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Analyzing and Interpreting Literature / Unit 6   AIL 0510 short lesson, about 20 seconds

The Dactyl

Captions available

The idea

The glossary defines dactylic metre as a series of single hard-stressed sounds each followed by two soft-stressed ones. Its example is Browning's line about a handful of silver and a man who left us. One stress, then two without, repeated, and the line rolls forward.

In practice

Stressed, unstressed, unstressed.

Where people slip

Listen for the rolling forward motion.

Your place on the trail

Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.

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