Hexameter
noun
A line of poetry with six metrical feet (group of syllables).
Homer's 'Iliad' and 'Odyssey' are written in dactylic hexameter.
Often appears as...
- dactylic hexameter
- epic hexameter
Usage tips
Literary
noun
A line of poetry with six metrical feet (group of syllables).
Homer's 'Iliad' and 'Odyssey' are written in dactylic hexameter.
Often appears as...
- dactylic hexameter
- epic hexameter
Usage tips
Literary
Definition 1 of 1
Pro Tip 1/3Poetry Rhythm
Hexameter defines the rhythm of a line in poetry, creating a flow that can be musical.
The poet structured her verses in hexameter to give a consistent, rolling rhythm.
Pro Tip 2/3Ancient Epics
Hexameter often evokes a classical feel, as it's used in ancient Greek and Roman epics.
Modern poets rarely use hexameter, but it was standard in epics like Virgil's 'Aeneid'.
Pro Tip 3/3Meter Awareness
Understanding hexameter can deepen appreciation of a poem's structure and pacing.
Once you recognize hexameter, you can better appreciate the technique behind long verses.
Pro Tip 1/3Poetry Rhythm
Hexameter defines the rhythm of a line in poetry, creating a flow that can be musical.
The poet structured her verses in hexameter to give a consistent, rolling rhythm.
Pro Tip 2/3Ancient Epics
Hexameter often evokes a classical feel, as it's used in ancient Greek and Roman epics.
Modern poets rarely use hexameter, but it was standard in epics like Virgil's 'Aeneid'.
Pro Tip 3/3Meter Awareness
Understanding hexameter can deepen appreciation of a poem's structure and pacing.
Once you recognize hexameter, you can better appreciate the technique behind long verses.
Pro Tip 1/3Poetry Rhythm
Hexameter defines the rhythm of a line in poetry, creating a flow that can be musical.
The poet structured her verses in hexameter to give a consistent, rolling rhythm.
Pro Tip 2/3Ancient Epics
Hexameter often evokes a classical feel, as it's used in ancient Greek and Roman epics.
Modern poets rarely use hexameter, but it was standard in epics like Virgil's 'Aeneid'.
Pro Tip 3/3Meter Awareness
Understanding hexameter can deepen appreciation of a poem's structure and pacing.
Once you recognize hexameter, you can better appreciate the technique behind long verses.
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Video examples
Why Shakespeare loved...
the characters switch to iambic pentameter when speaking about their emotions and their place in the world. Which leaves just one last question. Why did Shakespeare choose iambic pentameter for these moments, rather than, say, trochaic hexameter or dactylic tetrameter?
Video examples
Why Shakespeare loved...
the characters switch to iambic pentameter when speaking about their emotions and their place in the world. Which leaves just one last question. Why did Shakespeare choose iambic pentameter for these moments, rather than, say, trochaic hexameter or dactylic tetrameter?
Example 1 of 1
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