Meter

            Stressed and Unstressed Syllables:

    In English poetry, each line is broken up into measured beats called feet.  Most feet have two beats, which generally are associated with the syllables of words.  Some feet have three beats.  In order to determine the type of foot, you must first be able to determine whether the beats are stressed or unstressed.  Some poetry books call these beats long and short which correspond directly to stressed and unstressed.  There is a special notation for these stressed and unstressed beats, and the following examples will show you this notation.

A stressed beat may be capitalized or have slash above it like this: / .  An unstressed beat may be lower case or have a half circle above it like this: u.

        Examples:

    WALKing       aBOUT      BACKPACK     CHEERio     POSitive

    wálkĭng           ăbóut          báckpáck            chéerĭŏ         pósĭtĭve

Try selecting a few words, (your name for instance) and adding the accents where you see fit.  Use both methods of notation. An example of this follows:

    KATie JOHNson       ceLINE RICHards   

    Kátiĕ Jóhnsŏn            Cĕlíne Ríchărds

            Feet:

 Once you have determined which syllables are stressed or unstressed, it is possible to categorize the word, or words into a metric foot.

    Spondee - A spondee is a foot that contains two stressed beats.  //

        Examples: BACKPACK, DOGGONE, CATFIGHT, BIG BOY

    Iamb -  An iamb is a foot that contains an unstressed beat followed by a stressed beat. u/

        Examples: aBOUT, beFORE, unTIL,

    Anapest - An anapest is a three-beat foot that contains two unstressed syllables and one stressed syllable.  uu/

        Examples: in the PAST, unaBRIDGED, interCEDE

    Trochee - A trochee is a two-beat foot that contains a stressed beat followed by an unstressed beat. /u

        Examples: WALKing, KITten, SLOWly

    Dactyl - A dactyl is a three-beat foot that contains a stressed beat followed by two unstressed ones. /uu

        Examples: HOLiday, CANada, HAPpily

    Amphibrach - An amphibrach is a three-beat foot that is an unstressed beat followed by a stressed beat and then followed by another unstressed beat. u/u

        Examples: aNOTHer, unCOMmon, inSTEAD of

    Amphimacer - An amphimacer is a three-beat foot that contains an unstressed beat in the middle of two stressed beats. /u/

        Examples: I am ME, TWENty TWO

            Meter:

    English poetry is broken into meter generally based on the length of one line.  These meters are determined by the number of feet in a line.  Below is a list of the meters and examples.

    monometer - one foot

        Example: I am.

    dimeter - two feet

        Example: I am a man.

    trimeter - three feet

        Example: I am a man from Spain.

    tetrameter - four feet

        Example: I am a man from Spain and I.

    pentameter - five feet

        Example: I am a man from Spain and I live life

    hexameter - six feet

    heptameter - seven feet

    octameter - eight feet

    nonameter - nine feet

    decameter - ten feet

    Lines need not end in punctuation to maintain these meter forms.  Many poets will maintain meter but continue their lines without punctuation breaks. 

    Enjambment - When a poet does not end a line with punctuation, but carries on to the next line with the same phrase or sentence, this is called enjambment.  It may be used to change the tone of the poem and can have profound effects on the musical nature of verse.

    Not all poetry falls into strict metric forms but many poems do.   Poems that do not seem to follow one consistent meter have rhythm based upon one of the stricter forms.  You also must be aware that while some poetry forms consistently use the same type of foot (Iambic pentameter uses five footed lines that consist of iambs) many poems contain a mixture.

    It would be helpful to remember all these terms as you learn to analyze poetry.  Before trying to determine any meaning or tone of a poem, try to determine it's metric form.  Most poems will be iambic, but some will be trochaic (consist of trochees).  Pay attention for spondees, anapests, and dactyls as well.  If you wish to name a line that is made of four trochees, it is called "trochaic tetrameter."  Refer back to this page as you work on analyzing poems, you will need to use these terms frequently.