Which term refers to a two-syllable metrical foot consisting of unstressed followed by stressed syllables?

• A. Iamb
• B. Trochee
• C. Anapest
• D. Dactyl

Answer: (A)

A two-syllable metrical foot with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one is called an iamb. In poetry, feet are the building blocks of meter, and the iamb creates a light–heavy rhythm often described as da-DUM. It’s especially common in English verse, shaping lines in iambic pentameter, like Shakespeare’s lines, which typically flow in five iambic feet per line. Examples include be-COME and a-WAY, where the second syllable carries the stress.

Trochee begins with a stressed syllable then an unstressed one (DUM-da), anapest features two unstressed followed by a stressed syllable (da-da-DUM), and dactyl starts with a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed (DUM-da-da).