Rhythm. Rhythm is the pattern of beats, or stressed syllables, in a line of poetry or prose. Stress, or accent, is the amount of emphasis given to a syllable. The pattern of stresses in a poem determines its rhythm. A strongly stressed syllable receives a strong emphasis and a weakly stressed syllable receives a weak one. As you read the following poems, note which syllables are strongly stressed. You may want to use a graphic organizer like the one below to determine the rhythm of each line of the poems.
Rhyme. Rhyme is the repetition of sounds at the ends of words. As you read these poems, look for rhyming words at the ends of lines.
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• Eagle is a common name for a number of different birds of prey. The golden eagle can be found in many areas in the Northern Hemisphere. It is known for its large size, amazing flying skills, and preference for nesting in high-up places. Sea eagles live in coastal regions and near lakes and streams in North America. The bald eagle—darkly colored with a white head—is a member of this group. Tropical eagles, such as the harpy eagle, Philippine eagle, and serpent eagle, live near the equator.
• Tennyson composed the poem “Break, Break, Break” after his good friend died. He wrote about the sea, which he could have seen as a symbol of the endless circle of life and death. The sea could also symbolize the indifference of the world to one small death—the sea continues to “break, break, break,” as always, even though Tennyson’s friend had died. In the first stanza, the poet seems troubled by his inability to put his feelings and thoughts into words. In the second and third stanzas, he sees life going on around him, even after such a tragedy occurred. The indifferent children and the ship do as they have always done, not paying attention to the tragedy. In the fourth stanza, he realizes that he will never again see his friend.
• What elements in nature do you find most interesting or awe-inspiring? Why?
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