Essential Poetry Meter Guide

1. Poetry Terms

2. meter • A pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry • The symbol ˊ is used for stressed syllables • The symbol ˘ is used for unstressed syllables

3. foot • A metrical unit of poetry • Always contains at least one stressed syllable and usually one or more unstressed syllables • A common type of foot is the iamb

4. Iamb • Iamb – two syllables, unstressed followed by a stressed (˘ˊ) – protect • Ta Tum (like a heartbeat)

5. Types of Metrical “Feet” • Trochee – stressed unstressed, two syllables • Spondee – stressed stressed, two syllables • Anapest – unstressed unstressed stressed, three syllables • Dactyl – stressed unstressed unstressed, three syllables • Pyrrhic – unstressed unstressed two syllables

6. Number of “Feet” per line • Monometer – one foot • Dimeter – two feet • Trimeter – three feet • Tetrameter – four feet • Pentameter – five feet • Hexameter – six feet • Heptameter – seven feet • Octometer – eight feet

7. Iambic Tetrameter • A line of poetry that contains four iambic feet (8 syllables, unstressed followed by a stressed) • ˘ˊ l ˘ˊ l ˘ˊ l ˘ˊ • Ta tum l ta tum l ta tum l ta tum • In silent night when rest I took • For sorrow neer I did not look

8. Iambic Pentameter • A line of poetry that contains five iambic feet (10 syllables, unstressed followed by a stressed) • ˘ˊ l ˘ˊ l ˘ˊ l ˘ˊ l ˘ˊ • Ta tum l ta tum l ta tum l ta tum l ta tum • If ever two were one then surely we • If ever man were loved by wife then thee