Why is blank verse particularly effective for drama

Thus we have. Some of the more striking of these have been pointed out in the notes. Attention must also be paid to the frequent contraction of two words or two syllables into one. Such contractions as "I'll" for "I will," "I've " for "I have" are sometimes indicated in the text, but frequently are left to the judgment of the reader. An unaccented syllable in the middle of a word is often slurred over in scanning; thus in such a line as the second syllables of "corporal" and "terrible" are barely heard, if at all.

On the other hand there are a few cases where one syllable is expanded into two for the sake of the metre. Thus in the line "worst" is practically equivalent to "worest. Thus the termination "-ion" is pronounced as two syllables in i. Compare also the pronunciations of "remembrance" in ii. No rule can be given for such cases; the reader's ear for rhythm must serve as his guide.

We must not forget that Shakespeare wrote his verse to be declaimed from the boards of a theatre, not to be puzzled over in a schoolroom.

Many lines that tax the ingenuity of scholars who attempt to fit them into an exact metrical scheme, would flow smoothly enough when spoken by a good actor. Rhymed Lines — The rhymed lines in Macbeth may be divided into 1 Heroic couplets. Heroic couplets, however, appear occasionally in the middle of a scene in blank verse. See lines of iv. There are some fifty-four such couplets in Macbeth. The ordinary dialogue of the witches, as has been pointed out in the notes is thrown into rhymed verse, consisting for the most part of trochaic tetrameter, i,e.

Thus: As a rule the second syllable of the last foot is wanting in this metre; but see i. Occasionally we find iambic lines in the speeches of the witches as In the speeches of Hecate on the other hand see iii. There is occasional stress inversion but not a single trochaic line.

February 04, E ighteenth-century writer Samuel Johnson is one of the most significant figures in English literature. His fame is due in part to a widely read biography of him, written by his friend James Boswell and published in Although probably best known for compiling his celebrated dictionary, Johnson was an extremely prolific writer who worked in a variety of fields and forms. Chief Critical Approaches of Dr. Johnson are: Johnson tried teaching and later organized a school in Lichfield.

His educational ventures were not successful, however, although one of his students, David Garrick, later famous as an actor, became a lifelong friend. Read more. April 03, He argues that a carpenter can make no more than an imitation of the reality, and the bed he makes is once removed from the truth. Read More Drama It is an imitation of imitation. In like manner the poet too creates only a copy of a copy,. June 21, Gitanjali NO. My hopes rose high and methought my evil days were at an end, and I stood waiting for alms to be given unasked and for wealth scattered on all sides in the dust.

The chariot stopped where I stood. Thy glance fell on me and thou camest down with a smile. I felt that the luck of my life had come at last. I was confused and stood undecided, and then from my wallet I slowly took out the least little grain of corn and gave it to thee.

Blank Verse Syllabus Craft of Poetry Home Blank Verse is any verse comprised of unrhymed lines all in the same meter, usually iambic pentameter. It was developed in Italy and became widely used during the Renaissance because it resembled classical, unrhymed poetry. Marlowe's "mighty line," which demonstrated blank verse's range and flexibility, made blank verse the standard for many English writers, including both Shakespeare and Milton, and it remained a very practiced form up until the twentieth century when Modernism rebelled and openly experimented with the tradition.

Regardless, blank verse was embraced by Yeats, Pound, Frost, and Stevens who skillfully brought the tradition through this century. While it may not be as common as open form, it retains an important role in the world of poetry. Blank verse can be composed in any meter and with any amount of feet per line any line length , though the iamb is generally the predominant foot. Along with the iamb are 3 other standard feet and a number of variations that can be employed in a blank verse poem.

It is difficult--almost impossible--to write a blank verse poem consisting of all iambs, and other types of feet get used more often than one may think.

These are: Iamb- two syllables, unstressed-stressed, as in "today". Trochee- two syllables, stressed-unstressed, as in "standard". Anapest- three syllables, unstressed-unstressed-stressed, as in "disengage" Dactyl- three syllables, stressed-unstressed-unstressed, as in "probably". Variations include: Headless Iamb or Tailess Trochee- one stressed syllable.

Labeling the foot depends on where it is located in the line.