Bowman PatriciaRobert Frost is often regarded as a master of meter in poetry. He famously declared, “I would sooner write free verse as play tennis with the net down,” emphasizing his preference for structured verse. Metered verse adheres to prescribed rules regarding the number and placement of syllables per line, but Frost was known for both following and breaking these rules in his poetic endeavors.
The English language naturally falls into iambic patterns of stress or accent, which govern meter in poetry. Scansion, or the diagraming of meter, involves analyzing the placement of accents in a poem to ensure correct reading and interpretation. Meter greatly influences the flow and rhythm of a poem, akin to the rhythm in music, making it essential in songwriting, rap, and speechwriting.
In poetry, meter is determined by the number of “feet” per line, with a “foot” being the basic unit of measure consisting of 2 or 3 syllables, typically a combination of accented and unaccented syllables. English meters commonly fall into five patterns:
- Dimeter: Two feet per line.
- Trimeter: Three feet per line.
- Tetrameter: Four feet per line.
- Pentameter: Five feet per line.
- Hendecasyllabics: Eleven syllables per line, a rare meter used by Frost in only one poem.
The most common English meters are variations of two types:
- Iambic: Consists of two syllables per foot, with the first unaccented and the second accented (e.g., in LEAVES no STEP).
- Trochaic: Consists of two syllables per foot, with the first accented and the second unaccented (e.g., SOME-where AG-es).
Frost often walked as he composed his poetry mentally, with the footsteps dictating the rhythm of his verses. He believed in the simplicity of meter, stating that there are only two meters: “strict and loose iambic.” Anapests and dactyls are considered variations of iambic meter.
In Frost’s poetry, the meter often varies throughout a poem, with different lines containing different meters. For example, “The Road Not Taken” is written in tetrameter, with four feet per line. Frost’s use of meter contributes to the conversational tone of his poetry, allowing readers to engage with his work on multiple levels while appreciating its rhythmic cadence.
