The pleasure of poetic pattern - David Silverstein

Summary

The script delves into the universality of rhythm and repetition in human life, highlighting their presence in nature, language, and poetry. It explores the use of these elements in poetry, including rhyme, assonance, and alliteration, which create pleasurable patterns for the reader or listener. The script also cautions against overuse, as too much repetition can become monotonous. The essence is a celebration of the rhythmic and repetitive nature of life, urging us to appreciate the patterns that shape our experiences.

Takeaways

• 🧘 Breathing and pulse are fundamental rhythms inherent in human beings, emphasizing our natural inclination towards patterns and repetition.
• 🎶 The enjoyment of rhythm and repetition is evident in everyday life, from the rhythm of music to the repetition found in nature and art.
• 📚 Rhythm and repetition are integral to language and poetry, used to create emphasis and structure through syllables and sounds.
• 📜 Repetition in poetry can be used to amplify or diminish a line, unify or diversify ideas, making it a versatile tool for poets.
• 🔄 Too much repetition can be counterproductive, as it can become monotonous and lose the aesthetic value it holds when balanced properly.
• 📖 Rhyme is a common form of poetic repetition, creating an expectation for the reader or listener to anticipate similar sounds.
• 🎵 Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds, contributing to the rhythm and pleasure of poetry, as heard in various examples including Eminem's 'Lose Yourself'.
• 🌐 Consonance involves the repetition of consonant sounds and can be found in alliteration, where the same sound occurs at the beginning of words, often in tongue twisters.
• 🤹‍♂️ The balance in poetry lies in knowing when to repeat for effect and when to vary to maintain interest, a skillful act of satisfying and thwarting expectations.
• 🌟 Poetic repetition, when done well, can elevate language to an art form, engaging the audience with patterns that are both pleasing and thought-provoking.
• 🌱 The script reminds us that we all carry our own rhythms and repetitions in life, a reflection of the world's wild variation and our individual experiences.

Q & A

What is the central theme of the script regarding human experience?

The central theme of the script is that humans are creatures of rhythm and repetition, which is fundamental to our experience.

How are rhythm and repetition related to our daily life activities?

Rhythm and repetition are related to daily life activities such as the rhythm of a song, the beat of a drum, the nod of your head, and the patterns found in nature like rows of an orchard or the arrangement of petals.

How does the script describe the use of rhythm and repetition in poetry?

The script describes the use of rhythm and repetition in poetry as building blocks, created by syllables and their emphasis, and the repetition of letters, sounds, and words to unify or diversify ideas.

What is the purpose of repetition in poetry according to the script?

Repetition in poetry serves to lift or lull the listener, amplify or diminish the line, and create an expectation for the reader or listener to anticipate the recurrence of similar sounds or patterns.

What is the difference between rhyme and assonance as forms of repetition in poetry?

Rhyme is the repetition of like sounds at the ends of lines, while assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within and at the end of lines.

Can you provide an example of assonance from the script?

An example of assonance from the script is found in the line 'So long lives this and this gives life to thee,' where the 'i' sound repeats.

What is consonance and how does it differ from alliteration?

Consonance is the repetition of like consonant sounds, while alliteration specifically refers to the repetition of sounds at the beginning of words.

How does the script illustrate the concept of alliteration?

The script illustrates alliteration with the tongue twister 'Betty bought some butter but the butter was bitter, so Betty bought some better butter to make the bitter butter better,' where the 'b' sound is repeated.

What is the potential downside of too much repetition in poetry as mentioned in the script?

Too much repetition in poetry can backfire, making the work seem gimmicky or less like poetry, as it can become monotonous and fail to engage the reader or listener effectively.

How does the script suggest that poets should approach the use of repetition?

The script suggests that poets should balance the use of repetition, knowing when to repeat to satisfy expectations and when to vary to thwart them, in order to maintain engagement and interest.

What message does the script convey about the universality of rhythm and repetition?

The script conveys that rhythm and repetition are universal, inherent in our being, and that we all carry our own breath and beat, our own patterns of repetition wherever we go.

