Working in Meter :Working in Meter Meter in Poetry and Music


Motivation :Motivation Smart couplets are but half of verse; The other half is meter. Weak rhymes are bad; poor meter’s worse: It totally messes up the rhythm and confuses the reader. –Jef Mallett


Stages in Poetic Development :Stages in Poetic Development Rhyme only: rudimentary poetry Rhyme and meter: technical excellence Rhyme, meter, and content: mastery


Metrical Structure :Metrical Structure Line is written in meter and consists of a certain number of metrical feet. Feet consist of stressed ( / ) and unstressed (.) syllables. Dactylic ( / . .) meter Foot 1 Foot 2 Foot 3 This-is-the for-est-prim e-val.-The …


Meters in English Poetry :Meters in English Poetry Monosyllabic (DUM) Iambic, iamb (da DUM) Trochaic, trochee (DUM da) Spondaic, spondee (DUM DUM) Anapestic, anapest (da da DUM) Dactylic, dactyl (DUM da da) Pyrrhic (da da) Amphibrach (da DUM da) Amphimacer (DUM da DUM) Tribrach (da da da) Molussus (DUM DUM DUM) Bacchius (da DUM DUM) Antibacchius (DUM DUM da) Ionic (da da DUM DUM; DUM DUM da da)


Meters in English Poetry :Meters in English Poetry Monosyllabic (DUM) Iambic, iamb (da DUM) Trochaic, trochee (DUM da) Spondaic, spondee (DUM DUM) Anapestic, anapest (da da DUM) Dactylic, dactyl (DUM da da) Pyrrhic (da da) Amphibrach (da DUM da) Amphimacer (DUM da DUM) Tribrach (da da da) Molussus (DUM DUM DUM) Bacchius (da DUM DUM) Antibacchius (DUM DUM da) Ionic (da da DUM DUM; DUM DUM da da) The others are (a) not practical in English; (b) variants on the common meters; or (c) local deviations from one of the common meters. The four meters indicated are the only ones practical for writing extended poetry in English.


Foot Count :Foot Count Monometer (one foot to a line) Dimeter (two feet to a line) Trimeter (three feet to a line) Tetrameter (four feet to a line) Pentameter (five feet to a line) Hexameter (six feet to a line) Septameter (seven feet to a line) Octameter (eight feet to a line)


Variations in Metrical Structure :Variations in Metrical Structure Sometimes in meters where the last syllable is unstressed, the last foot is left incomplete to allow a stressed end of line For a masculine rhyme and for some breathing room Sometimes in meters where the first syllable is stressed, some extra unstressed syllables may be prepended to allow an unstressed beginning of line. In such incomplete cases, the number of feet is the number of stressed syllables.


Ambiguity in Metrical Structure :Ambiguity in Metrical Structure With incomplete and extended feet, meters become ambiguous! e.g. anapestic, amphibrachic, or dactylic? [(x) There once ][was a ru][ler named Cae](sar) -or- [There once was][a ruler][named Caesar] -or- (There) [once was a ][ruler named ][Caesar (x)]?


Phew… It Doesn’t Matter :Phew… It Doesn’t Matter Ultimately, then, terminology doesn’t matter, only the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, and keeping the pattern consistent! For our purposes, meters only binary (every other syllable is stressed: iambic, trochaic) and ternary (every third is stressed: dactylic, anapestic). Watch for these in our next examples.


Iambic (. / ) :Iambic (. / ) Oh Lord my God! when I in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made, I see the stars; I hear the rolling thunder: Thy pow’r, throughout the universe displayed! Meter: Pentameter (with variation) Rhyme: ABAB Notes: Note the types of rhyme!


Trochaic ( / . ) :Trochaic ( / . ) Take my life, and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my hands, and let them move At the impulse of Thy love. Meter: Tetrameter (with variation) Rhyme: AABB Notes: What is the rhyme in lines 3-4?


Dactylic ( / . . ) :Dactylic ( / . . ) Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling, Calling for you and for me; Patient and loving, He’s waiting and watching, Watching for you and for me. Meter: Tetrameter (with variation) Rhyme: -B-B Notes: What word would have rhymed?


Anapestic (. . / ) :Anapestic (. . / ) When we walk with the Lord In the light of his Word, What a glory He sheds in our way! While we do His good will He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey! Rhyme: AABCCB Notes: One line tetrameter, one line trimeter