The arrangement of "feet" [i.e. stressed and
unstressed syllables) in a verse line.
A verse line is named according to the number of its foot. Examples:
A line containing one
foot is called monometer A line containing two feet is called diameter
A line containing three feet is called trimeter
A line containing
four feet is called tetrameter
A line containing
five feet is called pentameter
A line containing six feet is called hexameter (also called Alexandrine)
A line containing seven feet is called heptameter ( Also
called fourteener)
A line containing eight feet is called octameter
Note that each of these meters may again be different
according to the use of various types of foot. A monometer line may be iambic monometer (Thus I / Pass by), trochaic
monometer (Turning / Burning"age W / Changing / Ranging), anapestic
monometer ('Tis in vain / They complain) dactylic monometer ( Wit with this /
Wantonness) and so readers on. Similarly, a diameter may be iambic diameter,
trochaic diameter anapestic diameter, dactylic diameter etc.; a pentameter may
be iambic pentameter, trochaic pentameter, anapestic pentameter, dactylic
pentameter and the like.
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