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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Essay & Composition Writing
Use of Iambic Pentameter in Poems by Wheatley and Bradstreet
Hello,
I need help in identifying iambic pentameter in the works of Phillis Wheatley and Anne Bradstreet. I am deaf to meter, and am struggling with this assignment. I picked the following poems:
On Being Brought from Africa to America
by Phillis Wheatley
'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,
Taught my benighted soul to understand
That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too:
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.
Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
"Their colour is a diabolic die."
Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,
May be refin'd and join th'angelic train.
by Anne Bradstreet
If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me ye women if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole Mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompence.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so persever,
That when we live no more, we may live ever.
I have studied the following:
I do not hear the meter, and I do not know which syllables I am to stress. I did attempt to find the stressed and unstressed syllables, and this is the result:
? / ? / ? / ? / ? /
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.
? / ? / ? / ? / ? /
Some view our sable race with scornful eye
? / ? / ? / ? / ? /
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
? / ? / ? / ? / ? /
The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.
This last line confuses me beyond befuddlement.
I attempted this one in its place hoping I would have better luck:
? / ? / ? / ? / ? /
My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,
? / ? / ? / ? / ? /
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompence.
I would greatly appreciate it if someone would please help me identify iambic pentameter in these poems, using the above symbols (breve ? and slash or ictus /). Two lines from each poem will suffice. Thank you.
I need help in identifying iambic pentameter in the works of Phillis Wheatley and Anne Bradstreet. I am deaf to meter, and am struggling with this assignment. I picked the following poems:
On Being Brought from Africa to America
by Phillis Wheatley
'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,
Taught my benighted soul to understand
That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too:
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.
Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
"Their colour is a diabolic die."
Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,
May be refin'd and join th'angelic train.
To My Dear and Loving Husband
by Anne Bradstreet
If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me ye women if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole Mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompence.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so persever,
That when we live no more, we may live ever.
I have studied the following:
| To | swell | | | the | gourd, | || | and | plump | | | the | ha- | | | zel | shells |
I do not hear the meter, and I do not know which syllables I am to stress. I did attempt to find the stressed and unstressed syllables, and this is the result:
? / ? / ? / ? / ? /
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.
? / ? / ? / ? / ? /
Some view our sable race with scornful eye
? / ? / ? / ? / ? /
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
? / ? / ? / ? / ? /
The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.
This last line confuses me beyond befuddlement.
I attempted this one in its place hoping I would have better luck:
? / ? / ? / ? / ? /
My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,
? / ? / ? / ? / ? /
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompence.
I would greatly appreciate it if someone would please help me identify iambic pentameter in these poems, using the above symbols (breve ? and slash or ictus /). Two lines from each poem will suffice. Thank you.
Top answer
Both of these poems are in iambic pentameter (note that all of Shakespeare's plays are written in unrhymed iambic pentameter, and his sonnets are written in iambic pentameter). Iambic pentameter is verse of 5 iambs per line. An iamb is a metrical unit consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one (note that the meter may not be absolutely perfect iambic pentameter throughout the poem).
- Both of these poems are in iambic pentameter (note that all of Shakespeare's plays are written in unrhymed iambic pentameter, and his sonnets are written in iambic pentameter).
- Iambic pentameter is verse of 5 iambs per line.
- An iamb is a metrical unit consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one (note that the meter may not be absolutely perfect iambic pentameter throughout the poem).
- For example, the first line of Wheatley's poem: 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, The 5 iambs in this line are: 'Twas ^mer-, cy ^brought, me ^from, my ^Pa , -gan ^land, And so forth.
- The first line of Bradstreet's poem: If ever two were one, then surely we.
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2 Answers
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Both of these poems are in iambic pentameter (note that all of Shakespeare's plays are written in unrhymed iambic pentameter, and his sonnets are written in iambic pentameter). Iambic pentameter is verse of 5 iambs per line. An iamb is a metrical unit consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one (note that the meter may not be absolutely perfect iambic pentameter throughout th
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Both of these poems are in iambic pentameter (note that all of Shakespeare's plays are written in unrhymed iambic pentameter, and his sonnets are written in iambic pentameter). Iambic pentameter is verse of 5 iambs per line. An iamb is a metrical unit consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one (note that the meter may not be absolutely perfect iambic pentameter throughout th
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