Monday, January 28, 2019

How closely does stanza 2 adhere to the rhyme and rhythm of the Spenserian stanza?

A Spenserian stanza consists of nine lines arranged in an ababbcbcc rhyme scheme. The first eight lines are iambic pentameters, ten-syllable lines with five instances of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one. The ninth line is an iambic hexameter (or alexandrine), a twelve-syllable line with six iambs, or feet, in which an unstressed syllable precedes a stressed one.
To figure out how closely stanza 2 adheres to the rhyme and rhythm of a Spenserian stanza, you can start by examining its rhyme scheme. Then you can compare it to the rhyme scheme of the Spenserian stanza. You'll notice that youth in line 10 rhymes with uncouth in line 12. You'll also notice that Night in line 13 rhymes with both delight in line 11 and wight in line 14. How does the rhyme pattern in the rest of stanza 2 compare with the rhyme scheme of the Spenserian stanza?
Next you can compare the rhythm of each line in stanza 2 to the rhythm of its corresponding line in a Spenserian stanza. How many syllables does each line contain? Which of its syllables are stressed, and which ones are unstressed?
You will probably see that most of the lines are perfect iambic pentameters. But you may find one or more exceptions. For example, you should pay close attention to line 15. And observe the word Albion's in line 10. How does it affect the number of syllables in the line? How does it affect the stress pattern?
http://www.english.emory.edu/classes/Handbook/Spenserian.html

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