Poetry Scanning Worksheet - Free Printable

Let’s go step by step through each exercise. We’ll mark stressed syllables with DUMM and unstressed with de, then find the dominant rhythm (iambic, trochaic, etc.) and count how many feet per line to get the meter (dimeter, trimeter, etc.).

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EXERCISE ONE

Lines:
> The stag at eve had drunk his fill
> Where shines the moon on Mo nan’s rill.

Break into syllables and mark stress:

Line 1:
The (de) | stag (DUMM) | at (de) | eve (DUMM) | had (de) | drunk (DUMM) | his (de) | fill (DUMM)
→ de DUMM | de DUMM | de DUMM | de DUMM → 4 iambs

Line 2:
Where (de) | shines (DUMM) | the (de) | moon (DUMM) | on (de) | Mo (DUMM) | nan’s (de) | rill (DUMM)
→ de DUMM | de DUMM | de DUMM | de DUMM → 4 iambs

Dominant pattern: iambic
Feet per line: 4 → tetrameter

✔ Label: iambic tetrameter

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EXERCISE TWO

Lines:
> Lit tle flit ting white fire in sect,
> Lit tle dan cing white fire crea ture,
> Light me with your lit tle can dle,
> Ere u pon my bed I lay me,
> Ere in sleep I close my eye lids.

Mark stresses:

Line 1:
Lit (DUMM) | tle (de) | flit (DUMM) | ting (de) | white (DUMM) | fire (de) | in (de) | sect (DUMM)
Wait — let’s re-scan carefully. Actually, “white fire” might be two syllables? But it says “white fire in sect” — probably “fire” is one syllable here? Let’s assume standard pronunciation.

Actually, better to read aloud softly as instructed.

Try again:

Line 1:
Lit (DUMM) - tle (de) | flit (DUMM) - ting (de) | white (DUMM) - fire (de) | in (de) - sect (DUMM)
That’s 4 feet: DUMM-de | DUMM-de | DUMM-de | de-DUMM → mostly trochaic but last foot is iambic? Hmm.

But look at Line 2:

Lit (DUMM) - tle (de) | dan (DUMM) - cing (de) | white (DUMM) - fire (de) | crea (de) - ture (DUMM)
Again: DUMM-de | DUMM-de | DUMM-de | de-DUMM → same issue.

Line 3:
Light (DUMM) - me (de) | with (de) - your (DUMM)? Wait — “with your” — usually “your” is unstressed? Let’s try:

Light (DUMM) - me (de) | with (de) - your (de) | lit (DUMM) - tle (de) | can (DUMM) - dle (de)
That would be: DUMM-de | de-de | DUMM-de | DUMM-de → messy.

Alternative approach: Maybe this poem uses trochaic rhythm overall?

Check Line 4:
Ere (de) - u (DUMM)? No — “Ere upon” — likely “Ere” is unstressed, “u” is part of “upon”.

Better scanning:

Line 4:
Ere (de) | u-pon (DUMM de?) — wait, “upon” is usually u-PON → so:

Ere (de) | u (de) | pon (DUMM) | my (de) | bed (DUMM) | I (de) | lay (DUMM) | me (de)
Too many syllables? Original says: “Ere u pon my bed I lay me,” — that’s 8 syllables.

Perhaps:
Ere (de) | u (de) | pon (DUMM) | my (de) | bed (DUMM) | I (de) | lay (DUMM) | me (de)
→ de de DUMM | de DUMM | de DUMM | de → not regular.

This is tricky. Let’s try reading aloud slowly:

“Lit-tle FLIT-ting WHITE fire IN sect” — maybe “IN sect” is stressed on “sect”? So:

Lit (DUMM) tle (de) | flit (DUMM) ting (de) | white (DUMM) fire (de) | in (de) sect (DUMM) → 4 feet: trochee, trochee, trochee, iamb → mostly trochaic.

Similarly, Line 5:
Ere (de) in (de) sleep (DUMM) I (de) close (DUMM) my (de) eye (DUMM) lids (de)
→ de de DUMM | de DUMM | de DUMM | de → still messy.

Wait — perhaps we should consider that some lines have variations, but dominant pattern is trochaic.

Count feet: most lines have 4 stressed syllables → 4 feet.

So even if not perfect, dominant rhythm = trochaic, 4 feet = tetrameter.

✔ Label: trochaic tetrameter

*(Note: Some teachers may accept slight variation; key is dominant pattern.)*

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EXERCISE THREE

Lines:
> The As syr ian came down like the wolf on the fold,
> And his co horts were gleam ing in pur ple and gold,
> And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,
> When the blue wave rolls night ly on deep Ga li lee.

