Poetry
Form
The
Foot
Understanding
the “foot” is essential to understanding the structure of a poem. The basic rhythm
elements – imab, trochee, spondee, dactyl, and anapest – are used to
create a pattern for every poem.
/
= stressed syllable
x
= unstressed syllable
The
iambic foot (x /): This is a two-syllable foot -- unstressed syllable
followed by a stressed syllable.
The
trochaic foot (/ x): Consisting of two syllables, this foot
begins with a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable.
The
spondaic foot (/ /): Also a two syllable pattern, it begins with a
stressed syllable followed by another stressed syllable.
The
dactylic foot (/ x x) : This pattern consists of three syllables – a
stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables.
The
anapestic foot
(x x /): Another three-syllable foot, this foot has two unaccented syllables followed by a stressed syllable.
The
Meter
The
length of a poetry line is measured by the number of feet. This
measure is called a meter. A line can have just one foot (two
syllables), called
monometer. The
longest measure is the eight-foot measure (16 syllables), known as octameter. The
most common meters are:
Three
feet = Trimeter
Four
feet = Tetrameter
Five
feet = Pentameter
The
iambic pentameter was a favorite style of William
Shakespeare.
The
Stanza (or Verse)
The
grouping of metered lines forms the stanza. A verse can be as short
of two lines (a couplet). Traditional poetry generally forms
metered lines into four to six line verses. However, poetry can be
found that uses any number of variations.
Often the lines in a verse will have different measures. In the
example below, written by Emily Dickinson, the first and third lines
have four feet (tetrameter) and the second and fourth have three
feet (trimeter). Each line is written in iambic style: x / (x = unstressed; / =
stressed).
Great
streets of silence led away
To
neighborhoods of pause;
Here
was no notice — no dissent —
No
universe — no laws.
This
style of verse is often found in traditional English hymns, such as Amazing
Grace.
Stanzas are often written with unique form, such as in the well known
Robert Frost poem, The Road Not Taken. As shown in the verse
below, each line combines a variety of rhythm elements, yet each line
has four feet.
/
/
x
/
x x
/ x /
Two
roads diverged in a yellow wood,
x
/ x x
/
x
/
x /
And sorry I could not travel both
x /
/
x x x
/ x
/
And be one traveler, long I stood
x
/
x /
x /
x
x /
And looked down one as far as I could
x
/ x /
x
x /
x
/
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Iambic = Purple
Anapestic =
Green
Dactylic =
Black
Spondaic =
Red
As
shown in the above examples, Emily Dickinson is using a strict
imabic rhythm; whereas, Frost is using what he referred to as a
"loose" rhythm, which is more conversational in tone, yet
it emphasizes important words. For example, the stress on "two
roads" in the first line and "one" in the third line
emphasizes the traveler's dilemma of having a choose a path to
travel.
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