I Think / Renée / Has Flown / the Coop. Iambic Tetrameter 1 2 3 4 Will You

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ANSWER KEY

PART 1: Metrical Feet and Metrical Lines Assume that each of the following is the first lineof a different poem written in iambic meter. For each line, 1) read the line aloud; 2) mark the iambs (u/); 3) use slashes to divide the line into metrical feet; 4) determine the name of the metrical line (e.g., iambic pentameter). Metrical Line? u / u / u / u / I think / Renée / has flown / the coop. iambic tetrameter 1 2 3 4 u / u / u / u / u / Will you / regret / not go / ing to / the sea? iambic pentameter 1 2 3 4 5 u / u / u / u / u / u / Behold / the gold / en cup / of pos / sibil / ity! iambic hexameter 1 2 3 4 5 6

Now do the same for this verse from Joyce Sidman’s poem “Porcupette.” Read the rest of the poem here. u / u / u / u / Metrical Line? I am / a ba / by por / cupette. iambic tetrameter u / u / u / u / My paws / are small, / my nose / is wet. u / u / u / u / And as / I nurse / against / my mom, u / u / u / u / we mew / and coo / a soft / duet.

PART 2: Writing It’s your turn! Write a quatrain (a four-line stanza) in iambic meter. Today’s poetry topic is BALLOONS. Use the examples here and in the lesson as models for your work. The number of metrical feet is up to you. Of course, feel free to write more than one quatrain if you like!

Please share your quatrain in the class Facebook group, or stop by to ask questions and get feedback.

Here’s my quatrain to share: Balloons escape above my head—

(Lines 1 and 3: iambic tetrameter) I stretch for dangling strings.

(Lines 2 and 4: iambic trimeter) I’d rather fly with my balloons

on graceful, stringless wings.

This lesson is part of the online writing course THE LYRICAL LANGUAGE LAB and is copyrighted intellectual property. Samples and excerpts used in the course are the sole property of and copyrighted by the credited authors. Copyright © 2014 Renée M. LaTulippe. All rights reserved.