Scan Line 1:
The (de) | As (DUMM) | syr (de) | ian (DUMM)? Wait — “Assyrian” is a-SYR-i-an → 4 syllables.

Better:

The (de) | As (de) | syr (DUMM) | ian (de) | came (DUMM) | down (de) | like (de) | the (de) | wolf (DUMM) | on (de) | the (de) | fold (DUMM)

That’s too many. Let’s group properly.

Standard scansion for this famous poem (Byron’s “The Destruction of Sennacherib”) is anapestic tetrameter.

Anapest = de de DUMM

Try Line 1:

The As | syr ian | came down | like the wolf | on the fold → no.

Break correctly:

“The As-syr-i-an came down like the wolf on the fold”

Syllables:
The (de) | As (de) | syr (DUMM) | i (de) | an (de) | came (DUMM) | down (de) | like (de) | the (de) | wolf (DUMM) | on (de) | the (de) | fold (DUMM)

Still messy.

Actually, correct scansion:

Line 1:
de de DUMM | de de DUMM | de de DUMM | de de DUMM
→ “The As-syr-i-an” = de de DUMM de? Not quite.

Wait — let’s use known fact: This poem is written in anapestic tetrameter.

Each foot: two unstressed + one stressed.

Example:
“And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea”

Break:

And (de) the (de) sheen (DUMM) | of (de) their (de) spears (DUMM) | was (de) like (de) stars (DUMM) | on (de) the (de) sea (DUMM)

Yes! That’s 4 anapests.

Same for other lines.

Line 1:
The (de) As (de) syr (DUMM) | ian (de) came (de) down (DUMM) | like (de) the (de) wolf (DUMM) | on (de) the (de) fold (DUMM)
→ Almost, but “ian came down” — “came” is stressed, “down” is unstressed? Maybe adjustment needed.

Actually, in performance, it’s scanned as:

The As-syr-i-an | came down like the | wolf on the fold → doesn’t fit.

Better to trust the pattern: All lines have 4 groups of “de de DUMM” → anapestic tetrameter.

✔ Label: anapestic tetrameter

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EXERCISE FOUR

Lines:
> Can non to right of them,
> Can non to left of them,
> Can non in front of them,
> Vol leyed and thun dered.

Scan:

Line 1:
Can (DUMM) | non (de) | to (de) | right (DUMM) | of (de) | them (de) → only 2 stresses? Wait.

Actually:
“Can-non to right of them” — “cannon” is CAN-non → DUMM-de

Then: to (de) | right (DUMM) | of (de) | them (de) → so:

CAN (DUMM) - non (de) | to (de) - right (DUMM) | of (de) - them (de) → incomplete.

But look at all lines — they are short.

Line 1: 6 syllables → possibly 2 feet?

Try:

Can (DUMM) | non (de) | to (de) | right (DUMM) | of (de) | them (de) → stresses on “Can” and “right” → 2 stresses.

Pattern: DUMM de de DUMM de de → that’s two dactyls? Dactyl = DUMM de de

First foot: Can-non-to → DUMM de de? “to” is unstressed, yes.

Second foot: right-of-them → DUMM de de? “of them” both unstressed? Yes.

So: DUMM de de | DUMM de de → dactylic dimeter

Check Line 2: same structure.

Line 3: same.

Line 4: Vol (DUMM) | leyed (de) | and (de) | thun (DUMM) | dered (de) → Vol-leyed-and-thun-dered → 5 syllables?

“Vol leyed and thun dered” — probably “volleyed” is VOL-leyed (2 syllables), “thundered” is THUN-dered (2 syllables).

So: Vol (DUMM) | leyed (de) | and (de) | thun (DUMM) | dered (de) → DUMM de de | DUMM de → almost dactyl + something.

But dominant pattern across first three lines is clearly dactylic dimeter.

Fourth line may vary slightly, but we go with dominant.

✔ Label: dactylic dimeter

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## Final Answers:

EXERCISE ONE: iambic tetrameter
EXERCISE TWO: trochaic tetrameter
EXERCISE THREE: anapestic tetrameter
EXERCISE FOUR: dactylic dimeter

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Final Answer:
EXERCISE ONE: iambic tetrameter
EXERCISE TWO: trochaic tetrameter
EXERCISE THREE: anapestic tetrameter
EXERCISE FOUR: dactylic dimeter