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- Pre-Intermediate
English
English poetry employs five basic rhythms of varying stressed (/) and unstressed (x) syllables. The meters are iambs, trochees, spondees, anapests and dactyls. In this document the stressed syllables are marked in boldface type rather than the tradition al "/" and "x." Each unit of rhythm is called a "foot" of poetry.
The meters with two-syllable feet are
- IAMBIC (x /) : That timeof yearthoumaystin mebehold
- TROCHAIC (/ x): Tellmenotin mournful numbers
- SPONDAIC (/ /): Break, break, break/ On thy coldgraystones, O Sea!
- ANAPESTIC (x x/): And thesoundof a voicethat is still
- DACTYLIC (/ x x): Thisis the forest primeval, the murmuring pinesand the hemlock (a trochee replaces the final dactyl)