Metrical feet in poetry

 

A foot is a measurable, patterned unit of poetic rhythm. The concept derives from classical patterns in Greek and Roman poetry, and has been adapted for use in English poetry, where it is traditionally assumed to consist of (usually) one stressed syllable and one or more unstressed syllables. The exception to this pattern is the spondee, which comprises two stressed syllables.

The foot bears a close resemblance to the musical bar, in that both are arbitrary and abstract units of measure which do not necessarily coincide with the phrasal units which they underlie. The major difference between them is that the bar always begins with a stress.

In a traditional poetic line, there might be up to 8 feet, traditionally all of the same kind, although variations are often found.

These are the most common feet - the examples given here are single words, but in a line of poetry can stretch across more than one word:

iamb - one unstressed, one stressed – example “destroy”

anapest - two unstressed, one stressed – example “intervene”

trochee - one stressed, one unstressed – example “mercy”

dactyl - one stressed, two unstressed – example “merrily”

spondee - two stressed – example “amen”

Iambic and anapestic feet are called ascending or rising feet; trochees and dactyls are descending or falling feet. Feet of two syllables are duple, those of three syllables are triple.

© John Welford