👉 Meters are units of measurement used in poetry and music to quantify the length of sounds or syllables within a line, emphasizing rhythm and meter. The most common meter is iambic pentameter, which consists of five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables per line, often expressed as "da-DUM da-DUM." However, meters can vary widely in structure and syllable count, with some lines containing only one or two syllables (anapaesterica), others having more complex patterns like trochaic trimeter (three stressed syllables followed by an unstressed one) or spondee (two stressed syllables together). Understanding meters is crucial for analyzing poetic form, as it influences the meter's rhythm, meter's regularity or irregularity, and ultimately, the poem's musicality and emotional impact.
