Question

the song "And Must this Body Die," Does this song use metered rhythm or free rhythm? Explain your answer please.

thank you

Answer 1

AND must this body die,
This mortal frame decay?
And must these active limbs of mine
Lie mouldering in the clay?

Answer: In the text there is Iambic trimeter with some variations. In the first line, second line there are six syllables, in the third line there are eight syllables and in the fourth line there are seven syllables. In most of the feet the first syllable is unaccented and the second syllable is accented. there are some variations as

• In the third line there is Iambic tetrameter.
• In the last line there is an anapaest.

In the subsequent stanzas the same rhyme scheme has been followed.