Scansion Notes

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Latin 3 Scansion Notes

Contents

Definition

scan·sion (skăn'shən) pronunciation n.

Analysis of verse into metrical patterns.

[Late Latin scānsiō, scānsiōn-, from Latin, act of climbing, from scānsus, past participle of scandere, to climb.]

Dactylic Hexameter

  • 6 feet to a line
  • 2 types of feet
    • Dactyl (long, short, short [_⌣⌣])'
    • Spondee (long, long)
  • 5th Foot always Dactyl
  • 6th Foot always a Spondee

Long?

Syllable long if:

  • vowel followed by 2 consonants (non-vowels)
    • if the 2nd of the 2 consonants are liquid (a "l" or "r") the poet has a choice long or short
  • diphthongs (2 vowels which make 1 sound) [ae] [ou]
  • Naturally Long
    • Indicated in Text
    • Ablative Absolute
    • Ablative Plural

Elision

When a word ends in a vowel (or vowel + "m") and the next word begins with a vowel (or "h" + vowel) then the first syllable (end of the word) drops out

Examples

Need to scan in --ThePlaz 21:45, 24 May 2007 (EDT)