A meter in writing is a rhythm of accented and unaccented
syllables organized into feet, aka patterns.
The most common meters are:
Iambic
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 "To be or not to be"
(the accented syllables are italicized) from Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Trochaic
The
opposite of an iambic meter. It begins with an accented then followed by an
unaccented syllable. An example is the line "Doule, doule, toil
and trouble." from Shakespeare's Macbeth.
Anapestic
A foot
which has two unaccented syllables followed by an accented syllable. Example:
"I arise and unbuild it again" from Shelley's Cloud.
Dactylic
A foot
including an accented syllable followed by two unaccented syllables. Example: openly.
Spondee
A foot
consisting of two accented syllables. Example: heartbreak.
Pyrrhic
A foot
including two unaccented syllables, generally used to vary rhythm.
As well, meters are named for the number of feet; monometer:
one foot, dimeter: two feet, trimeter: three feet, tetrameter:
four feet, pentameter: five feet, hexameter: six feet, heptameter:
seven feet.
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