Types of Metric Feet in Poetry

MR. DAMYAN CUESTA

LANGUAGE ARTS TEACHER

Tuesday, April 30,

2019
METRICAL SYSTEM

 The metrical system may sound to you as a unit of

measurement used in some countries to measure distance.
 However, when we refer to metric feet in poetry, we are
also talking about a metrical unit, but in this case, when
applied to poetry, or prose, it refers to the sound patterns
that each foot in a verse represent.
 The types of metric feet in poetry IS also known as prosody,

Tuesday,
April 30, 2019
What is a metrical foot in poetry?

 A metrical foot or prosody, is the basic unit known as the property of a

single verse that composes a pattern of rhythm and sound in a poem.
Within the unit, we can find a limited number of syllables that
corresponds to the pattern of the foot. Thus, each line of poetry will
follow a certain meter in its words.

 Each type of metrical foot has a certain number of syllables that

combine long or stressed syllables with short or unstressed syllables.
The combination of them creates a type of meter,

Tuesday,
April 30, 2019
Metic patterns in poetry

 Before getting started on the types of metric feet in poetry, we

need to stress that the types will vary in classical languages and
in English poetry. Whereas feet types depend un the number of
syllables in the foot and the pattern of the vowel length in
languages such as French, in the English language it will depend
in the number of syllables in the foot and the stress of the
syllable

Tuesday,
April 30, 2019
Metic patterns in poetry

 Therefore, we are presenting the types of metric feet in

poetry according to the number of syllables (note that the
syllables do not necessarily have to correspond to the
same word) as a first classification and the meter pattern
used in each case:

Tuesday,
April 30, 2019
Disyllables

 These are words or metric feet formed by two syllables. Depending on which part is stressed
they can be:

 Iamb. This type of metric foot consists of two syllables. The first will be unstressed and the
second will be stressed. This is the structure of iamb: _ ^

 Pyrrhus: The pyrrhic metrical foot is composed by two syllables that are not stressed. Its
structure is: _ _

 Trochee or choreus: This disyllable metric foot has the first syllable stressed and the second
unstressed: ^ _

 Spondee: The last of the disyllabic metric foot consists of two stressed syllables: ^ ^

Tuesday,
April 30, 2019
Trisyllables
 These correspond to a verse or line that is formed by metric feet of three syllables. According to
which are stressed, we can classify the following:
 Tribrach: Words or units consisting of three syllables that are not stressed. Its structure is: _ _ _
 Dactyl: Type of metric foot that has the first syllable stressed and the two following unstressed:
^_ _
 Amphibrach: This metric food consists of the first and last syllable unstressed and the second
and middle syllable stressed: _ ^_
 Anapest: Also known as antidactylus, is is the contrary of the dactyl metric foot, as it is only the
last syllable that is stressed: _ _^
 Bacchius: The bacchius has the last two syllables stressed and the first unstressed: _ ^^
 Cretic: Also known as amphimacer, this has the first and last stressed syllables: ^ _ ^
 Antibacchuius: This metric foot has the first two syllables stressed, whereas the last is
unstressed: ^ ^ _
 Molossus: In this metric foot, all of the syllables are stressed: ^^^
Tuesday,
April 30, 2019
Metric feet example

 n the English language, the most commonly used metric

feet are generally disyllables and trisyllables, which is
why we are going to give you examples of the most used
in real poetry.

Tuesday,
April 30, 2019
Iamb in poetry
 Iambic dimeter (used twice in one line)
 The dust of snow
 From a hemlock tree
 Iambic trimeter (used three times in one line)
 We romped until the pans
 Slid from the kitchen shelf ....
 Iambic tetrameter (used four times in one line)
 I wandered lonely as a cloud
 That floats on high o'er dales and hills

Tuesday,
April 30, 2019
Trochee

 Up the mountain,
 Down the valley ...
 Peter, Peter pumpkin eater,
 Had a wife and couldn't keep her ...

Tuesday,
April 30, 2019
Anapest

 in the light
 of the moon
 over hill
 over dale...
 The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold
 And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold

Tuesday,
April 30, 2019
Dactyl

 Just for a handful of silver he left us

 Just for a riband to stick in his coat...
 Half a league, half a league,
 Half a league onward...

Tuesday,
April 30, 2019