Educational Reference
The Definitive Guide to Poetry Meter
Meter is a poem's recurring rhythmic pattern — feet of stressed and unstressed syllables, repeated line after line. This guide covers the vocabulary, the patterns, and how to hear them.
Part 1
1 · The Metrical Feet
A foot is the repeating rhythmic unit of a line, a pattern of stressed (—) and unstressed (˘) syllables. English verse builds almost everything from six of them:
| Foot | Pattern | Example Word | Typical Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iamb | ˘ - | be-LOW, a-RISE | Iambic - the default pulse of English poetry |
| Trochee | - ˘ | GAR-den, DOU-ble | Trochaic - falling, chant-like, incantatory |
| Anapest | ˘ ˘ - | in-ter-VENE | Anapestic - rolling, galloping, comic |
| Dactyl | - ˘ ˘ | PO-et-ry, MER-ri-ly | Dactylic - classical, waltz-time |
| Spondee | - - | HEART-BREAK | Rarely a whole meter; a heavy substitution |
| Pyrrhic | ˘ ˘ | “of the” | A light substitution that makes the next stress land harder |
Part 2
2 · Naming the Line Length
To name a line's meter, take the foot type and add Greek number prefixes for the number of feet per line:
| Line Name | Length | Where You Find It |
|---|---|---|
| Monometer | 1 foot | Rare - a single beat, usually for shock or echo |
| Dimeter | 2 feet | Short hymns, nursery rhymes |
| Trimeter | 3 feet | Common in ballad stanzas (with tetrameter) |
| Tetrameter | 4 feet | Blake's “Tyger”, Longfellow, Frost |
| Pentameter | 5 feet | Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth - the English line |
| Hexameter | 6 feet | Long, breathing lines; Browning, Tennyson |
| Heptameter | 7 feet | “Fourteeners”; often splits as 4 + 3 |
Part 3
3 · Putting It Together
Combine the foot name with the line length. For example, Iambic + Pentameter = five iambic feet per line (10 syllables). Trochaic + Tetrameter = four trochaic feet per line (8 syllables).
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Meter
What is poetic meter and how is it measured? ▶
Poetic meter is the systematic rhythm of a poem determined by the number and arrangement of stressed (-) and unstressed (˘) syllables within repeating units called metrical feet.
What is the most common meter in English literature? ▶
Iambic Pentameter (five iambic feet per line, equaling approximately 10 syllables: ˘ - ˘ - ˘ - ˘ - ˘ -) is the dominant meter of English poetry, favored by Shakespeare, Milton, Keats, and Wordsworth.
What is a metrical substitution? ▶
A metrical substitution is the intentional replacement of a standard metrical foot with a different foot type (such as substituting a trochee - ˘ or spondee - - for an expected iamb ˘ -) to add dramatic tension, emotional intensity, or natural speech variation.
What is the difference between accentual meter and quantitative meter? ▶
Accentual meter (used in English and Germanic verse) organizes rhythm through stressed vs. unstressed volume and pitch. Quantitative meter (used in Classical Greek and Latin) organizes rhythm through syllable duration in time (long vs. short morae).