Nine of A Kind: Pieces of Poetry (3/3)

Foot

1. A foot is one unit of a meter; it includes stressed and unstressed syllables. Stressed syllables are marked with "/" and unstressed "u". It is not a line, it is within a line
2. Ex. HELlo // EVERy // BOdy

                 /  u //   /   u //   /  u
Stanza

1. A stanza is a group of lines within a poem. There are no rules that limits the number of lines, but in some poems, there are specific numbers of lines that need to be in a stanza.

     2. Ex. Overnight, very 
         Whitely, discreetly,
         Very quietly

        Our toes, our noses
        Take hold on the loam,
        Acquire the air. (Mushrooms, Sylvia Plath /first two stanzas)

Refrain

1. A refrain is one part of a poem that is repeated, especially repeated at the end of a stanza or between one or two stanzas. Refrains can be loose and direct, which means the repeated part of the poem can be exactly the same, or can be slightly different. The example shows a loose refrain.

    2. Ex. Don't talk to me of love. I've had an earful

              And I get tearful when I've downed a drink or two.
              I'm one of your talking wounded.
              I'm a hostage. I'm maroonded.
        But I'm in Paris with you.

             Yes I'm angry at the way I've been bamboozled
             And resentful at the mess I've been through.
             I admit I'm on the rebound
             And I don't care where are we bound.
       I'm in Paris with you. (In Paris With You, James Fenton /first two stanzas)