DETERMINE THE FEET IN A LINE OF POETRY

How to determine the feet in a line?

1. Determine how many syllables are there in the line;

2. Read naturally the sentence (in reading there must be stressed and unstressed syllables, these will be used to determine the kind of feet possesed by the line).

e.g.

Kinds of Feet 

1. Iambic: 1 unaccented followed by 1 accented

e.g.

2. Trochaic: 1 accented followed by 1 unaccented
e.g.

 

 3. Dactylic: 1 accented followed by 2 unaccented

e.g.

 4. Anapestic: 2 unaccented followed by 1 accented

e.g.

 5. Spondaic: 2 unaccented

e.g.

Metrical lines
Metric is the art or study of using meter/ syllabic pattern in poetry;

1. After discovering the pattern of the feet, the next step is to determine the meter;
2. To know the meter, just count how many patterns are in the line and put one of the name of line below after the name of the pattern.

e.g.

Note:

• The sentence is called iambic, since it has pattern one unstressed followed by one stressed;
• It has four feet, so that the meter is tetrameter;
• So the name of the above line is iambic tetrameter.

Source: http://awinlanguage.blogspot.com/2012/04/basic-versification-of-poetry.html

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SETTING IN LITERATURE

Setting is one of the fundamental elements in literature. For the basic knowledge, setting is just known as the “place” where the story occurs. Setting is another way of identifying the location where the story takes place. Further, setting is expanded to include time. In literary works, the setting include the historical moment in time and geographic location in which a story takes place. Setting has been also include a context (especially society) beyond the surround of the story. Elements of setting consist of culture, historical period, geography, and occupation.

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PLOT IN LITERATURE

1. The Definition of Plot
   Based on the free encyclopedia, plot is a literary term defined as the events that make up a story, particularly as they relate to one another in a pattern, in a sequence, through cause and effect, how the reader views the story, or simply by coincidence. As the conclusion, plot is the series or the sequences of event and action in a story.

2. The Elements of Plot
    a) Exposition
      In this section, there is introduction of character and setting. The exposition introduces all of the main characters in the story. It shows how they relate to one another, what their goals and motivations are, and the kind of person they are.
     b) Rising Action
     The conflict is started. The character now begin to struggle against one another.
     c) Climax
        The point of climax is the turning point of the story, where the protagonist plays his main role. Both the protagonist and the antagonist have a plan to win against the other. The climax often contains much of the action in a story, for example, a defining battle.
     d) Falling Action
       In the sense that the loose ends are being tied up. However, it is often the time of greatest overall tension in the play, because it is the phase in which everything goes most wrong. In this phase, the villain has the upper hand. It seems that evil will triumph. The protagonist has never been further from accomplishing the goal.
      e) Resolution 

         This is the final confrontation between protagonist and antagonist, which one of them win the conflict. Resolution has three type, they are:
           •    Happy Ending
           •    Tragic (Unhappy Ending)
           •    Open Ended (lack of resolution)

3. The Kinds of Plot
      a) Chronological Order
           This plot telling story from beginning until end
      b) Flashback
          As the opposite of chronological order, it telling story from end until beginning
       c) Episodic Plot
           Plot exists on each episode, but doesn’t out of the main plot
       d) Mixing Plot
           This is the combination of chronological and flashback plot.

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DEFINITION OF PROSE

Prose is one of literature genres which form is written expression without a formal pattern of verse or meter (as opposed to poetry). Prose lacks the more formal metrical structure of verse that is almost always found in traditional poetry. Prose consists of sentences which then constitute paragraph, rather than the individual lines and stanza as it is in poetry. The most distinguished prose than poetry especially by its greater irregularity and variety of rhythm. The main point of prose is just content, no rule to create it. Therefore, prose is also called free style of writing. The examples of prose are novels, essays, short stories, and works of criticism.

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NATURE OF LITERATURE

Literature is the expression of human’s feelings, ideas, imaginations, thoughts, experiences, and emotions which are applied in beautiful language whose purpose is to entertain.  Literature can be expressed by language, both oral and written. In other word, the medium of literature is language. The genres of literature are poetry, prose, and drama.

Literature is used when human use language in their communication. Its mean that the literature is used since Adam is created. Literature is the product of language. Without language we don’t know about literature. Because, the expression of language produce literature.

Literature is different from scientific work. They can differentiate based on the purpose in making them. While the function of scientific work is to give information, and the literature is to entertain the reader.

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THE CONTENT’S ELEMENT OF POETRY

Analyzing poetry is not only based on form’s element, but also we can use the other aspect that is content’s element. And below, it is the content’s element of poetry.
1. Theme
Theme is the general idea of a story. It is described by the used-words or phrases of the poetry.
2. Title
Title is the representation all of story
3. Point of View
Point of view is the different angle to see the subject. The author look something in the other glasses. It means we can find what the author’s opinion of something in different ways are.
4. Atmosphere
Atmosphere is included of the author’s mood and tone. They are pointed by emotional situation and the attitude of the author. The author shows them in selecting of word
5. Style
In poetry, the language that used is full of symbols, connotations, or figurative language. Style are represented or compare something else besides itself.
6. Message
Message is the value that the author wants to convey to us.

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WHAT IS POETRY ?

If we look for an answer to the question “what is poetry?”, we will find a lot of the definition of poetry. Everyone has their own definition. The definition of poetry is always complicated matter and makes us confused. Why is it that everyone can identify poetry, but no one can define it? This is indicate that how extremely important and meaningful poetry is.

Anyway, the general idea which refers to definition of poetry is one of literature form, that has specific rhythm, rhyme, and figurative language. Commonly, if it rhymed and have a rhythm, it probably was a poetry. In Oxford Dictionary, mentioned that poetry is literary work in which the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature. The word of “poetry” is derived from Greek, “poiesis” which the meaning is “making”.

The further question is “what is the different between poetry and prose?”. The simple thing that make difference is, while prose is organized with sentences and paragraphs, poetry is organized into lines and stanza.

Actually, the poetry made is not to define. The fundamental things of poetry is its content.

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