For instance, a poem with four poetic feet per line is written in tetrameter (the Greek word tetra means “four”).Ĭlement Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas” is written with four anapests per line. The names of poetic meters use Greek prefixes to show how many feet are in each line. Poetic meter refers to “the number of feet used in each line.” An example is the word overcome.Ī dactyl is the opposite, with the first syllable stressed and the other two unstressed. In an anapest, the first two syllables are unstressed and the final syllable of the foot is stressed ( da-da-DUM). The two most common three-syllable poetic feet are the anapest and the dactyl. There are also poetic feet that have three syllables. In a trochee, you stress the first syllable and unstress the second (so DUM-da), as in the name Adam. In an iamb, the first syllable is unstressed and the second is stressed.
The difference between them lies in which syllables are stressed. Iamb is pronounced like I am, and trochee rhymes with pokey. Two of the most common feet in English poetry are the iamb and the trochee. What is poetic foot?Ī poetic foot is “a unit of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry.” Poetic feet are based on the number of syllables in each foot. Once you have these basics down, the rest becomes a lot easier. Poetic foot and meter are a great place to start. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re starting to explore poetic analysis.
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