What is the foot and metrical feet of these examples?
If we shadows have offended
Think but this and all is mended - William Shakespeare
Where lasting friendship seeds are sown
Study this site, and then post your answers.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/foot
Is the second one iambic trimeter?
Is the 1st one iambic as well?
yes, and yes.
To determine the foot and metrical feet of a line in poetry, you need to consider the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables within the line. Here are the foot and metrical feet of the given examples:
1. "If we shadows have offended
Think but this and all is mended" - William Shakespeare
In these lines, we can identify the following pattern of stressed (') and unstressed (u) syllables:
" If we 'shad-ows 'have of-fend-ed
Think 'but this 'and all 'is mend-ed"
Based on this pattern, we can determine the foot and metrical feet as follows:
- The foot is the basic unit of measurement in a metrical line, and in this case, it is an iambic foot. An iambic foot consists of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable (u').
- The metrical feet in these lines are:
- "If we" - iambic (u')
- "shadows" - trochaic ('u)
- "have of" - iambic (u')
- "fend" - trochaic ('u)
- "Think but" - trochaic ('u)
- "this and" - trochaic ('u)
- "all is" - trochaic ('u)
- "mended" - iambic (u')
2. "Where lasting friendship seeds are sown"
In this line, the pattern of stressed (') and unstressed (u) syllables is as follows:
"'Where 'last-ing 'friend-ship 'seeds 'are 'sown"
Based on this pattern, we can determine the foot and metrical feet as follows:
- The foot in this line is a trochaic foot. A trochaic foot consists of one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable ('u).
- The metrical feet in this line are:
- "Where" - trochaic ('u)
- "lasting" - trochaic ('u)
- "friendship" - trochaic ('u)
- "seeds" - trochaic ('u)
- "are" - trochaic ('u)
- "sown" - trochaic ('u)
By analyzing the patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables, we can determine the foot and metrical feet of each line in these examples.