous verses as Trochaic catalectic. This, however is wrong, for the rh,ytltnt, of Troch,a'i,c and, Iambic dliff ers

E. AIi the lines to be scanned. rrray noi be of the s&me metre. fn this c&so, a stud.ent shouid 'n,ant e ihe prevaiiing ( main, d.ominant ) metre and then point out the variations. Eyen in a Iine, three feet may be Iambic and one foot may be TrocT,aic cr Spond,ee or Pyrrlt'ic. fn a case like ihis he shoul.d. state the name of the metre and point out the variation.

9.

Remember thab an lambic rnetro is the most comnlon in English poems : sonnets, odes, elegies, biank veree, heroie coupiets-al1 are written in Iambic metre, usualy fambie pentameter, etc. It is smooth, stateiy and gracefui and it has --somehow suited. the genius of English verse. metre

I

used.

F I Ii rl1

r|!

" ff-

A GUIDE

136

10.

TO NEETORIO & TNOSODY

:

Word.s of two syllables .ha.re only on,e accent. Ia nutffus of two syllables the aceent is on the fi,rst, while aerbs of t llables are.accented. on the sawnd, uyl.Lable, Ehus pro-rss, rs norrl, but pro-te'si is ;;5.-Bemember

t,

t

r

11. As regards variationsr rernErrber the followirg : (") Ln larnbic line may have Trochees, Spondees, Pyrrhics Anapaests but nel)er Dactyls

or

variations,

aB

(b) A Troch,aic line may haye lambusas and Dactal,s

as

variationg.

(r) -An Anapeestic line may have only lambuses as variations. (d) A, Dactyl'ic line may have only Trochees aB yariations. (t) A Troch,aic catalectie line can be easily converted into an Iantbic acephaious line, by leaving out an accented syllable at the beginning, instead, of at the

end,.

A few verses Scanned

1.

Rich the treasure,

Ivirst, d,ivid.e the words into syllables with hyphens a syUable contains only one vowel-sound ;-secondl\i, jplace tho accent by putting a I ng stroke (') oo the vor.vel where the s,ccent is to fall ; third,lg, count the syllables and aceents, and if the syllahles be clouble of the accents, the metre is d,islillabic. If d.isyllabic, a vertical line is to be placecl after each grcup of two sytlabies I I ]. Eo1low this procedure for this piece and. the pieces tbat follow, and, then compare what you have done with the answer given. This will teash you the art of scan:ring. AnB.' Ei'ch the Swdet the

The

'l

trOa-Bure, I plea-Eure.

tir*s are Trochaic

l)imetor.

.J,, $

PBOSODY_EIOW TO SCAN

2,

With ravish'd esrg, Ehe monarch hearsr Assumes the god,

Affects to nod..-Drydan.

Ans. With rtl,v- | ish'd ed,rs, The m6n- | arch hed,rs, As-sirmes

\r

I tlre g6d,

Af-f6cts I to n6d. The lines are Iambic Dimet,er.

3.

A thousand cupe of gold. fn Jud.ah d eem'd d.ivineJehovah's vessels hold. The god,less heathen's wine .-Byron.

Ans. A thori- | sand. crlps I of gold In Jri- I aaf, d6em'd i ai-vi'11sJe-b6- | vah's v6s- | sels h61a The g6d- | Iess h6a- | then's wi'ne. The lines ara lambic Trirneter.

4.

fs there no hope ?-the sick man said,. The silent doctor shook his head. Ans. Is th6re I no hope ? I -the si'ck J man sd,id t Ihe Ei'- I ient d6c- I tor sho6k I Uis h6ad. Bhe lines are lambic Tetra,rneter.

5.

l:. man he was to all the country

d.ear,

rich with forty pounds & year. AnB. A nad,n I h" wd,s I to eU I the c6unt- I ry d6ar, And pd,ss- I i"g ri'ch I with f6r- I tv pori.nds I a y6ar, The lines are lambic P entanteter. And. passing

137

V.

