Trochaic tetrameter
Encyclopedia
Trochaic tetrameter is a meter
in poetry
. It refers to a line of four trochaic
feet. The word "tetrameter" simply means that the poem has four trochee
s. A trochee is a long syllable, or stressed syllable, followed by a short, or unstressed, one.
's The Song of Hiawatha
and the Finnish Kalevala
.
This can be demonstrated in the following famous excerpt from "Hiawatha's Childhood", where the accented syllables of each trochee have been bolded:
The Kalevala
also follows a loose trochaic tetrameter, though it also has some slight variations to the normal pattern, which cause some people to term it the "Kalevala Metre". Because English tradition is so strongly iambic, some feel that it has an awkward or unnatural feel to the ear.
Trochaic tetrameter is also employed by Shakespeare in several instances to contrast with his usual blank verse (which is in iambic pentameter
). For instance, in Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare frequently writes the lines of his fairies in catalectic
trochaic tetrameter, as is evidenced by Puck's lines, here:
Later he and Oberon have a conversation entirely in catalectic trochaic tetrameter, which is unusual, since generally Shakespeare used pentameter for dialogue sequences.
See also Edgar disguised as Poor Tom in King Lear
:
Good examples of the rhythmic scheme, albeit not in English, are found in two famous thirteenth century medieval Latin
hymn
s:
and
period. Its main rules are as follows (examples are taken from the Kalevala):
Syllables fall into three types: strong, weak, and neutral. A long syllable (one that contains a long vowel or a diphthong, or ends in a consonant) with a main stress is metrically strong, and a short syllable with a main stress is metrically weak. All syllables without a main stress are metrically neutral. A strong syllable can only occur in the rising part of the second, third, and fourth foot of a line:
A weak syllable can only occur in the falling part of these feet:
Neutral syllables can occur at any position. The first foot has a freer structure, allowing strong syllables in a falling position and weak syllables in a rising position:
It is also possible for the first foot to contain three or even four syllables.
There are two main types of line: a normal trochaic tetrameter and a broken trochaic tetrameter. In a normal tetrameter, word-stresses and foot-stresses match, and there is a caesura
between the second and third feet:
A broken tetrameter (Finnish
murrelmasäe) has at least one stressed syllable in a falling position. There is usually no caesura:
Traditional poetry in the Kalevala meter uses both types with approximately the same frequency. The alteration of normal and broken tetrameters is a characteristic difference between the Kalevala meter and other forms of trochaic tetrameter.
Meter (poetry)
In poetry, metre is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse. Many traditional verse forms prescribe a specific verse metre, or a certain set of metres alternating in a particular order. The study of metres and forms of versification is known as prosody...
in poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
. It refers to a line of four trochaic
Trochee
A trochee or choree, choreus, is a metrical foot used in formal poetry consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one...
feet. The word "tetrameter" simply means that the poem has four trochee
Trochee
A trochee or choree, choreus, is a metrical foot used in formal poetry consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one...
s. A trochee is a long syllable, or stressed syllable, followed by a short, or unstressed, one.
Literary examples
For English-speakers, two of the best-known examples are Henry Wadsworth LongfellowHenry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
's The Song of Hiawatha
The Song of Hiawatha
The Song of Hiawatha is an 1855 epic poem, in trochaic tetrameter, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, featuring an Indian hero and loosely based on legends and ethnography of the Ojibwe and other Native American peoples contained in Algic Researches and additional writings of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft...
and the Finnish Kalevala
Kalevala
The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
.
This can be demonstrated in the following famous excerpt from "Hiawatha's Childhood", where the accented syllables of each trochee have been bolded:
- By the shores of Gitche Gumee,
- By the shining Big-Sea-Water,
- Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,
- Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis.
- Dark behind it rose the forest,
- Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees,
- Rose the firs with cones upon them;
- Bright before' it beat the water,
- Beat the clear and sunny water,
- Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water.
The Kalevala
Kalevala
The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
also follows a loose trochaic tetrameter, though it also has some slight variations to the normal pattern, which cause some people to term it the "Kalevala Metre". Because English tradition is so strongly iambic, some feel that it has an awkward or unnatural feel to the ear.
Trochaic tetrameter is also employed by Shakespeare in several instances to contrast with his usual blank verse (which is in iambic pentameter
Iambic pentameter
Iambic pentameter is a commonly used metrical line in traditional verse and verse drama. The term describes the particular rhythm that the words establish in that line. That rhythm is measured in small groups of syllables; these small groups of syllables are called "feet"...
). For instance, in Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare frequently writes the lines of his fairies in catalectic
Catalectic
A catalectic line is a metrically incomplete line of verse, lacking a syllable at the end or ending with an incomplete foot. One form of catalexis is headlessness, where the unstressed syllable is dropped from the beginning of the line....
trochaic tetrameter, as is evidenced by Puck's lines, here:
- Through the forest have I gone.
- But Athenian found I none,
- On whose eyes I might approve
- This flower's force in stirring love.
- Night and silence.--Who is here?
- Weeds of Athens he doth wear:
- This is he, my master said,
- Despised the Athenian maid;
- And here the maiden, sleeping sound,
- On the dank and dirty ground.
- Pretty soul! she durst not lie
- Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy.
- Churl, upon thy eyes I throw
- All the power this charm doth owe.
