Trying Your Hand at Accentual and Syllabic Meters
Pts. possible: 6
Final version due: Tues., Oct. 1st
Accentual Poem Assignment
Write a poem in accentual
meter, at least 15 lines long. You can choose any number of
stresses-per-line as you like. Just develop a feel for the accentual
form. Don't use end-rhyme or any other device; just practice beats. Bring a hardcopy to class (you don't have to post one in Bb.)
Syllabic Poem Assignment
Write a poem in syllabic
meter, at least 15 lines long. You can choose any number of
syllables-per-line as you like. Just develop a feel for the syllabic
form. Don't use end-rhyme or any other device; just practice syllable count. Bring a hardcopy to class (you don't have to post one in Bb.)
Purpose, Audience, and Criteria for Both Assignments
Purpose: to practice writing your own poetry, to better
understand the genres we’re studying through first-hand experience with
the art, and to learn more about poetry generally.
Audience: anyone
interested in poetry generally, in the various genres and modes of
poetry, and in how English lends itself to heavily stressed lines in
poetry.
Criteria: your poem should have near-perfect consistency in stress count per line, while at the same time sounding natural. Be sure to proofread for basic sentences mechanics and punctuation as well.
Grade Scale
Very Good = A= 3 pts.. Meets all of the stated criteria and instructions exceptionally well. Excels in inventiveness, originality, and energy, relative to work produced generally in 222. Well-edited and proofed. Possibly publishable.
Good =B =2.5 pts. Meets all of the stated criteria
and instructions, or meets several of them exceptionally well, despite a
weak performance with others.. May be especially striking in spots, despite noticeable flaws.
Very competent, but may lack originality or inventiveness, relative to
work produced generally in 222. Good attention to style and mechanics. Clear attention to assignment.
Fair = C = 2 pts. Meets
some of the stated criteria, or meets all of them only partially.
Uninspired but minimally competent; or very inspired but lacking
competence in key areas.. May show some inattention to, or misunderstanding of, instructions. Weak proofreading and editing.
Poor = D = 1.5 pts. Meets few of the criteria. May not not heed or understand instructions. May be sloppy, unproofed, unedited, and/or very perfunctory and uninspired.. An unsatisfying lyric, saved by at least minimal attention to at least one facet of the piece.
Unacceptable = F = less than 1.5 pts. Lyric either fails to meet any of the stated criteria, or demonstrates severe oversights or weaknesses in significant areas.
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