5=' tE -.

l-' !ai' lr

L

hrir

PBOSODY_EIOW TO SCAN

T.

137

I

2.

With ravish'd esrg, lhe monarch hears, Assumes the god,

Affects to noa.-DrEden.

Ans. With rd,v- | ish'd ed,rs, The m6n- I ,rch hed,rs,

1L

I the g6d, Af-Jdcts i to n6d. The lines are lambic D,i,met,er. As-st'rmes

3.

A thousand. cups of gold. fn Judah deem'd d.ivineJehovah's vessels hold. The godless heathen's wine .-Byron.

Ans. A thou- | sand crlps I of gold. fn Jri- I auf, d6em'd i ai-vi's,sJe-h6- I vah's vds- | sels h61d The g6d- | less h6a- | then's wi'ne.

t

The lines aro fambic Trirn,eter.

L

rs there no hope ?-the sick man said.. The silent doctor shook his head.

Ans.

rs th6re I no hope ? | -the si'ck J man sd,id, The si'- | ient d6c- | tor sho6k I nis h6ad.

The lines are lambic

5.

T etra,meter.

A man he was to all the country dear, and passing rich with foriy pouads & year. Ans. A md,n I nu wd,s I to d,Ii I the c6unt- I ,y d6ar, Aud pd,ss- | i"g ri'ch I with f6r- I tv porS.nds a y6ar, I The lines are lambic Pentanteter.

I

tI

,l

A GUIDE To BHEToBIo & TnoSoDY

13B

6.

By the wolf-scaring faggot that guarded. the slain, At the deacl of the night, a, sweet vision f saw. AnE, By ths wdlf I scaring fd,g- I goh that gud,rd- | ed, the s16in, At the cl6acl I of the ni'ght I a sweet vi'- ! sion f sd,w. The lines are Anapasst,ic Tetrametar.

7.

Bring me my Bow of burning gold. Bring me my Arrows of desire !

I

Ans. Bri'ng

me I my Eo'w I of brirn- I iog g61d. I Bri'ug me I *v A'- I rrows of' I d.esi're. Ihe lines are farnbic Tetrameter with the first foot Trochaic in each line.

_.-

8,

Swifbly walk over tl:e western Spirit of Night I

\n/ave,

Ants. Swi'f-u-ly I wd,lk o- I ver the w6st- i ern wav'e, Spi'-rit I of Ni'ght.

i

i,

The first two feet in the first line are Troahaic, the third foot Anopaostic arld. the last larnbic. fn the seconal line, the first foot is Trochaic and, the seeond, Iambic. Alternati;uelg, the first line may be scanned. : Swilft-Iv I rvd,lk o- I ver the I w6si-ern I wd,ve-

in Troclta'ic metre, the third. Ioot being the last foot Catalectic.

The line is written

Pyrrhic

znd-

Note thai however we cut out the feet, the accentg remain the Eame. The accents, it should be remembered, are the soul

of scansion, 9.

,

Picture and. book remain, An acre of green grass.

PBOSODY-EOW TO

139

SOAI'T

Ans. Pi'c-ture I aud b6ok I re-mdin Au 6- I cre of I gre6n grd,ss. The first foot in the first line ia Trocltaic and. the other two. Iatnbic. fu the second. Iine, the first foot is fan?,bi,c, the seconil. foot Pyriltic and the thir,l foot a Spond,el. trO. Think how it wakes the seedg,'Woke, once, the clays of a eold. Etar. Ans. Thi'nk h6w I it wri,kes I tne gsgflg,W6ke on'ce I tne cld,ys I of a I c6ld std,r.,

-

The first foot in the first line is a Spond,al; the other two feet ate lambic.

The first foot of the second. line is a Spond,ee, the second fcob. an lambic, the third foot a Pyrrhic and .the fourth foot - a. Spond,ee again.

I Such, oariations cr,re co?tv??tot?, ,itt rnod,enr poetrg. They bring the rh,ythnt, of conuersatiom in poetry and. edd to,i,ts,t'eo,1,isrtr.-]- -