Metre - GCSE English Literature Definition

Key Takeaways

• Metre is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry

• It's measured in units called "feet", with each foot containing a set combination of stresses, usually one stressed and one unstressed syllable

• Iambic pentameter (five pairs of unstressed-stressed syllables) is the most common metre in English poetry

• Poets sometimes break the metre deliberately to draw attention to a word or shift tone

• Metre isn't the same as rhythm or rhyme: it's the underlying blueprint that rhythm follows

What Is Metre in Poetry?

Metre is the regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of verse. Think of it as the beat running beneath the words. When you read a poem aloud and notice a steady pulse, that pulse is the poetic metre at work.

Every line of metrical poetry is built from small repeating units called "feet". Each foot contains a fixed arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables (usually one of each). The number of feet per line, combined with the type of foot, gives the metre its name.

Metre and rhythm are related but not identical. Metre is the fixed pattern on the page. Rhythm is what you actually hear when the poem is read aloud.

Stressed and Unstressed Syllables

Stressed and unstressed syllables are the building blocks of metre. A stressed syllable is spoken with more force. An unstressed syllable is lighter and quieter.

You already use stress patterns in everyday speech without thinking about it. Say the word "today" out loud. You naturally emphasise the second syllable: to-DAY. Now try "beautiful": BEAU-ti-ful. The stress falls on the first syllable.

In poetry, these natural stresses are arranged into patterns. Poets choose words and word orders that place stresses where they want the beat to land. That's how metre gets built, one syllable at a time.

“When I analyse metre with my students, I always suggest they read the verse aloud. This way, they hear the rhythm better than reading it in their head. It’s also worth remembering that drama is performed on stage and the dialogue is spoken aloud (it’s easy to forget this when you read off a script). Listening to the rhythm of poetry or dialogue in a play is the best way to understand how rhythm creates tone.”

Sam Evans, English Tutor

How to Scan a Line of Poetry

Scansion is the process of marking the stressed and unstressed syllables in a line. It's a practical skill that helps you identify which metre a poet is using.

Here's a simple method:

1. Read the line aloud naturally, without forcing any particular rhythm

2. Mark each syllable as unstressed (u) or stressed (/)

3. Group the syllables into feet 

4. Count the feet to identify the metre

Take this line from Shakespeare's Macbeth: "So foul and fair a day I have not seen."

Scanned, it looks like this: u / u /  u /  u / u /

Five pairs of unstressed-stressed syllables. That's iambic pentameter.

Types of Metrical Feet

Each type of metrical foot has its own stress pattern and name. Here are the ones you'll encounter most often:

The iamb is by far the most common foot in English poetry. It mirrors the natural rhythm of English speech, which tends to alternate between lighter and heavier syllables. That's why iambic pentameter feels so natural to the ear, even if you don't know the term.

Trochaic metre reverses the iamb's pattern, putting the stress first. It creates a more forceful, driving quality. William Blake's "Tyger, tyger, burning bright" is a well-known example of trochees in action.

Spondees rarely sustain a whole poem. Poets drop them in occasionally for emphasis, like a sudden double beat in a song.

Why Poets Use Metre – and Why They Break It

Regular metre gives a poem a sense of order and control. It can create a hypnotic, song-like quality, or lend a feeling of calm and authority to the speaker's voice. Sonnets, for example, traditionally use iambic pentameter to give a tight, controlled structure to their fourteen lines.

But the real power often comes when the pattern breaks.

Consider this line from Shakespeare's Hamlet: "To be, or not to be, that is the question." 

Scanned, it looks like this: u  /   u  /   u  /   /    u u   /   u

The first part follows a steady iambic rhythm. Then "THAT is the QUES-tion" disrupts the expected pattern slightly. That stumble mirrors Hamlet's uncertainty. The break in metre does emotional work that the words alone can't.

Poets also shift metre to slow the reader down. A sudden spondee ("DEAD stop") forces you to linger on the heavy syllable. 

When you spot a break in metre, ask yourself why the poet placed it there. The answer usually connects to meaning, tone, or emotion.

A good example of how metre is used to convey emotion can be found in Shakespeare’s shared sonnet between Romeo and Juliet. You can explore the effects of this in the teacher-written Save My Exams revision notes on Romeo and Juliet Writer's Techniques. 

Metre in Poetry Examples

Here are three worked examples showing how metre operates in well-known poems.

Example 1: Shakespeare, Sonnet 18

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"

u /  u /  u /  u /  u /

This is classic iambic pentameter. Five iambs, ten syllables, a smooth and balanced line. The regularity suits the poem's assured, confident tone.

Example 2: William Blake, The Tyger

"Tyger Tyger, burning bright"

/ u / u  / u  /

This is a trochaic metre with a stressed final beat. It feels like it’s missing a final unstressed syllable. The strong opening stresses give the line a hammering, hypnotic, driving rhythm. You could say it matches the awe and fear the speaker feels towards the tiger.

Example 3: Wilfred Owen, Dulce et Decorum Est

"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks"

The iambic pentameter here is deliberately rough. Owen breaks the metre with a trochaic start to convey the exhaustion of the soldiers he describes, rhythmically weighing them down.

If you're studying poetry for English Literature, Save My Exams offers revision notes that walk you through how to analyse techniques like metre in exam responses. The Approaching Unseen Poetry notes, written by experienced teachers, cover how to identify and write about poetic devices with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between metre and rhyme?

Metre is about the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables within a line. Rhyme is about matching sounds at the ends of words or lines. A poem can have metre without rhyme (like blank verse), rhyme without regular metre, or both rhyme and metre together.

How do you identify the metre of a poem?

Read the line aloud and listen for which syllables you naturally stress. Mark each syllable as stressed or unstressed, then group them into feet. Count the feet per line. If you get five iambs (u /), that's iambic pentameter. If you get four trochees (/ u), that's trochaic tetrameter.

Why did Shakespeare write in iambic pentameter?

Iambic pentameter closely mirrors the natural rhythm of spoken English. It gave Shakespeare a flexible framework: formal enough for tragedy, loose enough for natural-sounding dialogue. The ten-syllable line also fits comfortably in a single breath, which helped actors on stage deliver smooth, yet weighty dialogue.

Can free verse poetry have metre?

Free verse doesn't follow a fixed metrical pattern, but that doesn't mean it avoids metre entirely. Poets writing free verse often use bursts of iambic or trochaic rhythm for effect, then break away. The freedom is in the variation, not the absence of rhythm.

What happens when a poet breaks the metre in a poem?

A break in metre jolts the reader. It draws attention to a particular word or phrase, often to signal a shift in emotion, tone, or meaning. Poets use these disruptions deliberately. A quatrain of steady iambs followed by a sudden spondee can feel like a punch.

References: 

[1] “The language in Macbeth | Shakespeare Learning Zone.” Royal Shakespeare Company, https://www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeare-learning-zone/macbeth/language/key-terms (opens in a new tab). Accessed 21 April 2026.