An area where many aspiring writers struggle when first entering the realm of poetry is meter. Of course, a poet doesn’t have to use meter in order to write poetry – in fact, free verse is probably the most popular poetry form nowadays – but that doesn’t mean meter doesn’t have its uses.
When used correctly, it can serve as a powerful tool. Understanding how and when to use this tool can mean the difference between a weak phrase that has little impact upon the reader, or a strong phrase that leaves the reader touched, inspired, or shaken.
Let’s look at the following excerpts from civil rights speeches and political addresses:
“I have a dream,” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Give me liberty, or give me death!” – Patrick Henry
These quotes from history remain in our memories, while others are easily forgotten. Part of this is certainly due to the importance of these phrases and their context, but the rhythm of these phrases and how easily the words roll off the tongue also influences our perceptions.
Lesson 1. Meter: “It’s LEV-ee-OH-suh, not lev-EE-oh-SAH”
So, what is meter exactly?
Put simply, meter refers to which syllables are stressed and unstressed in a word, phrase, or poem. In other words, where the stress on the syllable falls dictates the type of meter. To better understand this, let’s take a look at the word, “behind.”
In the word, “behind,” the second syllable is stressed:
be HIND
If we were to switch where the stress is placed, the word becomes:
BEE hind
Obviously, the word “behind,” isn’t pronounced as, “BEE-hind” – unless a person is talking about someone’s backside, which probably isn’t the case. This example illustrates that native, English speakers know intuitively where stress is placed in words of their own native language, even if they don’t understand the academics of it.
If you’re ever in doubt on which syllable stress is placed, a good rule of thumb is by looking for the “uh” sound. Generally, unstressed syllables are pronounced with an “uh,” rather than the way it is actually written.
For example:
- undone
- oppose
- constantly
I realize grammatically this isn’t how it looks like the words are pronounced, but from a purely phonetic, linguistics perspective, you’ll find this is typically how most people pronounce these words. For instance, hardly anyone pronounces it, “con-STANT-ly.” Instead, the “a” takes on the short “u” vowel sound (e.g. the “u” in up) or the short “e” vowel sound (e.g. the “i” in igloo).
Though this method of “looking for uh” isn’t entirely foolproof, it’s generally a good way to figure out which syllables are stressed and unstressed.
Two Meter Types: Iambic and Trochaic
So now that we’ve discussed what meter is, let’s move forward and introduce you to the two different types of meter you will encounter: trochaic and iambic.
- Trochaic meter is when the stress falls on the first syllable.
- Examples of trochaic meter can be seen in the following words: fallen, bluntly, quiet
- Iambic meter is when the stress falls on the second syllable.
- Examples of iambic meter can be seen in the following words: above, unsaid, absurd
But iambic meter and trochaic meter extend beyond individual words. An entire line of poetry can be iambic, trochaic, or a mix of the two.
For instance:
Don’t assume a Jedi can’t defeat a Sith.
The stress falls on the first syllable and carries on the alternating pattern of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable; thus, it’s trochaic.
Here’s another example:
Above the clouds the ship is hidden.
This sentence begins with an unstressed syllable and consists of the pattern of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable; hence, it’s iambic.
Form Equals Function
“Okay, so how is this going to improve my writing? I don’t really need meter, do I?”
Well, let’s take a look at the following lines of poetry before you decide.
“Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
– Dylan Thomas, “Do not go gentle into that good night”
Here are the lines with the stressed syllables underlined:
“Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
From an entirely analytical perspective, the underlined parts are the stressed syllables, but that doesn’t mean the poet or readers can’t add stress on some of the non-underlined parts (e.g. “of” or “the”) for aesthetics.
Moving on, the first line is mostly iambic, and the second line is mostly trochaic. If, however, Thomas kept the second line iambic, would it have had the same impact?
Let’s give it a try, shall we?
“Do not go gentle into that good night.
Oh father, rage against the dying light.”
It just doesn’t have quite the same punch at the end, does it?
But why?
To understand this, we must first acknowledge that there are times a poet will want the reader to spend an extra moment on a word – to pause. So, if you use the same meter throughout your entire poem, it can become somewhat sing-songy. The way to counter this is by adding a few, deliberate exceptions. In other words, if your poem is mostly trochaic, switch to iambic for a word or two. Again, this will force a pause, giving the reader time to both digest and be impacted by what you wrote.
The reason why Dylan Thomas’ last two lines from his poem “Do not go gentle into that good night” has such an impact on us is because he breaks up the flow of the meter to match the emotional break up that we, the readers, are supposed to feel when we read it. Essentially, the form he uses follows the function, or purpose, of what he’s trying to create.
Poetry, like art, is subjective, and will therefore be interpreted differently by each individual. Nonetheless, it’s also true that a good poet understands writing techniques well enough to manipulate the way in which someone will read their poem, and can thereby influence to some extent the reader’s interpretation of the poem.
Although this is a brief overview of meter, hopefully it has illustrated the benefits when it is used correctly.
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