Poetry Feet Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is the definition of 'foot' in poetry?

the unit of rhyme in verse (correct)

a style of poem

a stanza

a line of poetry

What is a monometer?

one foot per line

What is a dimeter?

two feet per line

What is a trimeter?

three feet per line Signup and view all the answers

What is a tetrameter?

four feet per line Signup and view all the answers

What is a pentameter?

five feet per line Signup and view all the answers

What is a hexameter?

six feet per line Signup and view all the answers

What is a heptameter?

seven feet per line Signup and view all the answers

What is an octameter?

eight feet per line Signup and view all the answers

What is a nonameter?

nine feet per line Signup and view all the answers

What is an iamb?

the most common metrical foot in English poetry, consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable Signup and view all the answers

What is a trochee?

a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable Signup and view all the answers

What is a choree?

obsolete equivalent of Trochee Signup and view all the answers

What is a spondee?

a metrical unit with stressed-stressed syllables Signup and view all the answers

What is a pyrrhic?

a metrical unit with unstressed-unstressed syllables Signup and view all the answers

What is a dibrach?

a metrical unit with unstressed-unstressed syllables Signup and view all the answers

What is a dipody?

verse of poetry consisting of two feet; a dimeter Signup and view all the answers

What is triple meter?

a metrical line containing three feet Signup and view all the answers

What is a dactyl?

a metrical unit with stressed-unstressed-unstressed syllables Signup and view all the answers

What is anapest?

a metrical unit with unstressed-unstressed-stressed syllables Signup and view all the answers

What is an amphibrach?

a metrical unit with unstressed-stressed-unstressed syllables Signup and view all the answers

What is an amphibacer?

stressed-unstressed-stressed Signup and view all the answers

What is a tribrach?

a foot of three short or unstressed syllables Signup and view all the answers

What is a bacchius?

3 syllable foot: light, heavy, heavy Signup and view all the answers

What is an antibacchius?

long-long-short Signup and view all the answers

What is a choriambus?

a foot in which two accented syllables flank two unaccented syllables Signup and view all the answers

What is a paeon?

a foot consisting of one long or stressed syllable and three short or unstressed syllables Signup and view all the answers

What is ionic?

a classical foot with two long and two short syllables Signup and view all the answers

What is galliambic?

four four-syllable feet in a specific order Signup and view all the answers

What is equivalence?

a term for the use of one kind of foot in place of that normally demanded by the pattern of a verse Signup and view all the answers

What is compensation in poetry?

a means of making up for omissions in a line, usually with a pause Signup and view all the answers

What is scansion?

analysis of verse into metrical patterns Signup and view all the answers

What is scazon?

the deliberate reversal of an iamb Signup and view all the answers

What is a syzygy?

two coupled feet serving as a unit Signup and view all the answers

What is sesquipedalian?

a very long word (a foot and a half long) Signup and view all the answers

What is catalexis?

incompleteness of the last foot of a line Signup and view all the answers

What is brachycatalexis?

a metrical line that lacks two syllables or a foot Signup and view all the answers

What is a headless line?

a line from which an unstressed syllable has been dropped at the beginning Signup and view all the answers

What is acatalectic?

(verse) metrically complete Signup and view all the answers

What is hypercatalectic?

line with an extra syllable at the end Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Poetry Feet Definitions

Foot: A basic unit of measurement in verse that serves as a building block for rhythm.
Monometer: Contains one foot per line; the simplest form of line length.
Dimeter: Comprises two feet per line, offering a concise structure.
Trimeter: Features three feet per line, allowing for a rhythmic balance.
Tetrameter: Consists of four feet per line, commonly used in English poetry.
Pentameter: Five feet per line, often found in sonnets; popularized by writers like Shakespeare.
Hexameter: A line composed of six feet, commonly seen in classical epic poetry.
Heptameter: Contains seven feet per line, creating a longer line of verse.
Octameter: Features eight feet per line, contributing to an expansive poetic form.
Nonameter: Includes nine feet per line; rare in usage.

Metrical Feet Types

Iamb: The most common foot in English poetry; consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
Trochee: A foot made up of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable.
Choree: An obsolete term equivalent to Trochee; rare in current usage except within Choriambus.
Spondee: A metrical foot containing two stressed syllables.
Pyrrhic: Contains two unstressed syllables; rarely used in isolation.
Dibrach: Similar to pyrrhic, featuring two unstressed syllables.
Dipody: Refers to a unit of verse with two feet, synonymous with dimeter.
Triple Meter: A metrical line that contains three feet.

Other Metrical Units

Dactyl: A metrical unit with a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables.
Anapest: Comprises two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable.
Amphibrach: Consists of an unstressed syllable, followed by a stressed syllable, then another unstressed syllable (e.g., “remember”).
Amphimacer: A foot with the pattern stressed-unstressed-stressed.
Tribrach: Contains three unstressed syllables.
Bacchius: A three-syllable foot with a pattern of light, heavy, heavy.
Antibacchius: A metrical unit characterized by a long-long-short syllable pattern.
Choriambus: A foot with two stressed syllables around two unstressed syllables.
Paeon: A foot made up of a long/stressed syllable and three short/unstressed syllables.
Ionic: A classical foot with the configuration of two long and two short syllables.
Galliambic: Comprises four four-syllable feet in various arrangements.

Rhythm and Structure Terms

Equivalence: The substitution of one type of foot for another within the metrical pattern, such as a trochee for an iamb.
Compensation: A technique to balance omissions within a poetic line, often through pauses.
Scansion: The analytical process of breaking down verse into its metrical components.
Scazon: The intentional reversal of an iambic foot, creating a unique rhythm.
Syzygy: Refers to two adjacent feet acting as a single unit; also describes consonance between word boundaries.
Sesquipedalian: Describes exceptionally long words, humorously referred to as "a foot and a half long."
Catalexis: The truncation of a line through omission of one or two syllables in the final foot.
Brachycatalexis: A line that lacks two syllables, rendering it incomplete.
Headless Line: A poetic line that starts without the first unstressed syllable.
Acatalectic: Indicates a metrically complete verse.
Hypercatalectic: Describes a line that features an additional syllable at its conclusion.

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Description

This quiz provides flashcards to help you learn about various types of poetic feet, including monometer, dimeter, trimeter, tetrameter, pentameter, and hexameter. Each flashcard defines the specific type of foot and its corresponding number of feet per line. Enhance your understanding of poetry structure through these informative tools.