Nicholas Potolicchio

March 3, 2011
Professor Bassett
LCS 352 Exam #1

Part I:

My true love hath my heart, and I have his,

By just exchange, one for the other giv’n.

I hold his dear, and mine he cannot miss:

There never was a better bargain driv’n.

His heart in me, keeps me and him in one,

My heart in him, his thoughts and senses guides.

He loves my heart, for once it was his own:

I cherish his, because in me it bides.

His heart his wound received from my sight;

My heart was wounded, with his wounded heart,

For as from me on him his hurt did light,

So still methought in me his hurt did smart;

Both equal hurt, in this change sought our bliss:

My true love hath my heart, and I have his.

-Philip Sydney
 In the poem above, by Philip Sydney, the dominant meter encountered is iambic

pentameter. In addition to iambic pentameter, expressive variation is also established in the

poem. Expressive variation is used in two instances: in the second line of the first stanza, and

the second line of the third stanza, where the use of trochaic meter is present. The two instances

of the intentional departure from the pattern of the poem are used for a specific effect, as well as

influencing the poem’s meaning via rhythm change. In the second line of the first stanza, the

effect of the change from iambs to trochees, then back to iambs, could possibly symbolize the

exchange of hearts (love) between the lovers. Considering the fact that expressive variation

produces emphasis, Philip Sydney is attempting to set apart this line, stressing the importance of

the exchange of hearts, amongst lovers, has on the rhythm and meaning of the poem. Expressive

variation can be found in the second line of the third stanza as well. In this instance, the

departure from the standard pattern of the poem creates a similar effect as in the second line of

the first stanza. However, instead of the change from iambs to trochees and back to iambs

representing the exchange of hearts, this occasion signifies that they both received a wounded

heart. As mentioned earlier, expressive variation is the intentional departure from the pattern of

the poem, I believe Philip Sydney uses expressive variation in this instance to produce emphasis

on the wounded hearts. The intentional departure from the pattern of the poem could have been

possibly used to symbolize the intentional damage accomplished by one of the lovers to the

other. In addition, the intentional change from iambs to trochees then back to iambs might also

indicate that the author wants a change in the relationship. Philip Sydney integrates two

instances of expressive variation in the poem to provide symbolism as well as set apart and
produce emphasis on the two lines that contain the intentional departure from the main pattern of

the poem.

For the most part, Philip Sydney’s poem has a clear, discernable rhythm. In this poem,

the source of rhythm is meter, and the use of accents, in addition to syntactic enjambment, has a

strong effect on how the poem moves and provides a steady, consistent rhythm. Sydney utilizes

both end rhyme and half rhyme in the poem. For end rhyme, the last word of each line contains

rhymed vowels with an alternating line and can be found in the first stanza, the second and fourth

lines in the second stanza, and the third stanza as well. The employment of end rhyme by

Sydney constructs order, control, and focus to the poem, additionally drawing the language of

the poem together. Half rhyme is utilized in the poem and can be found in the second stanza, the

first and third lines. In a few instances, the last word at the end of a line has a rhyming

consonant as that of an alternating line. Making use of end rhyme and half rhyme, combined

with iambic pentameter and expressive variation, Philip Sydney is able to create movement of

rhythm in the poem, offering a consistent, patterned rhythm.

Part II:

In Linda Gregg’s free verse poem “Kept Burning and Distant,” contains a few different

elements that influence the rhythm of the poem. In a free verse poem, the emotional situation

governs the rhythm with emotional dynamics creating movement in order to counteract the fact

that there is not a consistent pattern of accented and unaccented syllables (meter). The first

element of Gregg’s poem is lineation. The lineation of this poem is both syntactic and counter-

syntactic, which are two types of enjambment. Enjambment is the continuation of a sentence
from one line to another and the use of it, or lack of it, has a strong effect on how the poem

moves. Gregg employs enjambment in lines six and seven to add emphasis to the word at the

end of each sentence. For example, line six ends with the word ‘leaves’. The word ‘leaves’ at

the end of the line literally means leaves on a tree. Gregg uses counter-syntactic lineation to

draw attention to what is being said in that specific line. The added emphasis to the word

‘leaves’ foreshadows the ending of the poem, where Linda wakes up under the tree alone after

sex, thus foreshadowing that her sexual partner is going to leave her under the tree on ‘leaves’

after sex. Therefore, the rhythm of the poem is affected by the element of lineation through

enjambment.

An additional element that influences the rhythm of the poem is punctuation. For the

reason that punctuation establishes the pace of the poem, this poem contains a few punctuation

marks signaling for breaks or pauses. The periods and commas included in the poem, signaling

for a break or pause, slow the pace down significantly. Gregg uses commas to create rhythm and

structure in the free verse poem, as well as to help the poem move forward. In addition to the

effects of punctuation on rhythm, the punctuation symbolizes the story of the poem, about the

two lovers being separated or ‘distant’. Thus, the punctuation in Gregg’s poem is critical to the

rhythm of the poem. A further element that influences the rhythm of the poem is sound. Gregg

uses repetition in the words rain and tender, possibly to convey a message of her human

experience and “emotional situation”. Gregg has no control as to when her lover comes and

goes, similarly to rain and the inability to control it. Thus, the repetition of rain is used to as a

form of symbolism and sound in order to help the poem move forward. Therefore, punctuation

and sound is a couple of elements that influences and creates rhythm.