Outlines

00:00

🧘‍♂️ The Rhythm of Life

This paragraph introduces the concept of rhythm and repetition as fundamental aspects of human experience. It emphasizes the natural rhythm of breathing and the pulse, suggesting that we are inherently rhythmic beings. The paragraph explores how we find pleasure in patterns, such as in music, nature, and art, and discusses the use of rhythm and repetition in poetry. It highlights the role of these elements in language, including the creation of rhythm through syllables and the use of repetition at various linguistic levels. The paragraph also touches on the potential downsides of excessive repetition, using the analogy of writing the same sentence multiple times or a child repeatedly calling for attention to illustrate the point.

Keywords

💡Rhythm

Rhythm refers to the natural flow or pattern of sounds, beats, or movements, which is a fundamental aspect of human experience as mentioned in the script. It is integral to the theme of the video, which explores how rhythm and repetition are inherent in our lives and in poetry. For instance, the script talks about the rhythm of a song or the beat of a drum, illustrating how rhythm is a source of pleasure and a structural element in various art forms.

💡Repetition

Repetition is the act of repeating something, a key concept in the video that emphasizes the importance of recurring patterns in our lives and in poetry. It is used to highlight how we find pleasure in patterns, such as the repetition of objects or sounds. The script gives examples of repetition in language, like the repetition of letters, sounds, and words, and how it can be used to amplify or unify ideas in poetry.

💡Pulse

Pulse is the rhythmic beating that can be felt in the arteries, symbolizing the life force within us. In the context of the video, it is used metaphorically to connect the physical rhythm of life with the rhythmic patterns found in poetry and everyday experiences. The script mentions considering one's pulse to illustrate the inherent rhythm that is 'built into the very fabric of our being.'

💡Poetry

Poetry is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language to evoke emotions, ideas, or tell a story. The video discusses how rhythm and repetition are used as building blocks in poetry, creating patterns that can be pleasurable and meaningful. Examples from the script include the use of rhyme, assonance, and alliteration, which are all forms of repetition in poetry.

💡Rhyme

Rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in words, typically at the end of lines in poetry. It is a form of repetition that the script identifies as creating an expectation in the listener, which when fulfilled, provides a sense of pleasure. The script references Shakespeare and the enjoyment derived from finding the pattern of rhymed words.

💡Assonance

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words, which is a form of internal rhyme. The script uses the line 'So long lives this and this gives life to thee' to illustrate assonance, where the 'i' sound is repeated, creating a pleasing auditory effect and contributing to the rhythm of the language.

💡Consonance

Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in words, which can create a sense of unity and rhythm. The script mentions 'So long lives this and this gives life to thee' as an example of consonance, highlighting the 'l' and 'th' sounds that contribute to the poem's sonic texture.

💡Alliteration

Alliteration is a type of consonance that involves the repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words. The script provides the example of tongue twisters, such as 'Betty bought some butter but the butter was bitter,' to demonstrate the playful and challenging nature of alliteration, which can be both pleasurable and a test of speech.

💡Variation

Variation refers to the differences or changes in something, which is essential in poetic repetition to avoid monotony. The script discusses the need for variation in repetition to maintain interest and prevent the poetry from becoming a tiresome 'blackboard-style' of repetition.

💡Expectation

Expectation in the context of the video refers to the anticipation created by patterns of repetition, such as rhyme. The script explains that when listeners recognize and anticipate these patterns, the fulfillment of that expectation can be pleasurable, akin to finding a pattern in visual chaos or an echo in spoken language.

💡Balancing Act

Balancing act is a metaphor used in the script to describe the poet's skill in managing repetition effectively. It involves knowing when to repeat for emphasis and when to introduce variation to keep the poetry engaging and dynamic. The script suggests that this balance is crucial in creating poetry that resonates with its audience.

Highlights

The importance of focusing on breath and pulse to understand our inherent rhythm and repetition.

Rhythm and repetition are central to human experience, influencing our daily lives in various ways.

The pleasure derived from patterns in language, such as the rhythm of a song or the beat of a drum.

The use of repetition in poetry as a fundamental building block, creating emphasis through syllables and sounds.

The malleability and reliability of repetition as a tool for poets to unify or diversify ideas.

The concept that rhythm itself is a form of repetition through the pattern of stressed syllables.

