⌣⌣—|⌣⌣—|⌣⌣—
Ifhecomes|toyourid|ingacob.”

A line of spondees is rarely found in our English because a succession of accented syllables is almost impossible with us and the amphimacer and amphibrach are seldom more than secondary feet in a dactyllic or anapestic line. Where more than one combination of syllables is used the line takes its name from the foot predominating.

As to number, the feet in a single line are practically unlimited though one rarely comes across a line containing more than eight. Lines of three and four are more common. Indeed, in some lyrical poems we have lines made up of a single syllable.

The classic names for lines of varying length are perhaps necessary. The line of two feet is a dimeter; three—trimeter; four—tetrameter; five—pentameter; six—hexameter; seven—heptameter and eight—octameter. Thus Pope’s Iliad is written in iambic pentameter, in lines made up of five iambics; and Longfellow’s Hiawatha is trochaic tetrameter, each line containing four trochees.

It will be noticed that many lines lack the syllable or two necessary to complete the last foot. For instance:

— ⌣|— ⌣|— ⌣|— ⌣
“Airly|Beacon|Airly|Beacon,
—⌣|— ⌣|—⌣|—
Othe|pleasant|sightto|see.”

and

—⌣⌣|—⌣⌣|—
“Ahbutthings|morethanpo|lite.”

This privilege of ending in the middle of a foot is in no way a poetic license but lends a flexibility to the use of all meters which would otherwise be wofully lacking.