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Scansion

Meter
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The analysis of a poem's meter and rhythm, marking stressed and unstressed syllables and dividing the lines into feet

Detailed Definition
Scansion is the analytical practice of mapping a poem’s metrical pattern by identifying stressed (/) and unstressed (˘) syllables, dividing lines into feet (such as iamb, trochee, anapest), and noting variations like spondees or pyrrhics to reveal how rhythm contributes to meaning, tone, and emotional effect; far more than mechanical counting, scansion is an interpretive act that uncovers the dynamic tension between a poem’s formal expectations and its expressive deviations—such as a sudden spondee disrupting iambic flow to signal urgency—thereby illuminating the intricate relationship between sound and sense in poetic craft.
Example
Example in poetry:
Scansion: "˘ ¯ ˘ ¯ / ˘ ¯ ˘ ¯ — iambic pentameter"; "¯ ˘ ¯ ˘ — trochaic dimeter"; "˘ ˘ ¯ / ˘ ˘ ¯ — anapestic trimeter"; "¯ ˘ ˘ — dactylic monometer"
Additional Notes
Scansion analyzes meter by marking stressed/unstressed syllables and foot divisions. Essential skill for formal poetry study. Mark ˘ for unstressed, ¯ for stressed. Identify foot types and variations. Practice with familiar poems.
Other Meanings of “Scansion”
Also Known As
prosody scanning
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