The potential negative impact of excessive repetition, such as monotony in language.

The role of rhyme in creating an expectation for the listener through the repetition of like sounds.

The pleasure found in discovering patterns, such as rhyme, in language, akin to finding Waldo in visual chaos.

Assonance, the repetition of vowel sounds, as a form of repetition that can create its own rhythm.

Consonance, the repetition of consonant sounds, and its role in creating specific patterns in language.

Alliteration, a type of consonance occurring at the beginning of words, and its presence in tongue twisters.

The need for variation in poetic repetition to avoid the gimmicky effect of overemphasis on sounds.

The poet's balancing act of knowing when to repeat and when to introduce variation to maintain interest.

The reminder that we live in a world of variation and carry our own rhythm and repetition with us.

Transcripts

Just for a moment,

focus on your breath.

In slowly.

Out slowly.

In slowly.

Out.

The same pattern repeats within every one of us

and consider your pulse.

The beat is built into the very fabric of our being.

Simply put, we're creatures of rhythm and repetition.

It's central to our experience,

rhythm and repetition,

rhythm and repetition.

On, and in,

and on, and out.

And we delight in those aspects everyday,

in the rhythm of a song,

the beat of the drum,

the nod of your head,

or in the repetition of soup cans,

the rows of an orchard,

the artistry of petals.

Pattern can be pleasure.

In language, rhythm and repetition are often used

as the building blocks for poetry.

There's the rhythm of language,

created by syllables and their emphasis,

such as, "So long as men can breathe or eyes can see."

And there's the repetition of language at multiple levels:

the repetition of letters,

"So long lives this and this gives life to thee,"

of sounds,

"breathe," "see," "thee,"

and of words.

With so many uses, repetition is one of the poet's most malleable

and reliable tools.

It can lift or lull the listener,

amplify or diminish the line,

unify or diversify ideas.

In fact, even rhythm itself,

a repeated pattern of stressed syllables,

is a form of repetition.

Yet for all its varied uses,

too much repetition can backfire.

Imagine writing the same sentence on the blackboard twenty times,

again, and again, and again, and again,

or imagine a young child clamoring for her mother's attention,

"Mom, mom, mommy, mom, mom."

Not exactly what we might call poetry.

So what is poetic repetition, and why does it work?

Possibly most familiar is rhyme,

the repetition of like sounds in word endings.

As with Shakespeare's example,

we often encounter rhyme at the ends of lines.

Repetition in this way creates an expectation.

We begin to listen for the repetition of those similar sounds.

When we hear them, the found pattern is pleasurable.

Like finding Waldo in the visual chaos,

we hear the echo in the oral chatter.

Yet, rhyme need not surface solely at a line's end.

Notice the strong "i" sound in,

"So long lives this and this gives life to thee."

This repetition of vowel sounds is called assonance

and can also be heard in Eminem's "Lose Yourself."

Notice how the "e" and "o" sounds repeat both within in

and at the end of each line:

"Oh, there goes gravity,

Oh, there goes rabbit, he choked,

he so mad but he won't give up that easy,

no, he won't have it,

he knows his whole back's to these ropes."

The alternating assonance creates its own rhythm,

and invites us to try our own voices in echoing it.

Similarly, consonance is the repetition of like consonant sounds,

such as the "l" and "th" in,

"So long lives this and this gives life to thee."

In fact, this type of specific consonance,

which occurs at the beginning of words

may be familiar to you already.

It's called alliteration, or front rhyme.

Great examples include tongue twisters.

Betty bought some butter but the butter was bitter

so Betty bought some better butter to make the bitter butter better.

Here, the pleasure in pattern is apparent as we trip over the consonance

both within words and at their start.

Yet tongue twisters also reflect the need for variation in poetic repetition.

While challenging to say,

they're seen by some as lesser imitations of poetry,

or gimmicky because they hammer so heavily on the same sounds,

closer to that blackboard-style of repetition.

Ultimately, this is the poet's balancing act,

learning when to repeat

and when to riff,

when to satisfy expectations,

and when to thwart them,

and in that balance, it may be enough to remember

we all live in a world of wild variation

and carry with us our own breath and beat,

our own repetition wherever we go.