Rhythm | Literary Term | English Literature | Major English | Plus Two Level
In
literature, rhythm is the pattern of stressed and unstressed beats. Rhythm is
most commonly found in poetry, though it is also present in some works
of drama and prose. The rhythm of a poem can be analyzed through
the number of lines in a verse, the number of syllables in the line, and
the arrangement of syllables based on whether they are long or short, accented
or unaccented. Rhythm is also closely associated with meter, which
identifies units of stressed and unstressed syllables. When an author combines
metrical units into a pattern, he or she creates rhythm. The majority of both
music and oral poetry maintain a beat. For early oral literature, the presence
of rhythm was a necessary aspect for the memorization of the lines and passing
these poems on. Rhyme gives poems flow and rhythm, helping the lyricist
tell a story and convey a mood.
For
example:
So
LONG as MEN can BREATHE, or EYES can SEE,
So
LONG lives THIS, and THIS gives LIFE to THEE.
Iambic
pentameter has ten syllables per line, starting with an unstressed syllable and
alternating every other syllable with stress. This means that the lines end on
a stressed syllable.
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