Scansion Notes

Latin 3 Scansion Notes

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)