| 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. | |
Tetrameter, in poetry, means a line or lines of verse consisting of 4 metrical feet.
Iambic tetrameter[]
- Main article: Iambic tetrameter
- Come live with me and be my Love,
- And we shall all life's pleasures prove
- (Christopher Marlowe , "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love")
(Scanned):
- Come LIVE / with ME / and BE / my LOVE.
- And WE / shall ALL / life's PLEA/sures PROVE
Trochaic tetrameter[]
- Main article: Trochaic tetrameter
- Double, double, toil and trouble,
- Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
- (William Shakespeare, Macbeth).
(Scanned)
- DOUBle, // DOUBle, // TOIL and / TROUBle
- FI-re / BURN and / CAULdron / BUBble.
Amphibrachic tetrameter[]
- It's four in the morning, the end of December
- I'm writing you now just to see if you're better
- (Leonard Cohen, "Famous Blue Raincoat")
(Scanned)
- It's FOUR in / the MORning, / the END of / DeCEMber
- I'm WRITing / you NOW just / to SEE if / you're BETter
Anapestic tetrameter[]
- Main article: Anapestic tetrameter
- 'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house
- Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
- (Clement Clarke Moore, "A Visit from St. Nicholas ")
(Scanned)
- 'Twas the NIGHT / before CHRIST/mas and ALL / through the HOUSE
- Not a CREA/ture was STIR//ring not E/ven a MOUSE.
Dactylic tetrameter[]
Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with (John Lennon, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds")
(Scanned) PICture your/SELF in a / BOAT on a / RIVer, with
See also[]
External links[]
- Tetrameter.com A website featuring work written in tetrameter by various poets
- Rhythm and Meter in English Poetry
| Original Penny's Poetry Pages article, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0. |