Page 2 Rhythm

Rhythm is created by a steady beat.

If you listen for it you can find a steady beat in

  • raindrops
  • a bouncing ball
  • waves
  • heart beats
  • pendulums
  • walking/skating
  • karate/boxing
  • speech
  • someone playing drums


Rhythm is made up of sound and silence. Together, they make repetitions or patterns of sound.




Walking to the Beat


  1. These patterns of sound can have accentuated beats that are strong and long or unstressed beats that are weak and short.
  2. Stronger beats are represented by a / symbol.  Weaker beats are represented by a u symbol.
  3. Sometimes, poetry has a rhythm or flow. In this case, if you try walking to the beat of the poem, one foot comes down heavier than the other on key syllables in words.


And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
L (left leg) R (right leg)

L R L R L R L R  L  R  L  R  L  R
And then when Coo ney died at first  and  Bar  rows  did  the  same
da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM  da  DUM  da  DUM  da  DUM

Which foot comes down heavier?

  • If you said the right one, your poetic rhythm (meter) would be written like this

    u / u / u / u / u / u / u / ( unstressed, stressed) or da DUM da DUM da DUM
This is normal speech rhythm.




  Please contact your teacher if you have questions.