Poetic Terms Dictionary
Meter & Rhythm

Meter

From Greek metron: measure. Quantitative metre (long/short syllables) governed Greek and Latin poetry; stress-based accentual-syllabic metre developed in medieval and Renaissance English.

Definition

The systematic arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in verse, creating a recurring rhythmic pattern.

Example

Iambic pentameter, dactylic hexameter, trochaic tetrameter, anapestic trimeter.

Related Terms