| Disyllables | |
|---|---|
| ˘ ˘ | pyrrhus, dibrach |
| ˘ ¯ | iamb |
| ¯ ˘ | trochee, choree |
| ¯ ¯ | spondee |
| Trisyllables | |
| ˘ ˘ ˘ | tribrach |
| ¯ ˘ ˘ | dactyl |
| ˘ ¯ ˘ | amphibrach |
| ˘ ˘ ¯ | anapest, antidactylus |
| ˘ ¯ ¯ | bacchius |
| ¯ ¯ ˘ | antibacchius |
| ¯ ˘ ¯ | cretic, amphimacer |
| ¯ ¯ ¯ | molossus |
| Number of feet per line | |
| one | Monometer |
| two | Dimeter |
| three | Trimeter |
| four | Tetrameter |
| five | Pentameter |
| six | Hexameter |
| seven | Heptameter |
| eight | Octameter |
| See main article for tetrasyllables. | |
Dimeter, in poetry, means a line or lines of verse consisting of two metrical feet.
Iambic dimeter[]
"Dust of Snow" by Robert Frost, an example of iambic dimeter
.
(Scanned)
The WAY // a CROW
Shook DOWN // on ME
The DUST // of SNOW
From a HEM- // -lock TREE
Has GIV- // -en my HEART
A CHANGE // of MOOD
And SAVED // some PART
Of a DAY // I had RUED.
Trochaic dimeter[]
Spinning, whirling,
Still descending,
Like a spiral
Sea, unending
(Neil Peart, "Cygnus X-1 (Book 3)")
(Scanned)
- SPINning // WHIRLing
- STILL de / SCENDing
- LIKE a / SPIral
- SEA un/ENDing
Dactylic dimeter[]
Take her up tenderly,
Lift her with care,
Fashioned so slenderly,
Young and so fair.
(Thomas Hood, "The Bridge of Sighs")
(Scanned)
- TAKE her up / TENderly,
- LIFT her with / CARE,
- FASHioned so / SLENderly,
- YOUNG and so / FAIR.
Number of feet per line[]
- Monometer - one
- Dimeter - two
- Trimeter - three
- Tetrameter - four
- Pentameter - five
- Hexameter - six
- Heptameter - seven
See also[]
External links[]
| Original Penny's Poetry Pages article, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0. |