What is Metre?
Metre refers to the rhythm and pattern of sounds in poetry and language.
The Heartbeat of Poetry: Exploring Metre in Creative Writing
Metre is the rhythmic and sonic structure that underpins poetry and language.
At its most basic level, metre refers to the regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of verse. These patterns, known as feet, are the building blocks of metre. Each foot is made up of a specific combination of stressed and unstressed syllables, which create a unique rhythm.
In formal poetry, such as sonnets or villanelles, the metre is often highly structured and consistent throughout the poem. In free verse, on the other hand, metre may be more subtle or irregular, relying more on the natural rhythms of speech.
But metre is more than just the regularity of stressed and unstressed syllables. It also encompasses other sonic elements, such as rhyme, alliteration, and assonance. These elements work together to create a cohesive, musical whole.
Understanding metre is essential for poets and writers alike. It gives us a greater appreciation for the musicality of language and helps us make deliberate choices in our own writing. By experimenting with different metres and rhythms, we can add depth and texture to our work, creating a symphony of sound and sense.
Metre is a fundamental aspect of poetic language, used in a wide range of literary works as a tool for creating musicality and rhythm. Here are two examples:
Eliot's modernist masterpiece is renowned for its irregular metre, which mirrors the fractured psyche of the titular protagonist. This famous section is a prime example:
Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherised upon a table;
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:
This classic poem by Poe uses a consistent and structured metre, giving it a haunting, musical quality:
It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;