Meter
Feet
Description
Feet are composed of a set number of syllables and link together to create the lines of a poem and establish meter.
When identifying or writing poetry, it is important to correctly label feet into their stressed and unstressed syllables.
Notation
- -- (double-dash) represents an unstressed syllable.
- / (backslash) represents a stressed syllable.
Types
Binary Feet (two syllables per foot)
| Title | Configuration | Example |
| iamb |
-- / |
decide |
| trochee |
/ -- |
wallet |
| spondee | / / | black pot |
| pyrrhic | -- -- | of a |
Ternary Feet (three syllables per foot)
| Title | Configuration | Example |
| anapaest | -- -- / | understand |
| dactyl | / -- -- | carapace |
| amphibrach | -- / -- | dumbfounded |
| amphimacer | / -- / | broken law |
| bacchius | -- / / | his right hand |
| antibacchius | / / -- | good evening |
| molossus | / / / | square red brick |
| tribrach | -- -- -- | or as a |
Quaternary Feet (four syllables per foot)
| Title | Configuration | Example |
| tetrabrach | -- -- -- -- | and isn't it |
| dispondee | / / / / | three grey, fat rats |
| diamb | -- / -- / | I want what's mine |
| ditrochee | / -- / -- | little kraken |
| ionic minor | -- -- / / | they are daft men |
| ionic major | / / -- -- | painstakingly |
| antispast | -- / / -- | a foul person |
| choriamb | / -- -- / | people are dumb |
| first paeon | / -- -- -- | temporary |
| second paeon | -- / -- -- | benevolent |
| third paeon | -- -- / -- | she is handsome |
| fourth paeon | -- -- -- / | they just appear |
| first epitrite | -- / / / | the N.S.A. |
| second epitrite | / -- / / | place a large bet |
| third epitrite | / / -- / | give up. you swine |
| fourth epitrite | / / / -- | dead man walking |