Poetic Meter

Question 1

Scansion

Answer 1

Conscious measure of the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry. “The scansion of the poem tells us that…”

Question 2

Syllables

Answer 2

Syllables in poetry are either stressed or unstressed. Example: “birthday” = BIRTHday. Birth is stressed, day is unstressed

Question 3

Iamb

Answer 3

An unstressed followed by a stressed syllable. Example: inVITE.

Question 4

Iambic meter

Answer 4

The line follows the following pattern: unstressed, stressed, unstressed, stressed, so on

Question 5

Trochee/trochaic

Answer 5

Stressed then unstressed syllable. Example: “DEADline”. Meter = trochaic

Question 6

Anapest/anapestic

Answer 6

Two unstressed then one stressed syllable. Example: “to the BEACH”. Meter = anapestic

Question 7

Dactyl/dactylic

Answer 7

One stressed followed by two unstressed syllables. Example: “FREquently”. Meter = dactylic

Question 8

Spondee/spondaic

Answer 8

Two stressed syllables. Example: “TRUE BLUE”. Meter = spondaic

Question 9

Meter

Answer 9

Measured by the number of syllables in a line. Example: line with five syllables = pentameter. Line of five iambs = iambic pentameter.

Question 10

Monometer

Answer 10

One syllable/foot

Question 11

Dimeter

Answer 11

Two feet

Question 12

Trimeter

Answer 12

Three feet

Question 13

Tetrameter

Answer 13

Four feet

Question 14

Pentameter

Answer 14

Five feet

Question 15

Hexameter

Answer 15

Six feet

Question 16

Heptameter

Answer 16

Seven feet

Question 17

Octameter

Answer 17

Eight feet