What does a foot mean in poetry?

Answer 1

A "foot" in poetry refers to the metrical foot.

It is a unit of measure used to analyze the rhythm of a poem, and is based on the qualities of the sounds of speech.

A metrical foot is usually composed of what are referred to as "strong stresses" and "weak stresses." Weak stresses are usually short words or sounds which are pronounced quickly and with a lower tone, or pitch. Strong stresses are just the opposite.

If you pay close attention, when you read a poem aloud, sometimes you may notice that the sounds you are making, reading the words, fall into a cadence, or rhythm, like "dah DUH, dah DUH, dah DUH, dah DUH, dah DUH."

The "dah" would be a weak stressed syllable, and the "DUH" would be a strong stressed syllable. This particular combination (starting with one weak stress and continuing with one strong stress) is called an iamb, which is a metrical foot.

Answer 2

The most common foot in English poetry is the iamb, consisting of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented syllable. Most poetry in English, including the blank verse of Shakespeare's plays, uses this foot. The iambic rhythm is natural to English because the language contains many two-syllable words accented on the second syllable.

Answer 3

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