Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 270 views

    Easter Wings

    Uploaded by

    Ahmed Rifat
    The document provides an analysis of the form and structure of George Herbert's poem "Easter Wings". It notes that the poem has a physical shape in its rhymed and patterned stanzas that resemble wings. Specifically, it is an example of "pattern poetry" where the changing line length reflects the meaning in each stanza. The analysis then examines the poem's iambic rhythm, rhyme scheme, and how the line length varies systematically to create the wing shape while maintaining the rhythm. It concludes that the content of each line mirrors its size, with a clever correlation between form and meaning.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Easter Wings

    Uploaded by

    Ahmed Rifat
    270 views2 pages
    The document provides an analysis of the form and structure of George Herbert's poem "Easter Wings". It notes that the poem has a physical shape in its rhymed and patterned stanzas that resemble wings. Specifically, it is an example of "pattern poetry" where the changing line length reflects the meaning in each stanza. The analysis then examines the poem's iambic rhythm, rhyme scheme, and how the line length varies systematically to create the wing shape while maintaining the rhythm. It concludes that the content of each line mirrors its size, with a clever correlation between form and meaning.

    Original Description:

    aaa

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The document provides an analysis of the form and structure of George Herbert's poem "Easter Wings". It notes that the poem has a physical shape in its rhymed and patterned stanzas that resemble wings. Specifically, it is an example of "pattern poetry" where the changing line length reflects the meaning in each stanza. The analysis then examines the poem's iambic rhythm, rhyme scheme, and how the line length varies systematically to create the wing shape while maintaining the rhythm. It concludes that the content of each line mirrors its size, with a clever correlation between form and meaning.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    270 views2 pages

    Easter Wings

    Uploaded by

    Ahmed Rifat
    The document provides an analysis of the form and structure of George Herbert's poem "Easter Wings". It notes that the poem has a physical shape in its rhymed and patterned stanzas that resemble wings. Specifically, it is an example of "pattern poetry" where the changing line length reflects the meaning in each stanza. The analysis then examines the poem's iambic rhythm, rhyme scheme, and how the line length varies systematically to create the wing shape while maintaining the rhythm. It concludes that the content of each line mirrors its size, with a clever correlation between form and meaning.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    Easter Wings: Rhyme, Form & Meter.

    Rhymed Stanza, Pattern Poetry, Variable Iambic


    So the most obvious thing about the form of "Easter Wings" is that it actually has a physical
    form. No same-old left-aligned vanilla-flavored poems in Herbert's Easter basket. These stanzas
    give new meaning to the phrase, A picture's worth a thousand wordsor, in the case of "Easter
    Wings," 96 (yes, we counted).
    Officially known as carmen figuration or pattern/shaped/figural poetry, this type of poem-picture
    takes the relationship between form and content to a visual level. Take a look at these stanzas.
    Not only does their elegant unfurled wing-shape mimic the title of the poem; the changing line
    length also reflects the line-by-line meaning of each stanza. For further deets, head down to
    "Line Length" under "Symbols, Imagery, Wordplay."
    But just because "Easter Wings" looks like a bird doesn't mean it's flighty. With its symmetrical
    stanzas, ABABACDCDC rhymes, and impeccable iambic rhythm, this poem keeps its wings
    elegantly folded. Just check out how perfectly the stanzas match up. Adam ends up "most poor"
    at line 5? The speaker ends up "most thin" at line 15. The speaker's singing victories with the
    larks between lines 8 and 9? He's feeling the same with the hawks in lines 18 and 19. And lines 6
    and 16 are actually identical.
    And just how do we get that sleek wing-curve without messing up the rhythm? First off, this
    baby's made of iambs, or sets of two syllables with the first one short and unstressed and the
    second one long and stressed. This non-stress/stress pattern gives iambic poetry its characteristic
    dadumdadumsound. Check out the stress pattern in the first line to get a feel for how this
    iambic rhythm plays out here (stressed syllables are bolded and italicized):
    Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store(1)
    If you count the number of non-stress/stress pairs here, you'll notice that this first line contains
    five iambs or 10 syllables. But wander down to line 2, and you'll count something different. This
    line has only 4 iambs or 8 syllables:
    Though foolishly he lost the same(2)
    Get out your magnifying glasses, sleuths, it's the case of the disappearing iamb. Keep counting
    and you'll discover the pattern: Herbert chops off an iamb every line until he hits line 5, which
    contains only two words, one iamb, and two syllables:
    Most poor (5)
    Line 6 is the same and then the pattern reverses, with each line gaining an iamb until at line 10
    we're back up to a full 5. Tallying all the syllables gives us this overall pattern: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 2,
    4, 6, 8, 10. On the page, those iambs look like wings. Simple but nifty. And even niftier when
    you realize that the content of the lines mirrors their size (for more on this, check out our
    summary).

    You might also like