Scansion

usgb/ˈskænʃn/
noun

The act of analyzing a poem's rhythm by dividing lines into feet, indicating accents and counting syllables.

In English literature class, we practiced scansion on different poems to understand their rhythmic structure.
Visual representation of "scansion" - The act of analyzing a poem's rhythm by dividing lines into feet, indicating accents and counting syllables.

Often appears as...

  • practice scansion
  • scansion of poetry

Usage tips

Literary

Definition 1 of 1
Visual representation of "scansion"
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Poetry Rhythm

Scansion helps you understand a poem's beat, much like music rhythm.

Illustration for Poetry Rhythm
The scansion of the poem revealed a consistent iambic pentameter.
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Analytical Tool

Use scansion as a tool to dissect and deeply analyze poems.

Illustration for Analytical Tool
Our homework was to perform scansion to uncover the poem's underlying tempo.
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Emotional Effect

A poem's rhythm, found through scansion, can affect the reader's emotions.

Illustration for Emotional Effect
Scansion showed how the poet used a fast rhythm to convey excitement.
Visual representation of the word "Scansion"

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