In this video, Adam reads through the full lyrics for My Town and demonstrates how the concepts of metre and scansion can be applied to this text. Adam analyses the text using the steps outlined below. Once you’ve finished watching the video, you may like to follow the same process to analyse the lyrics that you’ve chosen.
Look at the characteristics of the language and the structure of the lyrics:
- How many sections of text are there?
- How many lines are there in each section?
Next, look at the syllables and accents within each sections:
- How many syllables are there in each line?
- Can these syllables be divided into groups?
Now, read the text aloud, beginning to add a rhythmic pattern:
- Do certain words have a natural emphasis?
- Are some words longer than others?
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