Poetic Meter

Definition of Meter

Meter is the rhythm Links to an external site. of syllables in a line of verse Links to an external site. or in a stanza Links to an external site. of a poem. Depending on the language, this pattern may have to do with stressed and unstressed syllables, syllable weight, or number of syllables. Many older and more formal poems contain strict meter, which either continues throughout the entire poem or alternates in a specified rhythm. The study of meter forms as well as the use of meter in one’s own poetry is called prosody.

Common Forms of Meter in English

Many forms of meter are broken into feet, which is a specific group of syllable types. In English, these feet are combinations of two to three stressed and unstressed syllables, which are then repeated to form a line of verse. In Classical Latin and Classical Greek, a metrical foot contains a combination of long and short syllables. Here are the most common metrical feet in English:

Iamb: Two syllables, the first of which is unstressed and the second of which is stressed. For example, comPUTE, disPEL, aGREE.
Trochee: Two syllables, the first of which is stressed and the second of which is unstressed. For example: ARgue, BISHop, DOCtor.
Spondee Links to an external site.: Two syllables, both of which are stressed. For example: ICE CREAM, HOT LINE, CELL PHONE.
Dactyl Links to an external site.: Three syllables, the first of which is stressed and the next two of which are unstressed. For example, ELephant, POSSible, TRINity.
Anapest Links to an external site.: Three syllables, the first two of which are unstressed and the third of which is stressed. For example: of a KIND, souvenIR, underSTAND.

English language poets often combine these feet in standard patterns, such as the following:

Trochaic Tetrameter: Four metrical feet of two syllables each (for a total of eight syllables) alternating between stressed and unstressed syllables. For example: “BY the SHORES of GITche GUMee” (“The Song of Hiawatha” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
Iambic Pentameter: The most common meter in English language poetry, iambic pentameter has five feet of two syllables each (for a total of ten syllables) alternating between unstressed and stressed syllables. For example: “Shall I comPARE thee TO a SUMmer’s DAY?” (“Sonnet Links to an external site. 18” by William Shakespeare)
Double Dactylic: Two metrical feet of three syllables each (for a total of six syllables) alternating between one stressed syllable and two unstressed syllables. For example: “HIGgledy PIGgledy, / BACon, lord CHANcellor.” (By Ian Lancashire)
Anapestic Tetrameter: Four metrical feet of three syllables each (for a total of twelve syllables) which alternates between two unstressed syllables and one stressed syllable. For example: ’Twas the NIGHT before CHRISTmas, when ALL through the HOUSE. (“A Visit From St. Nicholas” by Clement Clark Moore)

Other Words to know: Caesura and enjambent.

Significance of Meter in Literature

The earliest known example of meter is in a collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns called the Rigveda, which dates back to between 1700 and 1100 BC. There are many other examples of meter from the Iron Age in multiple cultures. All poetry from the Medieval period was written in meter, regardless of the literary tradition, from Tang Dynasty Chinese poetry to Classical Persian poetry to the Bardic poetry of Europe. It is unknown why meter became so ubiquitous at this period in world history, but this fact certainly leads many literary scholars to determine that meter is indeed a fundamental element of poetry. Not all poetry contains meter, especially in more contemporary times. However, it contributes a rhythmic unity to the verse and highlights the difference between the elevated language of poetry and normal speech patterns.

Examples Links to an external site. More Examples

Scansion:The process of marking the stresses in poetry. Links to an external site.

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

(“Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare)

Practice Link Links to an external site.

Link Links to an external site.

How to Scan a Poem Links to an external site.