scansion

[skan-shuhn]

noun

Prosody.

1. the metrical analysis of verse. The usual marks for scansion are ˘ for a short or unaccented syllable, ¯ or ′ for a long or accented syllable, ^ for a rest, | for a foot division, and ‖ for a caesura or pause.

scansion

/ ˈskænʃən /

noun

1. the analysis of the metrical structure of verse See quantity stress

Word History and Origins

Origin of scansion¹

1645–55; < Late Latin scānsiōn- (stem of scānsiō ), Latin: a climbing, equivalent to scāns ( us ) (past participle of scandere to climb) + -iōn- -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of scansion¹

C17: from Latin: climbing up, from scandere to climb, _scan

Example Sentences

Nash’s are hard to decipher anyway; because rhyme and scansion aren’t her thing, the ear gets no help.

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Clarity for lyricists has to refer not just to scansion and word choice, but also how their songs are communicated.

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There’s something about Shakespeare and the language that, as a Black performer, I naturally get: the rhythms, the scansion, the iambic pentameter.

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While other poets might spend years studying the scansion of poetry, she said she’s not as interested in form.

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Donaldson is obsessed with scansion – where the stresses fall in a line.

Read more on The Guardian