Articles and Commentaries by Aden Lee, Skylark Press Studio Shelley's Skylark | Page 9

Again, this line features a dominant trochaic rhythm. Note
also that Shelley omits the final unstressed syllable to give
this line a rising, instead of falling, rhythm.
Line 3: “THAT from / HEAVEN or / NEAR it”
(6 syllables, “heaven” is counted as a monosyllable here)
Identical to Line 1, trochaic trimeter.
Line 4: “POURest / THY full / HEART” (5 Syllables)
Identical to Line 2, with the final unstressed syllable
omitted.
Line 5:
“In PRO / fuse STRAINS / of UN / pre-ME / di-TA / ted ART”

(12 syllables)
This line is especially long, and contains twice the number
of syllables as the first and third lines. Also, a change in
the meter is noted. The first syllable, “In”, is unstressed.
What results is a sequence of six iambs, or iambic
hexameter. A line of iambic hexameter is known as an
alexandrine, and is frequently used in traditional French
poetry.
© Skylark Press Studio 2016

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