Page Text: est + ha = “esta”
III – Patterns 1st Half
There are many different patterns of Latin poetry. One of them is called “dactylic hexameter.” All of the poems in ecce, poēmata discipulīs! are written in that pattern, which gets its name from two rhythmic groups. The long short short rhythms are known as “dactyls,” and long long rhythms are known as “spondees.” Dactylic hexameter has six groups of dactyls or spondees, and there are variations of the groupings based on two main parts we’ll call “1st half” and “2nd half.” Here are three common ways the 1st half starts:
long short short long long long
long short short long short short long
long long long short short long
Patterns 2nd Half
The 2nd half of the dactylic hexameter pattern follows all of the same rhythms as the 1st half, except for one big difference: the final rhythm of the pattern can be either long or short. Why? Well, it’s the end of the line of poetry, and there will be some space between reciting the next line of poetry anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. You’ll sometimes see that last rhythm listed as “X,” but we’ll have some fun and use “BOOM!” Here are three common ways the 2nd half ends:
long long short short long short short long BOOM
short short long long long short short long BOOM
short short long short short long short short long BOOM
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