The Foot of Traditional Prosody

Poetry is the expression of deepest emotion. A poetic performance is a combination of what si said and how it is said. There are different types of foot that make up different types of metre. A group of stressed and unstressed syllable forms a foot and a combination of foot forms a metre. The foot of traditional prosody begins with stressed or unstressed syllable. Types of foot in English in English verse. There are different types of foot in English verse which also makes up the different types of metre in English verse. The first one is iambic foot. In iambic foot an unstressed syllable is followed by one stressed. The next one is anapaest foot. In anapaest foot two unstressed syllables are followed by one stressd. For example, /xx-/. The third foot is trochee . Here one stressed syllable is followed by one unstressed syllable.The fourth foot is dactyl. Here one stressed syllable is followed by two stressed syllables A foot is a unit of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry.A combination of feet makes a metre. From this analysis we can explain the rising rhythm and falling rhythm. The rising rhythm is made up of both iambs and anapaests while the falling rhythm is made up of trochee and dactyl metres. This takes to another level of this discussion- metre. What is metre. Metre is a combination of the diferent types of feet. There are therefore four different types of metre.First is iambic pentamtre which is made up five iambic feet. Then there is the anapaest metre made up of anapaest feet in a line of poetry. The third type of metre is trochee metre. This is where a line of poetry or part thereof is made up of trochee feet. And finally there is the dactyl metre. this is made up dactyl feet. This takes to another angle of our discussion which is rhythm. What is rhythm in poetry. Rhythm in poetry means the constant beat of sounds. These beats may be rising or falling. You can have falling tune or rising tunes.When the beat is rising it is either iambic or anapaest. But when the beat is falling it is either trochee or dactyl. The subject of poetry is interesting because it is incorporated in everyday life. Poetry it is said is the expression of deepest emotion. In the famous Preface to the Lyrical Ballads William Wordsworth describes poetry as emotion recoollected in tranquility. This is supported by the fact that if you read Tintern Abbey, you will see that the lines composed by the banks of the Wye river that the author is quiet there by the banks of the river. He hears the sound of the river and composes his poem. Again in 'Tradition and individual Talent' T S Eliot talks excellency in poetry as depending on the intensity of the fusion. To achieve such intensity ,cohesion and fusion of thought and feeling one mustn be in a serene atmosphere. Let explain a bit here. What makes a good poetry is the fusion of thought and feeling which must appeal the reading audience. And it also depends on the intensity of the fusion to make the impact. And also I say that the reader must also apply poetic faith. What is poetic faith? It is the willing suspension of disbelief. You have to agree to makeshift situations created in the poem to be able to enjoy it. So we conclude by saying that in reality poetry is emotion recollected in tranquility. Also poetry at another advanced level is defined as a spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. For instance if a snake suddenly enters your house you are bound to shout "Oh!' to attract attention. Such shouting you have is a kind of spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling and that is poetry. In summary poetry should be studied for its enjoyment and knowledge and in my next blog I shall give you other literary points useful for students of literature around the world. You can write for more points as you need them in the field of Education.