Foot (metrical)

What is a metrical foot in poetry?

Metrical feet are the basic rhythmic structure of a verse in poetry. Each metrical foot consists of a combination of stressed and unstressed syllables. The number and order of “feet” in a poem determine the rhythm and meter. A metrical foot is often described as a measuring unit. It is combined with other feet in order to create one of the many possible metrical patterns in poetry.

Depending on the arrangement of syllables, the metrical foot might be labeled as rising or falling. If the lines go from unstressed to stressed they’re known as rising (anapaests and iambs) but if they go from stressed to unstressed (trochees and dactyls) then they’re known as falling. (Poetic Foot) 

Meter is the part of the poem that gives it its rhythm, its rise-and-fall, songlike cadence. There are two main aspects of meter:

1) The stressed and unstressed nature of the syllables.

2) The number of syllables in each line.

When we’re looking at the metrical foot, we’re thinking mainly about that first aspect. A metrical foot is simply a collection of stressed and unstressed beats – usually two or three syllables. 

There are several types of metrical feet in English poetry, including iamb, trochee, anapest, dactyl, spondee and pyrrhic, each with its own pattern of stress. The most common kinds of metrical foot are disyllables (2 syllables) and trisyllables (3 syllables). 

Example:

There was an Old Man with a beard,Who said, 'It is just as I feared! Two Owls and a Hen,Four Larks and a Wren,Have all built their nests in my beard!                     -Edward Lear, 'There Was an Old Man With a Beard' (1846)

In this example, we see that lines one, two and five are built of three anapaests, while lines three and four are made up of two anapaests each. Notably, the first syllable of the first foot of every line is cut off - we still call it anapaestic because the pattern is clearly visible. So, we can say that the lines with three anapaestic feet are in anapaestic trimeter, while the two shorter lines are in anapaestic dimeter. (Metrical foot)

Sources:

Metrical foot- https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/english-literature/literary-devices/metrical-foot/

Poetic Foot -  poemanalysis.com/poetic-meter/foot/ 

Author of the text: Kristyna Blechova