Dactylic Hexameter (6 feet):
___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | - u u | - -
dactyl: - u u
spondee: - -
1. Look for elisions:
o a
ae h
em a
em h
2. Mark what you know (the last two feet)
3. Mark Long: dipthongs, long by nature
diphthongs: ae, au, eu, oe (NOT ie, ia, ei,)
long by nature:
ablative singular (o/a)
dative/ablative plural (is)
accusative plural (as, os, es, us)
accusative plural (as, os, es, us)
genitive plural (arum, orum)genitive plural (arum, orum)
dative singular (i)
nominative plural (i, es, us)
4. Mark Long: long by position
long by position (vowel + 2 consonants)
x = 2 consonants
h is NOT a consonant
qu = 1 consonant
5. Mark Short: everything else
6. Divide into six feet of dactyls and spondees