ized ▁by ▁a ▁great ▁variety ▁of ▁met rical ▁forms . ▁A part ▁from ▁the ▁shift ▁between ▁long ▁and ▁short ▁sy ll ables , ▁stress ▁must ▁be ▁considered ▁when ▁reading ▁Greek ▁poetry . ▁The ▁inter play ▁between ▁the ▁metric ▁" sh ifts ", ▁the ▁str essed ▁sy ll ables ▁and ▁ca es uras ▁is ▁an ▁integral ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁poetry . ▁It ▁allows ▁the ▁poet ▁to ▁stress ▁certain ▁words ▁and ▁shape ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁the ▁poem . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁two ▁main ▁divisions ▁within ▁the ▁meters ▁of ▁ancient ▁Greek ▁poetry : ▁ly ric ▁and ▁non - ly ric ▁meters . ▁" L y ric ▁meters ▁( liter ally , ▁meters ▁s ung ▁to ▁a ▁ly re ) ▁are ▁usually ▁less ▁regular ▁than ▁non - ly ric ▁meters . ▁The ▁lines ▁are ▁made ▁up ▁of ▁feet ▁of ▁different ▁kinds , ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁of ▁varying ▁lengths . ▁Some ▁ly ric ▁meters ▁were ▁used ▁for ▁mon ody ▁( sol o ▁songs ), ▁such ▁as ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁po ems ▁of ▁S app ho ▁and ▁Al ca eus ; ▁others ▁were ▁used ▁for ▁ch oral ▁d ances , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁ch or uses ▁of ▁tra ged ies ▁and ▁the ▁victory ▁od es ▁of ▁P ind ar ." ▁ ▁The ▁ly ric ▁meters ' ▁families ▁are ▁the ▁I onic , ▁the ▁A e ol ic ▁( based ▁on ▁the ▁ch ori amb , ▁which ▁can ▁generate ▁varied ▁kinds ▁of ▁verse , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁g ly con ian ▁or ▁the ▁S app h ic ▁st anza ),