Question

literary / text elements poetic structure: blank verse
meter is a regular rhythmical pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. these stressed and
unstressed syllables are divided into metrical units called feet. for example, an iamb is a metrical
foot that includes one unstressed //(or weak) syllable followed by a stressed / / (or strong)
syllable. iambic pentameter is a meter that includes five iambs in each line. blank verse is
unrhymed poetry that uses iambic pentameter.
to scan the meter of a line of poetry, follow these steps:

1. first, count the number of syllables.
2. next, identify the stressed and unstressed syllables.
3. then, mark unstressed syllables with a horseshoe symbol / and stressed

syllables with an accent / /.
the following example of iambic pentameter is from william shakespeares \sonnet 18.\ scan
the pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables in each of the five metrical feet.

shall i compare thee to a summers day?
shall / com pare thee to a sum mers day?
weak strong weak strong weak strong weak strong weak strong

directions: in the following poem, lines 1, 2, and 4 are written in iambic pentameter. break
down lines 1 and 2 into syllables, and place the syllables into the tables.
could i begin again? thats all i ask.
i only want another chance to try
to say everything i meant to say the first time.
i promise i wont bother you again
5 if just this once you let me hit the reset button.

could i begin again? thats all i ask.

weak strong weak strong weak strong weak strong weak strong

i only want another chance to try

weak strong weak strong weak strong weak strong weak strong

1
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Explanation:

For the line "I only want another chance to try"

Step 1: Identify each syllable

The word - by - word syllables: "I" (1 syllable), "on - ly" (2 syllables: on, ly), "want" (1 syllable), "an - oth - er" (3 syllables: an, oth, er), "chance" (1 syllable), "to" (1 syllable), "try" (1 syllable). But when considering the iambic pentameter (5 metrical feet, each with an unstressed and a stressed syllable), we group them as follows:

• First foot: "I" (unstressed, marked with ˘) and we need to pair it with the next syllable. Wait, actually, let's list each syllable in order: I, on, ly, want, an, oth, er, chance, to, try.

Step 2: Mark unstressed (˘) and stressed (/) syllables according to iambic (unstressed - stressed) pattern

• Foot 1: ˘I, /on
• Foot 2: ˘ly, /want
• Foot 3: ˘an, /oth
• Foot 4: ˘er, /chance
• Foot 5: ˘to, /try

So filling in the table:

Syllable 1	Syllable 2	Syllable 3	Syllable 4	Syllable 5	Syllable 6	Syllable 7	Syllable 8	Syllable 9	Syllable 10
weak	strong	weak	strong	weak	strong	weak	strong	weak	strong

For the line "Could I begin again? That's all I ask." (completing the table)

We already have some starts. Let's correct and complete:

• The words and their syllables: "Could" (1 syllable: Could), "I" (1 syllable: I), "be - gin" (2 syllables: be, gin), "a - gain" (2 syllables: a, gain), "That's" (1 syllable: That's), "all" (1 syllable: all), "I" (1 syllable: I), "ask" (1 syllable: ask). But for iambic pentameter (5 feet, 10 syllables):
• Foot 1: ˘Could, /I
• Foot 2: ˘be, /gin
• Foot 3: ˘a, /gain
• Foot 4: ˘That's, /all
• Foot 5: ˘I, /ask

So the completed table:

Syllable 1	Syllable 2	Syllable 3	Syllable 4	Syllable 5	Syllable 6	Syllable 7	Syllable 8	Syllable 9	Syllable 10
weak	strong	weak	strong	weak	strong	weak	strong	weak	strong

(Note: The original hand - written "could" in the first table should be "Could" with the correct stress marking. Also, we need to ensure that each foot has an unstressed and a stressed syllable following the iambic pattern.)

Answer:

For the line "I only want another chance to try"

Step 1: Identify each syllable

The word - by - word syllables: "I" (1 syllable), "on - ly" (2 syllables: on, ly), "want" (1 syllable), "an - oth - er" (3 syllables: an, oth, er), "chance" (1 syllable), "to" (1 syllable), "try" (1 syllable). But when considering the iambic pentameter (5 metrical feet, each with an unstressed and a stressed syllable), we group them as follows:

• First foot: "I" (unstressed, marked with ˘) and we need to pair it with the next syllable. Wait, actually, let's list each syllable in order: I, on, ly, want, an, oth, er, chance, to, try.

Step 2: Mark unstressed (˘) and stressed (/) syllables according to iambic (unstressed - stressed) pattern

• Foot 1: ˘I, /on
• Foot 2: ˘ly, /want
• Foot 3: ˘an, /oth
• Foot 4: ˘er, /chance
• Foot 5: ˘to, /try

So filling in the table:

Syllable 1	Syllable 2	Syllable 3	Syllable 4	Syllable 5	Syllable 6	Syllable 7	Syllable 8	Syllable 9	Syllable 10
weak	strong	weak	strong	weak	strong	weak	strong	weak	strong

For the line "Could I begin again? That's all I ask." (completing the table)

We already have some starts. Let's correct and complete:

• The words and their syllables: "Could" (1 syllable: Could), "I" (1 syllable: I), "be - gin" (2 syllables: be, gin), "a - gain" (2 syllables: a, gain), "That's" (1 syllable: That's), "all" (1 syllable: all), "I" (1 syllable: I), "ask" (1 syllable: ask). But for iambic pentameter (5 feet, 10 syllables):
• Foot 1: ˘Could, /I
• Foot 2: ˘be, /gin
• Foot 3: ˘a, /gain
• Foot 4: ˘That's, /all
• Foot 5: ˘I, /ask

So the completed table:

Syllable 1	Syllable 2	Syllable 3	Syllable 4	Syllable 5	Syllable 6	Syllable 7	Syllable 8	Syllable 9	Syllable 10
weak	strong	weak	strong	weak	strong	weak	strong	weak	strong

(Note: The original hand - written "could" in the first table should be "Could" with the correct stress marking. Also, we need to ensure that each foot has an unstressed and a stressed syllable following the iambic pattern.)