What is a Foot?
The basic unit of rhythm in poetry.
Getting a Leg Up: Understanding the Foot in Poetry
The foot is the basic unit of rhythm in poetry, consisting of a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. It's kind of like building blocks - you put together feet to create larger rhythmic patterns like lines and stanzas. In English, there are a variety of different types of feet that poets can use to create different effects. For example, an iambic foot consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, while a trochaic foot is the opposite, with a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable. Other types of feet include anapestic (two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable) and dactylic (a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables).
Understanding feet is important for poets because it allows them to create different rhythms and moods in their work. A regular pattern of feet can create a sense of stability or order, while irregular patterns can create a feeling of tension or chaos. By playing with different types of feet and creating their own patterns, poets can give their work a unique and distinctive voice.
Examples of poets using feet to create rhythmic patterns in their work include:
Shakespeare frequently used iambic pentameter in his sonnets, a rhythmic pattern consisting of five iambs (a total of ten syllables, with each iamb consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable). This creates a smooth, flowing rhythm that's easy to read aloud, as in Sonnet 18: 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?'
Poe's famous poem 'The Raven' is written in trochaic tetrameter, a rhythmic pattern consisting of four trochaic feet per line (a total of eight syllables, with each trochee consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable). This gives the poem a sense of urgency and foreboding, as in the repeated line, 'Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.''