Two syllable foot:
| Meter Name | Rhythm | Example Word |
|---|---|---|
| iam | _ / | alive, amuse, arise, attache, awake, contain, destroy, demise, return |
| trochee | / _ | after, country, happy, |
| spondee | / / | aircraft, Airforce, Barneck, dumbbell, football, heartbreak |
The three syllable foot
| Meter Name | Rhythm | Example Word |
|---|---|---|
| anapests | _ _ / | interfere, interact, in a flash, understand |
| dactyls | / _ _ | carefully, changeable, contrary, happiness, merrily, partially, terrible |
Key:
| Syllable | Stressed/Unstressed |
| _ | Unstressed syllable |
| / | Stressed syllable |
Knowing rhythm and meter is a requirement for writing traditional sonnets. You don’t need to have the terms memorized, but you need to understand them.
This doesn’t just help for sonnets. Any poetry can benefit from understanding rhythm. Also prose can improved with rhythm and meter. You can use it for pacing, to speed up or slow down a sentence.