Metric Feet

In fiction, rhythm separates the men from the boys.  Clever rhythms can make a passage immortal, but they must be wielded with care, and you should never sacrifice clarity.  But, used with restraint, a soaring meter can add flare to description, give credence to a character's speech, and make words stick in the mind of the reader.  For a deeper look into rhythm in fiction writing, check out this post.

Here, I've collected a list of all the disyllabic, trisyllabic, and tetrasyllabic metric feet.  ˘ denotes a short, or unstressed syllable.  ¯ denotes a long, or stressed syllable.

If you find yourself referring to this list often, consider yourself an advanced writer :)

Disyllables

˘	˘	pyrrhus
˘	¯	iamb
¯	˘	trochee
¯	¯	spondee

Trisyllables

˘	˘	˘	tribrach
¯	˘	˘	dactyl
˘	¯	˘	amphibrach
˘	˘	¯	anapest
˘	¯	¯	bacchius
¯	¯	˘	antibacchius
¯	˘	¯	cretic
¯	¯	¯	molossus

Tetrasyllables

˘	˘	˘	˘	tetrabrach, proceleusmatic
¯	˘	˘	˘	primus paeon
˘	¯	˘	˘	secundus paeon
˘	˘	¯	˘	tertius paeon
˘	˘	˘	¯	quartus paeon
¯	¯	˘	˘	major ionic, triple trochee
˘	˘	¯	¯	minor ionic, double iamb
¯	˘	¯	˘	ditrochee
˘	¯	˘	¯	diiamb
¯	˘	˘	¯	choriamb
˘	¯	¯	˘	antispast
˘	¯	¯	¯	first epitrite
¯	˘	¯	¯	second epitrite
¯	¯	˘	¯	third epitrite
¯	¯	¯	˘	fourth epitrite
¯	¯	¯	¯	dispondee