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[CENTER][B][FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=5]METER AND FEET IN ENGLISH POETRY[/SIZE][/FONT][/B]
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English poetry employs five basic rhythms of varying stressed (/) and unstressed (x) syllables. The most common meters are:

(Stressed syllables are marked in [B][COLOR=Blue]blue [/COLOR][/B]and unstressed are in [B][COLOR=DarkRed]red [/COLOR][/B]font color rather than the traditional "/" and "x.")
[B]
Iambic[/B]

A foot which starts with an unaccented and ends with an accented (stressed) syllable. It is the most common meter in the English language and naturally falls into everyday conversation. An example is "[B][COLOR=DarkRed]To [/COLOR][/B][COLOR=Blue][B]be[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed][B] or [/B][/COLOR][B][COLOR=Blue]not[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]to [/COLOR][/B][COLOR=Blue][B]be[/B][/COLOR]" from Shakespeare's Hamlet.

[B]Trochaic[/B]

The opposite of an iambic meter. It begins with an accented then followed by an unaccented syllable. An example is the line "[B][COLOR=Blue]Dou[/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]le[/COLOR], [COLOR=Blue]dou[/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]le[/COLOR], [COLOR=Blue]toil [/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]and[/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]trou[/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]ble[/COLOR].[/B]" from Shakespeare's [I]Macbeth[/I].

[B]Anapestic[/B]

A foot which has two unaccented syllables followed by an accented syllable. Example: "[COLOR=DarkRed][B]I a[/B][/COLOR][COLOR=Blue][B][I]rise[/I][/B][/COLOR] [B][COLOR=DarkRed]and un[/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]build[/COLOR][/B] [B][COLOR=DarkRed]it a[/COLOR][/B][COLOR=Blue][B]gain[/B][/COLOR]" from Shelley's [I]Cloud[/I].

[B]Dactylic[/B]

A foot including an accented syllable followed by two unaccented syllables. Example: [B][COLOR=Blue][I]o[/I][/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]penly[/COLOR][/B].
[B]
Spondee[/B]

A foot consisting of two accented syllables. Example: [COLOR=Blue][I]heartbreak[/I][/COLOR].

[B]Pyrrhic[/B]

A foot including two unaccented syllables, generally used to vary rhythm.

[FONT=Verdana]Each pair of unstressed and stressed syllables makes up a unit called a [B]foot[/B].[/FONT]

The meters with two-syllable feet are[LIST][*]IAMBIC (x /) : [B][COLOR=DarkRed]That [/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]time [/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]of [/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]year [/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]thou[/COLOR][/B][B][COLOR=Blue] mayst [/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]in [/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]me [/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]be[/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]hold[/COLOR][/B][*]TROCHAIC (/ x): [B][COLOR=Blue]Tell [/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]me [/COLOR][/B][B][COLOR=Blue]not [/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]in [/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]mourn[/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]ful[/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]num[/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]bers[/COLOR][/B][*]SPONDAIC (/ /): [COLOR=Blue][B]Break[/B][/COLOR], [COLOR=Blue] [B]break[/B][/COLOR], [COLOR=Blue][B]break [/B][/COLOR]/ [B][COLOR=DarkRed]On thy[/COLOR][/B] [COLOR=Blue][B]cold[/B] [B]gray[/B] [B]stones[/B][/COLOR], [B][COLOR=DarkRed]O[/COLOR][/B] [COLOR=Blue][B]Sea[/B][/COLOR]![/LIST]Meters with three-syllable feet are[LIST][*]ANAPESTIC (x x /): [B][COLOR=DarkRed]And the[/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue] sound[/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed] of a [/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]voice [/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]that is[/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]still[/COLOR][/B][*]DACTYLIC (/ x x): [COLOR=Blue][B]This [/B][/COLOR][B][COLOR=DarkRed]is the[/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]for[/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]est[/COLOR] [COLOR=DarkRed]pri[/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]me[/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]val[/COLOR], [COLOR=DarkRed]the [/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]mur[/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]muring [/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]pines [/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]and the [/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]hem[/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]lock [/COLOR][/B] (a trochee replaces the final dactyl)[/LIST]Each line of a poem contains a certain number of feet of iambs, trochees, spondees, dactyls or anapests. [LIST=1][*] A line containing 1 foot is called a “Monometer”[*] A line containing 2 feet is called a “Diameter”[*] A line containing 3 feet is called a “Trimeter”[*] A line containing 4 feet is called a “Tetrameter”[*] A line containing 5 feet is called a “Pentameter”[*] A line containing 6 feet is called a “Hexameter”[*] A line containing 7 feet is called a “Heptameter”[*] A line containing 8 feet is called a “Octameter”[/LIST]Here are some serious examples of the various meters.

Iambic pentameter (5 iambs, 10 syllables)[LIST][*][B][COLOR=DarkRed]That[/COLOR][/B][B][COLOR=Blue]time[/COLOR]| [COLOR=DarkRed]of [/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]year [/COLOR]| [COLOR=DarkRed]thou [/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]mayst [/COLOR]| [COLOR=DarkRed]in [/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]me [/COLOR]| [COLOR=DarkRed]be[/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]hold[/COLOR][/B][/LIST]Trochaic tetrameter (4 trochees, 8 syllables)[LIST][*][B][COLOR=Blue]Tell [/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]me [/COLOR]| [COLOR=Blue]not [/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]in [/COLOR]| [COLOR=Blue]mourn[/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]fu[/COLOR]l [/B][B]| [COLOR=Blue]num[/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]bers[/COLOR][/B][/LIST]Anapestic trimeter (3 anapests, 9 syllables)[LIST][*][B][COLOR=DarkRed]And the[/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]sound [/COLOR]| [COLOR=DarkRed]of a [/COLOR][COLOR=Blue]voice [/COLOR]| [COLOR=DarkRed]that is[/COLOR] [COLOR=Blue]still[/COLOR][/B][/LIST]Dactylic hexameter (6 dactyls, 17 syllables; a trochee replaces the last dactyl)[LIST][*][B][COLOR=Blue]This [/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]is the[/COLOR] | [COLOR=Blue]for[/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]est pri[/COLOR] | [COLOR=Blue]me[/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]val, the[/COLOR] | [COLOR=Blue]mur[/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]muring[/COLOR] | [COLOR=Blue]pine [/COLOR][COLOR=DarkRed]and the[/COLOR] |[/B][B] hem[COLOR=DarkRed]locks[/COLOR][/B][/LIST]