lesson
Updated 6 days ago · 2 views
Have you ever tapped your foot to a catchy song or chanted words while jumping rope?
That steady pulse you feel inside the music or words is called the beat, just like your ticking heart.
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A beat stays steady and even like a clock, but what makes poems feel like dancing songs?
Finding the Rhythm
A rhythm is a pattern of stressed syllables (loud, strong sounds) and unstressed syllables (soft, quiet sounds).
When you say EN-gine, EN-gine, NUM-ber NINE, your voice naturally punches the loud parts and whispers the soft parts.
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How can you tell which syllables are the strong beats when you read a brand new poem?
Clapping the Pattern
You can test any line by doing a body percussion pattern: clap your hands on the loud words and tap your knees on the quiet ones.
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Some readers think rhythm means speaking as fast as you can, but rushing actually breaks the music of the poem.