Making Inferences and Finding Meter: “The Chambered Nautilus” by Oliver Wendell Holmes

1. Making Inferences and Finding Meter:“The Chambered Nautilus”by Oliver Wendell Holmes Ms. Macemore Unit Two: American Romanticism

2. Imaginary Scene: Sarah left a Payless Shoes bag on the floor and is wearing shiny red heels. What conclusions can we make based upon what we see here? To determine what is happening here, we just made inferences.

3. What is an Inference? An inference is a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.

4. Where do we use inferences? • Reading • Real world applications such as: • Crime scene investigations • Court cases • Problem solving • Making plans

5. “The Chambered Nautilus” We’re going to read a poem called “The Chambered Nautilus,” by Oliver Wendell Holmes. While reading, we will be ‘detectives’ and make inferences about what we read. First, let’s make some inferences based upon the title of this story.

6. “The Chambered Nautilus” http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/invertebrates/facts/cephalopods/factsheets/chamberednautilus.cfm

7. Clues: The chambered nautilus is continually growing, adding more and more shell as it does, moving into a different chamber each time the shell grows. The shell of a chambered nautilus is a perfect spiral coated in mother-of-pearl. When threatened, it withdraws into its shell and closes a tough, leathery hood to keep predators out.

8. What might these clues tell us? • The chambered nautilus is continually growing, adding more and more shell as it does, moving into a different chamber each time the shell grows. • This could represent something about change and growth. • The shell of a chambered nautilus is a perfect spiral coated in mother-of-pearl. • This could represent beauty and perfection that takes time to achieve. • When threatened, it withdraws into its shell and closes a tough, leathery hood to keep predators out. • This could represent being tough against all odds and continuing to grow and change.

9. Make an Inference! • Based on the clues and interpretations before, answer the following questions: • 1. Do you think this is literally about a sea creature? • 2. What else could this be about? • 3. What clues help you make this inference?

10. Inferences from “The Chambered Nautilus”

11. What is rhythm????? Rhythm is the pattern of stresses in a line of verse. When you speak, you stress some syllables and leave others unstressed. When you string a lot of words together, you start seeing patterns. Rhythm is a natural thing. It's in everything you say and write, even if you don't intend for it to be.

12. What is meter? • Meters are premeasured patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables. • Meter is composed of individual units of rhythm, called feet. These are four types of feet: • Anapest: duh-duh-DUH, as in but of course! • Dactyl: DUH-duh-duh, as in honestly • Iamb: duh-DUH, as in collapse • Trochee: DUH-duh, as in pizza Interesting fact: The Queen song “We Will Rock You” has a rhythm that is anapestic—two unstressed beats followed by a stressed one. 

13. Meter Lines are then composed of a certain number of feet, as follows: 1 foot: monometer 2 feet: dimeter 3 feet: trimeter 4 feet: tetrameter 5 feet: pentameter 6 feet: hexameter

14. How do we name it? The meter of poetry is named by combining the type of foot it uses, and the number of feet per line. Example: If I use trochees, and have four feet per line, I am writing in trochaic tetrameter. The most popular form of meter is called “iambic pentameter.” William Shakespeare was a HUGE fan of this one.

15. Example of Iambic Pentameter “Was this the face that launched a thousand ships?” • Dr. Faustus Do you hear the iambs? (unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable)