a choral ode Metrical feet A metrical foot (aka poetic foot) is the basic repeating rhythmic unit that forms part of a line of verse in most Indo-European traditions of poetry. Monosyllable Disyllable: metrical foot consisting of 2 syllables. Iamb (aka iambus): short-long Trochee (aka choreus or choree): long-short Spondee: long-long Pyrrhic (aka dibrach): short-short Trisyllable: metrical foot consisting of 3 syllables. Dactyl: long-short-short Anapaest (aka antidactylus): short-short-long. (Example: “The Destruction of Sennacherib” by Lord Byron.) Amphibrach: short-long-short Cretic (aka amphimacer): long-short-long. (Example: modern-day uses can typically be found in expressions like "In a while, crocodile;" as well as in slogans and advertising.) Molossus: long-long-long Tribrach: short-short-short Bacchius: short-long-long Antibacchius: long-long-short Tetrasyllable: metrical foot consisting of 4 syllables. Tetrabrach (aka proceleusmatic): short-short-short-short Dispondee: long-long-long-long Paeon: a metrical foot of 1 long syllable and 3 short syllables in any order. Primus paeon: long-short-short-short Secundus paeon: short-long-short-short Tertius paeon: short-short-long-short Quartus paeon: short-short-short-long Epitrite: a metrical foot consisting of 3 long syllables and 1 short syllable. First epitrite: short-long-long-long Second epitrite: long-short-long-long Third epitrite: long-long-short-long Fourth epitrite: long-long-long-short Ionic: a metrical foot consisting of 2 short and 2 long syllables Minor ionic (aka double iamb): short-short-long-long Major ionic: long-long-short-short Diamb: short-long-short-long (i.e., two iambs) Ditrochee: long-short-long-short (i.e., two trochees) Antispast: short-long-long-short Choriamb: long-short-short-long (i.e., a trochee/choree alternating with an iamb) Hexasyllable: metrical foot consisting of 6 syllables. Double dactyl Octosyllable: metrical foot consisting of 8 syllables. Decasyllable: metrical foot consisting of 10 syllables. Hendecasyllable: metrical foot consisting of 11 syllables. Dodecasyllable: metrical foot consisting of 12 syllables. Forms Verse meters In a poetic composition, a verse is formally a single metrical line. Monometer: a line of verse with just 1 metrical foot. Dimeter: a line of verse with 2 metrical feet. Trimeter: a line of verse with 3 metrical feet. Tetrameter: a line of verse with 4 metrical feet. Hexameter: a line of verse with 6 metrical feet. Heptameter: a line of verse with 7 metrical feet. Octameter: a line of verse with 8 metrical feet. Dactylic meter: any meter based on the dactyl as its primary rhythmic unit. Dactylic tetrameter Dactylic pentameter Dactylic hexameter Golden line Iambic meter: any meter based on the iamb as its primary rhythmic unit. Alexandrine (iambic hexameter): a 12-syllable iambic line adapted from French heroic verse. Example: the last line of each stanza in “The Convergence of the Twain” by Thomas Hardy. Czech alexandrine French alexandrine