Question

what is the meter pattern in these lines from \on imagination\ by phillis wheatley? imagination! who can sing thy force? or who describe the swiftness of thy course? a. trochaic tetrameter b. iambic pentameter c. spondaic hexameter d. anapestic pentameter e. iambic hexameter

Explanation:

• Iambic pentameter: An iamb is an unstressed - stressed syllable pair. Pentameter means there are five iambic feet in a line.
• Let's scan the lines:
• In “Imagination! who can sing thy force?”, we can break it into syllables. “Who” (unstressed - stressed? No, “who” is a one - syllable word. Let's consider the metrical pattern more closely. If we assume a more traditional scansion (ignoring the exclamation for a moment), “who can sing thy force” can be divided into five iambic - like units (though in practice, English poetry scansion can be flexible).
• In “Or who describe the swiftness of thy course?”, we again look for the pattern of unstressed - stressed syllable pairs. “Or” (one syllable), “who de - scribe the swif - tness of thy course” can be approximated to have five iambic feet.
• Trochaic tetrameter: A trochee is a stressed - unstressed syllable pair. Tetrameter means four trochaic feet. The given lines do not follow a stressed - unstressed pattern throughout with four feet.
• Spondaic hexameter: A spondee is two stressed syllables. Hexameter means six feet. The lines do not have a pattern of two - stressed syllable feet.
• Anapestic pentameter: An anapest is two unstressed - one stressed syllable. Pentameter would be five anapestic feet. The lines do not follow this pattern.
• Iambic hexameter: Hexameter means six feet. The lines have a pattern more consistent with five metrical feet (pentameter) rather than six.

Answer:

B. iambic pentameter