- When thou wakest, let love forbid
- Sleep his seat on thy eyelid:
- So awake when I am gone;
- For I must now to Oberon.
Later he and Oberon have a conversation entirely in catalectic trochaic tetrameter, which is unusual, since generally Shakespeare used pentameter for dialogue sequences.
- OBERON
- Flower of this purple dye,
- Hit with Cupid's archery,
- Sink in apple of his eye.
- When his love he doth espy,
- Let her shine as gloriously
- As the Venus of the sky.
- When thou wakest, if she be by,
- Beg of her for remedy.
- Re-enter PUCK
- PUCK
- Captain of our fairy band,
- Helena is here at hand;
- And the youth, mistook by me,
- Pleading for a lover's fee.
- Shall we their fond pageant see?
- Lord, what fools these mortals be!
- OBERON
- Stand aside: the noise they make
- Will cause Demetrius to awake.
- PUCK
- Then will two at once woo one;
- That must needs be sport alone;
- And those things do best please me
- That befal preposterously.
See also Edgar disguised as Poor Tom in King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
:
- EDGAR
- Tom will throw his head at them: avaunt, you curs!
- Be thy mouth or black or white,
- Tooth that poisons if it bite;
- Mastiff greyhound, mongrel grim,
- Hound or spaniel, brach or him,
- Or bobtail tyke or trundle-tail,
- Tom will make him weep and wail;
- For with throwing thus my head,
- Dogs leap the hatch and all are fled.
Good examples of the rhythmic scheme, albeit not in English, are found in two famous thirteenth century medieval Latin
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the liturgical language of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but also as a language of science, literature, law, and administration. Despite the clerical origin of many of its authors,...
hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s:
- Dies IraeDies IraeDies Irae is a thirteenth century Latin hymn thought to be written by Thomas of Celano . It is a medieval Latin poem characterized by its accentual stress and its rhymed lines. The metre is trochaic...
(used as the sequenceSequence (poetry)A sequence is a chant or hymn sung or recited during the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist for many Christian denominations, before the proclamation of the Gospel. By the time of the Council of Trent there were sequences for many feasts in the Church's year.The sequence has always been sung...
in the Roman CatholicRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
RequiemRequiemA Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
MassMass (liturgy)"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
), the first two verses of which are:
- Dies iræ! dies illa
- Solvet sæclum in favilla
- Teste David cum Sibylla!
- Quantus tremor est futurus,
- quando judex est venturus,
- cuncta stricte discussurus!
and
- Stabat MaterStabat MaterStabat Mater is a 13th-century Roman Catholic hymn to Mary. It has been variously attributed to the Franciscan Jacopone da Todi and to Innocent III...
(a stand alone meditation on the suffering of Mary, Jesus Christ's mother, during his crucifixionCrucifixionCrucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
), the first two verses of which are:
- Stabat mater dolorosa
- iuxta Crucem lacrimosa,
- dum pendebat Filius.
- Cuius animam gementem,
- contristatam et dolentem
- pertransivit gladius.
Kalevala meter
The Kalevala, as well as the folk poetry it is based on, uses a form of trochaic tetrameter that has been called the Kalevala meter. The meter is thought to have originated during the Proto-FinnicFinnic languages
The term Finnic languages often means the Baltic-Finnic languages, an undisputed branch of the Uralic languages. However, it is also commonly used to mean the Finno-Permic languages, a hypothetical intermediate branch that includes Baltic Finnic, or the more disputed Finno-Volgaic languages....
period. Its main rules are as follows (examples are taken from the Kalevala):
Syllables fall into three types: strong, weak, and neutral. A long syllable (one that contains a long vowel or a diphthong, or ends in a consonant) with a main stress is metrically strong, and a short syllable with a main stress is metrically weak. All syllables without a main stress are metrically neutral. A strong syllable can only occur in the rising part of the second, third, and fourth foot of a line:
- Veli / kulta, / veikko/seni (1:11)
- ("Brother dear, little brother")
A weak syllable can only occur in the falling part of these feet:
- Miele/ni mi/nun te/kevi (1:1)
- ("I have a mind to ...")
Neutral syllables can occur at any position. The first foot has a freer structure, allowing strong syllables in a falling position and weak syllables in a rising position:
- Niit' en/nen i/soni / lauloi (1:37)
- ("My father used to sing them")
- vesois/ta ve/tele/miä (1:56)
- ("tugged from the saplings")
It is also possible for the first foot to contain three or even four syllables.
There are two main types of line: a normal trochaic tetrameter and a broken trochaic tetrameter. In a normal tetrameter, word-stresses and foot-stresses match, and there is a caesura
Caesura
thumb|100px|An example of a caesura in modern western music notation.In meter, a caesura is a complete pause in a line of poetry or in a musical composition. The plural form of caesura is caesuras or caesurae...
between the second and third feet:
- Veli / kulta, // veikko/seni
A broken tetrameter (Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
murrelmasäe) has at least one stressed syllable in a falling position. There is usually no caesura:
- Miele/ni mi/nun te/kevi
Traditional poetry in the Kalevala meter uses both types with approximately the same frequency. The alteration of normal and broken tetrameters is a characteristic difference between the Kalevala meter and other forms of trochaic tetrameter.