Poetry — The Beat and the Feet
Historically, poetry was written using a particular meter — a certain beat of stressed and unstressed syllables and also a specific number of feet in a line. Each combination of stressed and unstressed syllables has a separate name, as does each number of feet in a line. To further complicate matters, some groupings of beat and feet have specific names.
anapest |
a metric foot having two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable |
blank verse |
unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter |
dactyl |
a metric foot having a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables |
dimeter |
a line of poetry; it has two feet |
foot |
a basic meter, consisting of two or three stressed and unstressed syllables |
heptameter |
a line in poetry; it has seven feet |
heroic couplet |
in poetry and drama, two lines of rhyming iambic pentameter |
hexameter |
a line in poetry; it has six feet |
iamb |
a metric foot having an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable |
meter |
a pattern of rhythm that results from an intentional arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables |
monometer |
a line in poetry; it has one foot |
nonameter |
a line in poetry; it has nine feet |
octameter |
a line in poetry; it has eight feet |
pentameter |
a line in poetry; it has five feet |
pyrrhic |
a metric foot having two unstressed syllables |
quatrain |
a stanza of poetry consisting of four lines |
scansion |
the breakdown of the meter in a poem |
spondee |
a metric foot having two long syllables |
tetrameter |
a line of poetry; it has four metrical feet |
trimeter |
a line of poetry; it has three metrical feet |
trochee |
a metric foot having a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable |
A examination of meter is important in studying and writing poetry. Does the meter of your poem successfully affect the intended sound and mood? Does the poem adhere to the same meter, or does it change or allow variances? If the poem carries the same meter, does that make it seem monotonous? If the poem varies its meter, do the variances have a purpose? Does the rhythm created by the words lend itself to what you as a reader expect, or what you as a poet intend?
In both reading and writing poetry, some feel it is helpful to read a poem aloud several times to get the right feel for the meter and therefore get a better grasp of its meaning. Try doing that with the poem you're examining or creating and see if you can answer the previous questions.
