Meter

Meter
Definition of Meter
Meter is a stressed and unstressed syllabic pattern in a verse , or within the lines of a poem . Stressed syllables tend to be longer, and unstressed shorter. In simple language, meter is a poetic device that serves as a linguistic sound pattern for the verses, as it gives poetry a rhythmical and melodious sound. For instance, if you read a poem aloud, and it produces regular sound patterns, then this poem would be a metered or measured poem. The study of different types of versification and meters is known as “ prosody.”

Types of Meter
English poetry employs five basic meters, including:
1. Iambic meter (unstressed/stressed)
2. Trochaic meter (stressed/unstressed)
3. Spondaic meter, (stressed/stressed)
4. Anapestic meter (unstressed/unstressed/ stressed)
5. Dactylic meter (stressed/unstressed/unstressed)

Meter has two subdivisions: qualitative meter, and quantitative meter.

Qualitative Meter
Qualitative meter contains stressed syllables with regular intervals, such as iambic pentameter containing even numbered syllables.

Quantitative Meter
Quantitative meter, however, is based on syllabic weight, and not stressed pattern,s such as dactylic hexameters of classical Greek and classical Latin. However, classical Arabic and Sanskrit also have used this meter. Poets like Virgil used quantitative meter in Aeneid , and Homer used it in Iliad .

Short Examples of Meter
1. People become what they believe.
(Trochaic meter)
2. Those who can dream it, they really can achieve it.
(Dactylic/Spondaic)
3. Don’t search faults. Find remedies.
(Iambic meter)
4. When you give and accept gratefully, you feel blessed.
(Anapestic meter)
5. The safest place on planet earth.
(Iambic meter)
6. Be happy, be positive, be you.
(Spondaic meter)
7. Life is short to hold grudges.
(Trochaic meter)
8. If you know why to live, then you can tolerate anything.
(Dactylic meter)
9. All the news here is ready to print.
(Trochaic meter)
10. Because you’re worth it.
(Iambic meter)

Meter Examples in Literature
          
           Example #1: Twelfth Night (By William Shakespeare)
“If music be the food of love , play on ;
Give me excess of it , that, surfeiting ,
The appe tite may sicken , and so die.
That strain again ! it had a dying fall:
O, it came o ’er my ear like the sweet
sound,
That breathes upon a bank of vio lets …”
This is an example of iambic pentameter , which contains an unstressed syllable first, and a stressed syllable second. Shakespeare has played around with iambic pentameter a lot to create different effects. Here you can see each line consists of accented and unaccented syllables underlined.

          Example #2: The Explosion (By Philip Larkin)
“Shadows pointed towards the pit head:
In the sun the slag heap slept .
Down the lane came men in pit boots
Coughing oath -edged talk and pipe -smoke
Shouldering off the freshened silence .”
This extract contains trochaic meter in which stressed syllables are pronounced loudly. Larkin has written frequently in trochaic (accented/unaccented) tetrameter with four trochees.

           Example #3: The Charge of the Light Brigade (By Alfred Lord Tennyson)
“Half a league, half a league,
Half a league on ward,
All in the val ley of Death
Rode the six hun dred.
“For ward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns !” he said:
Into the val ley of Death
Rode the six hundred.”
This excerpt presents an example of dactylic meter that contains one accented syllable followed by two unaccented syllables.
            Example #4: The Hunting of the Snark (By Lewis Carroll)
“Just the place for a Snark !” the Bellman cried,
As he lan ded his crew with care;
Supporting each man on the top of the tide
By a fing er entwined in his hair …
There was also a Bea ver, that paced on the deck ,
Or would sit making lace in the bow :
Here you can see Carroll has used different types of anapestic meter, dimeter, trimeter, and tetrameter. This type of meter has two unaccented syllables and a third accented syllable.
            Example #5: Troilus and Cressida (By William Shakespeare)
Cry, cry ! Troy burns , or else let Helen go .
Spondaic meter has two accented syllables. You can easily identify this type of meter because it contains both stressed syllables: “Cry, cry! Troy burns.”
           Example #6: An Autumn Visit (By Josie Whitehead)
“Aut umn is wearing her bright golden
crown
For this mor ning she’s com ing to visit our
town
And wind , her best friend , will be joining her too.
Will they have a nice day and just what will they do ?”
This stanza has used a combination of iambic and anapestic meter. In anapest, two unstressed syllables are followed by one stressed syllable, which rhymes the lines and add music to them.

Function of Meter
Though meter is a poetic device, playwrights as well as prose writers often use it to heighten the dramatic quality of the work, adding enchantment, mystery and emotion to their language. If you look carefully, you will notice metrical feet are not only suitable in poetry, but also in plays to achieve dramatic purposes. However, its basic function is to provide rhythm and uniformity, and to give a rounded and well-formed structure to the poetic work. Meter makes the tone of a language more lyrical. When a situation requires heightened language, the poets use meter for artistic effect. Besides, a meter has importance and value to the readers, which could, however, be lost if paraphrased or translated.

Source:
https://literarydevices.net/meter/