Rhythma
Rhythma (student work)
Poetic meter is a basic framework which underlies the whole of English writing – most consciously used within the practice of poetry, but also often found in prose. Meter is the measure of rhythm within the English language. It is a fundamental lens through which syllables within words within sentences become like music – and yet, in the modern day, it is a tool often overlooked. With the decline in popularity of strictly metered writing forms, public education has largely failed to connect meter to more modern day usage and possibilities.
Rhythma is a tabletop game conceived to help break down this daunting barrier of entry. Geared towards introducing meter to novices from middle school to young adult, Rhythma aims to revive a more lyrical way of looking at language. The openended, card-and-tile game brings meter’s basic concepts to a format which automatically invites fun, engagement, and creativity.
Rhythma makes primary use of patterns and repetition in its design. This focus references the way in which stressed and unstressed syllables form the larger pattern of meter within a piece of writing. Drawing upon existing annotative marks for stress as well as its own “piano keys” motif, Rhythma’s patterns also serve as visual instruction during gameplay. In its component design, Rhythma’s pieces emphasize tactility, introducing meter as a felt experience as much as a read one.
In its digital expansion, Rhythma is recontextualized as a browser extension which identifies instances of meter in everyday internet browsing. The extension builds upon the game’s introduction, but is not reliant on existing play experience.