Meter Names
A few meters have specific names. These, with their abbreviations are as follows:
Short Meter (S.M.) 6.6.8.6, e.g.
| Blest be the tie that binds | (6) |
| Our hearts in Christian love: | (6) |
| The fellowship of kindred minds | (8) |
| Is like to that above. | (6) |
Short Meter Double (S.M.D.) is used for a tune in which the quatrain is repeated, e.g. “Terra Beata” ([48]), set to the words “This is my Father’s world.”
Common Meter (C.M.), also called Ballad Meter, consists of four lines of 8.6.8.6. syllables, e.g.
| In Christ there is no East or West | (8) |
| In Him no South or North; | (6) |
| But one great fellowship of love | (8) |
| Throughout the whole wide earth. | (6) |
Nearly all the metrical psalms appeared in this meter.
Common Meter Double (C.M.D.) is employed when two Common Meter quatrains are used to form one stanza, e.g.,
“It came upon a midnight clear.” ([75])