Foot Literary Term | Definition & Examples

Foot:

The basic unit of rhythmic measurement in a line of poetry. It may consist of a unit of two or more stressed and unstressed syllables in a verse line.

There are some principal feet in English. These are given following.

• Iamb or iambus
• Trochee
• Anapaest
• Dactyl
• Spondee
• Pyrrhic
• Amphibrach
• Amphimacer
• Bacchius
• Antibacchius

From the above, there are five most commonly used feet. These are given following.

1. Iamb or iambus
2. Trochee
3. Anapaest
4. Dactyl
5. Spondee

Formation of feet:

• Iamb or iambus = Unstressed + Stressed = ( ˘ + / )

• Trochee = Stressed + Unstressed = ( / + ˘ )

• Anapaest = Unstressed + Unstressed + Stressed = ( ˘ + ˘ + / )

• Dactyl = Stressed + Unstressed + Unstressed = ( / +  ˘ + ˘ )

• Spondee = Stressed + Stressed = ( / + / )

• Pyrrhic = Unstressed + Unstressed = ( ˘ + ˘ )

• Amphibrach = Unstressed + Stressed + Unstressed = ( ˘ + / + ˘ )

• Amphimacer = Stressed + Unstressed + Stressed = ( / +  ˘ + / )

• Bacchius = Unstressed + Stressed + Stressed = ( ˘+ / + / )

• Antibacchius = Stressed + Stressed + Unstressed = ( / + / + ˘ )

Note: 

Symbol of stressed and unstressed

Stressed = /

Unstressed = ˘