Poetics: Meter

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quantiative meter

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used in Classical greek and latin poetry, consists of recurrent patterns of long and short syllables

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syllabic

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used in French and other Romance languages, depends on number of syllables in line and not stresses

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accentual

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from older Germanic languages (including Old English) -- only stressed syllables are counted

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accentual-syllabic

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metric units consisting of a recurrent pattern of stresses on a recurrent number of syllables. used since the 14th century

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rhythm

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recognizable but varying pattern in the beat of stresses

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verse

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compositions written in meter

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wrenched accent

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a pronunciation used when the prevailing stress pattern enforces a drastic alteration of the normal word accent

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iambic (iamb)

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unstressed, stressed
u /

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anapestic (anapest)

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two unstressed, stressed

u u /

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trochaic (trochee)

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stressed, unstressed

/ u

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catalectic

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any verse lines that lack the final syllable, common with trochaic meter

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dactylic (dactyl)

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stressed, two unstressed

/ u u

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spondaic (spondee)

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two successive syllables with approximately equal stress

/ /

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pyrrhic

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a foot composed of two successive syllables with approximately equal light stresses

u u

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alexandrine

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a line of six iambic feet

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feminine endings

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lines that end with an unstressed syllable

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masculine endings

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lines that end with a stressed syllable

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sprung rhythm

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a variant of strong-stress meter: each foot begins with a stressed syllable associated with 2, 3, or more unstressed syllables

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ballad

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a song, transmitted orally, which tells a story. originate from folk songs. typically dramatic, condensed, impersonal, begins with climactic episode, tells story tersely in action and dialogue, without self reference

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ballad stanza

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a quatrain in alternate four- and three- stress lines; usually only the second and fourth lines rhyme

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incremental repetition

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when a line or stanza is repeated, but with an addition that advances the story

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broadside ballad

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a ballad that was printed on one side of a sheet, dealt with a current event or person, and was sung to a well known tune. began in 16th century

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literary ballad

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narrative poem written in deliberate imitation of the form, language, and spirit of the traditional ballad

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genre

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denotes types or classes of literature, traditionally divided into lyric (first person), epic or narrative (in which the narrator speaks in the first person and the characters speak for themselves), and drama (characters do all the talking). at certain points in history these were strictly adhered to and people thought it was bad to mix them together. genres were also associated with class and there was a hierarchy of literary merit ascribed to them

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motif

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a recurrent feature of texts or a particular group of texts. We can say that motifs are often about the presence of such features and nothing more, nothing less

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theme

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a message or textual happening meant to signal a message for the reader. We can say that themes are often rooted in action and build a message out of a motif

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lyric

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a short poem, uttered by a single speaker, who expresses a state of mind or a process of perception, thought, or feeling