Eng 102 Poetry Essay Example
Denise K. Steen
February 28, 2012
English 102
Option #2
Reflections Within is a non-traditional stanzaic poem made up of five stanzas containing thirty-four lines that do not form a specific metrical pattern. Rather it is supported by its thematic structure. Each of the five stanzas vary in the amount of lines that each contain. The first stanza is a sestet containing six lines. The same can be observed of the second stanza. The third stanza contains eight lines or an octave. Stanzas four and five are oddly in that their number of lines which are five and nine. Beginning with the first line in the first stanza, "The Earth's cool breeze spoke to me", the meter examined within this line is trimeter, containing seven syllables, iambic and anapestic. The second line in the stanza, "He said, "Come to be free," also trimeter, continues with the iambic syllable and introduces a trochee within its six syllables. The formal characteristics of the first two lines in conjunction with its text suggests a seemingly serene beginning with a hint of possibility that something is about to change. For example, the meter is the same and the structure of the syllables in each line are similar with slight differences. The third line, "fly with me, in my winds over the seas." contains five feet of meter or pentameter, where the pyrrhic syllable is introduced to accompany the previously introduced trochee and iambic syllables in this nine syllable line. The continuance of the second sentence into line three and then closes after "seas", paired with the change in meter, suggests the end of consistency and a rise in to what is to come. "Be the element that I need.", the fourth , eight syllable line, is written in trimeter with trochee and anapestic syllables. This line returns us to the familiar feeling of the first two lines repeating the trimeter with trochee and anapestic syllables that are present there. The fifth line, "Without you, turbulent winds I stir", nine iambic,
February 28, 2012
English 102
Option #2
Reflections Within is a non-traditional stanzaic poem made up of five stanzas containing thirty-four lines that do not form a specific metrical pattern. Rather it is supported by its thematic structure. Each of the five stanzas vary in the amount of lines that each contain. The first stanza is a sestet containing six lines. The same can be observed of the second stanza. The third stanza contains eight lines or an octave. Stanzas four and five are oddly in that their number of lines which are five and nine. Beginning with the first line in the first stanza, "The Earth's cool breeze spoke to me", the meter examined within this line is trimeter, containing seven syllables, iambic and anapestic. The second line in the stanza, "He said, "Come to be free," also trimeter, continues with the iambic syllable and introduces a trochee within its six syllables. The formal characteristics of the first two lines in conjunction with its text suggests a seemingly serene beginning with a hint of possibility that something is about to change. For example, the meter is the same and the structure of the syllables in each line are similar with slight differences. The third line, "fly with me, in my winds over the seas." contains five feet of meter or pentameter, where the pyrrhic syllable is introduced to accompany the previously introduced trochee and iambic syllables in this nine syllable line. The continuance of the second sentence into line three and then closes after "seas", paired with the change in meter, suggests the end of consistency and a rise in to what is to come. "Be the element that I need.", the fourth , eight syllable line, is written in trimeter with trochee and anapestic syllables. This line returns us to the familiar feeling of the first two lines repeating the trimeter with trochee and anapestic syllables that are present there. The fifth line, "Without you, turbulent winds I stir", nine iambic,