A pattern of unstressed followed by a stressed syllable is called which meter?

Prepare for the Honors English Semester Exam with our comprehensive quiz. Study with interactive questions that provide hints and explanations. Boost your confidence and ace your exam!

Multiple Choice

A pattern of unstressed followed by a stressed syllable is called which meter?

Explanation:
Meter in poetry is built from feet, each foot combining a pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables. The pattern that goes unstressed, then stressed, is an iamb. An iamb is the basic unit of iambic meter, and when you line up five of these iambs in a line you get iambic pentameter, a very common form in English verse. That contrast with the other feet: trochaic starts with a stressed syllable and then an unstressed one, anapestic has two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one, and dactylic starts with a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables. So the described pattern is iambic.

Meter in poetry is built from feet, each foot combining a pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables. The pattern that goes unstressed, then stressed, is an iamb. An iamb is the basic unit of iambic meter, and when you line up five of these iambs in a line you get iambic pentameter, a very common form in English verse. That contrast with the other feet: trochaic starts with a stressed syllable and then an unstressed one, anapestic has two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one, and dactylic starts with a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables. So the described pattern is iambic.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Passetra

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy