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Iambic tetrameter is a meter in poetry. It refers to a line consisting of four iambic feet. The word "tetrameter" simply means that there are four feet in the line; iambic tetrameter is a line comprising four iambs. The term originally applied to the quantitative meter of Classical Greek poetry, in which an iamb consisted of a short syllable followed by a long syllable. The term was adopted to describe the equivalent meter in English Accentual-syllabic verse, where an iamb refers to an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
A Simple Example An iambic foot is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. A line of iambic tetrameter is four of such feet in a row: See the article on iambic pentameter for a more detailed presentation of the basic rhythm of iambic lines. An example: | ||||||||
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