Rhymes and Meters / A Practical Manual for Versifiers

by Horatio Winslow

Iambus	⌣ —		Dactyl	— ⌣⌣
Trochee	— ⌣		Anapest	⌣ ⌣ —
Spondee	— —		Amphimacer	— ⌣ —
Amphibrach ⌣ — ⌣

The dash stands for the accented syllable.

An idea of the use of these meters in verse may be gained from the following examples:

IAMBIC

⌣

—

|

⌣

—

|

⌣

—

|

⌣ —

|

⌣

|

—

“From

low

|

to

high

|

doth

dis

|

solu

|

tion

|

climb

⌣

—

|

⌣

—

|

⌣

—

|

⌣ —

|

⌣

—

And

sink

|

from

high

|

to

low

|

along

|

a

scale.”

TROCHAIC
—	⌣	|	— ⌣	|	—	⌣	|	— ⌣
“Tell	us,	|	Master,	|	of	thy	|	wisdom

—	⌣	|	—	⌣	|	— ⌣	|	—	⌣
Ere	the	|	chains	of	|	darkness	|	bind	thee.”

DACTYLLIC
—	⌣	⌣	|	— ⌣ ⌣
“Take	her	up	|	tenderly

—	⌣	⌣	|	—
Lift	her	with	|	care.”

ANAPESTIC

⌣

⌣

—

|

⌣

⌣

—

|

⌣

⌣

—

|

⌣

“If

he

talks

|

of

his

bak

|

ing

or

brew

|

ing