Poetic Meter & Text-Setting
This lesson is part of the Rhythm, Meter & Form category. |
Objectives[edit]
- Students will be able to analyze a short text for prosodic meter and scansion.
- Students will be able to set a lyric to music using normative melodic and rhythmic conventions.
- Students will be able to discuss the scansion of a musical excerpt and how it affects the musical and lyrical aspects of the piece.
- Students will understand the role of rhyme scheme in a musical work.
Resources[edit]
Readings
On Poetic Meter
- "Stress and Intonation" (Learning English Online)
- "Meter" (Literary Devices)
- "Learn These 4 Word Stress Rules to Improve Your Pronunciation." (ETS TOEFL)
Metrical Text-Setting
- M. Saunders. "Setting Text in English to Music."
- F. Tobey. "2A Poetic Meter" (A Feeling for Harmony).
Class Activities[edit]
- Discussion and demonstration of scansion, lyric setting.
- Analysis of a musical excerpt for scansion and rhyme scheme
- Analysis of a given or student-selected text for scansion, and composition of a rhythm and melody which properly accommodates that scansion
Assignments[edit]
- Find the scansion of a given lyric (or poem)
- Setting a given lyric to rhythm and/or melody
- Analysis of written and recorded music for scansion