The Shifting Steps of the Epitrite Foot

The Shifting Steps of the Epitrite Foot   The Epitrite is a tetrasyllabic metrical foot used in metered poetry. In classical poetry of the Greeks and Romans the Epitrite consists of three long vowels followed by one short vowel. In English poetry it consists of three stressed vowels followed by one unstressed as shown in the Table below.   The position of the short vowel or unstressed syllable determines the particular type of epitrite foot is. So if this short vowel or unstressed syllable ( ᵕ ) shifts from fourth position to third position it becomes the Third Epitrite foot; moving from third position to second position it becomes the Second Epitrite foot, and moving from second position to first position it becomes the First Epitrite foot as shown in Table 1 below.

Table 1

First Epitrite Foot

The First Epitrite is a tetrasyllabic metrical foot used in metered poetry. In classical poetry of the Greeks and Romans and in English poetry and it consists of the iamb and a spondee as shown in Table 1 above.

The position of the short vowel ( ᵕ ) or the unstressed syllable ( ᵕ ) is the deciding factor, because the short vowel symbol as in the case of quantitative meter and the unstressed symbol as is the case in qualitative meter is placed at the beginning of the foot thus giving it the name of the First Epitrite foot made up of an iamb and a spondee.

Don’t expect to find poems made up of the First Epitrite foot entirely. However, you are bound to see the First Epitrite foot tramping along with other foot types in verses of poem. The examples of this are seen in stanzas 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 of in the poem “Hurricane Preparedness Watch” written in iambic pentameter verses with nine stanzas, so take a look.

Stanza 2, Verse 4
But q, u and z are not in the set.
Stanza 3, Verse 1
Names of tropical storms on six-year list
Stanza 4, Verses 3 and 4
For now, the worst ones on the list will show
Katrina, and Rita outdid Hugo.
Stanza 5, Verse 1
These tropical cyclones cannot be stopped,
Stanza 7, Verse 1
We keep watch, wait, and offer up a prayer
Stanza 8, Verse 4
We store them with canned foods, but no fish fry.



Second Epitrite Foot

The Second Epitrite is a tetrasyllabic metrical foot used in metered poetry. In classical poetry of the Greeks and Romans and in English poetry it consists of a trochee and a spondee as shown in

Table 1 above.

Don’t expect to find poems made up of the Second Epitrite foot entirely. Examples of this are found in the following Stanzas of the modern epic poem “Tuakau Honey Jar First to Ever Rest” scanned below, so take a look.

Stanza 8, verse 1
By George! “Because it is there” one did say
Stanza 10, verses 1, 2 and 4
Britain rode high the waves but not for long
The bull in her china shop, stopped to view
She bit off more than she could ever chew.
Stanza 11, Verse 4
Those Yankees are sure the trend would not last.

Third Epitrite Foot

The Third Epitrite is a tetrasyllabic metrical foot used in metered poetry. In classical poetry of the Greeks and Romans and in English poetry it consists of a spondee and the iamb as shown in
Table 1 above.

Don’t expect to find poems made up of the Third Epitrite foot entirely. Examples of this are found in the following Stanzas of the modern epic poem “Tuakau Honey Jar First to Ever Rest” scanned below, so take a look.

Stanza 11, verses 1, and 2
The jewels on the Crown have lost their sparks
The balance of power is shifting fast
Stanza 14, verse 2
He showed that he was no regal rookie
Stanza 15, verse 2
Yea, he stammered and sometimes he would pause
Stanza 16, verse 2
His voice did flow from north, south, east and west

Fourth Epitrite Foot

The Fourth Epitrite is a tetrasyllabic metrical foot used in metered poetry. In classical poetry of the Greeks and Romans and in English poetry it consists of a spondee and a trochee as shown in
Table 1 above.

Here are some other examples of the Fourth Epitrite foot found in the ode, “A Testimony of my Christian Faith” with pentameter verses. Take a look.

Third Stanza, verses 1, 5, and 6

Joseph Smith guided by the Holy Ghost
Unearthed plates brought forth the Book of Mormon
Thus mankind's knowledge of God is broaden

Ditrochee Foot

The Ditrochee is a tetrasyllabic metrical foot used in metered poetry. In classical poetry of the Greeks and Romans the Ditrochee consists of a long vowel followed by short vowel followed by a long vowel and ending with a short vowel. In English poetry it consists of stressed vowel followed by an unstressed vowel followed by a stressed vowel and ending with an unstressed vowel. As shown in the Table below.

Don’t expect to find poems made up of the Ditrochee foot entirely. However, you are bound to see the Ditrochee foot tramping along with other foot types in verses of poems as shown in the following examples: In the following pentameter verses 3, 4, 5 and 7 of the First Stanza of the poem “Ode to Sweet Revenge – Ground Zero Never” the Ditrochee foot appears when scanned as follows:

3 Different benchmarks and strokes they demand of President Barack
4 Doesn’t matter what Obama does; cold water poured on his back
5 Blackberries they vowed to weed out from among their bushes
7 Forget the two wars with hidden goals that tanked their economy;

Now take a look at how the Ditrochee is scattered among the pentameter verses in the “Ode to the Buckeye Tree” poem in the following examples:

Stanza 1, verses 2 and 4
The tropical shine to come to this place,
Just to feel the arctic wind on my face.

Stanza 2, verses 1, 4, 5 and 6

Winter wonderland before my window,
In frozen wear in virgin snow they stand
Delicately balancing flowing ai
They bow these evergreens and pines with flair.

Stanza 3, Verses 2, 5 and 6

With spinning wheels of fluff above the ground,
Cardinals and jays perch in bright array
Among the blooms, they chirp and feed all day.

Now! here is a task for you. Scan the remaining verses of the Buckeye ode to locate the ditrochee foot. Happy hunting!

Dispondee Foot

The Dispondee is a tetrasyllabic metrical foot used in metered poetry. In classical poetry of the Greeks and Romans the Dispondee consists of four long syllables. In English poetry it consists of four stressed syllables as shown in the Table below.

Don’t expect to find poems made up of the Dispondee foot entirely. However, you are bound to see the Dispondee foot tramping along with other foot types in verses of poems. This is true with respect to the poem, “Ode to Black Pudding and Souse” written as an Irregular Ode in Pentameter with nine stanzas. The Dispondee is found in the following verses of the poem. Take a look.

Stanza 1, Verse 4

Rope leashed black-belly sheep and goats, to graze

Stanza 2, Verse 1 

Those cane-sucking youths watched Broomfield's sweet teeth

Stanza 3, Verse 1 

Once each month early a Saturday morn,

Stanza 4, Verse 13 

Spare ribs, ham, bacon served in posh housetops.

Stanza 5, Verse 7 

Pam Smith-Skeete cleaned ears, tails and sow's trotters;

Stanza 6, Verse 6

On hell's ground, pig wailed 'oink, oink damned tyrant';

Stanza 7, Verse 11 

Minds boggle, how folks clean well, heaps of gut;

Stanza 8, Verses 1, 2

For hours henceforth guts steep with salina;

While Marge grates sweet potatoes in tin bowl;

Stanza 8, Verses 3, 9

Adds thyme, sweet marjoram, Bajan sugar

Just like grand grand force-feeding her turkey;

Stanza 9, Verses 3, 4

Oinks, joints, blood, tears of ingenuity

Have made unwanted pig parts, real soul-dish