Feet and Meters in Poetry

a line of poetry containing one metrical foot

• monometer
• dimeter
• trimeter
• tetrameter

a line of poetry containing two metric feet

• monometer
• dimeter
• trimeter
• tetrameter

a line of poetry containing three metrical feet

• tetrameter
• trimeter
• pentameter
• hexameter

a line of poetry containing four metrical feet

• dimeter
• octameter
• tetrameter
• pentameter

a line of poetry containing five metrical feet

• heptameter
• monometer
• trimeter
• pentameter

a line of poetry containing six metrical feet

• hexameter
• octameter
• dimeter
• pentameter

a line of poetry containing seven metrical feet

• tetrameter
• heptameter
• octameter
• pentameter

a line of poetry containing eight metrical feet

• hexameter
• trimeter
• octameter
• heptameter

a metrical foot consisting of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable (US/S)

• anapest
• dactyl
• spondee
• iamb

a metrical foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable (S/US)

• trochee
• spondee
• dactyl
• iamb