Describing a trochaic meter in the simple possible manner, it is a line of poetry made of trochees. The trochee is a basic matrix unit called a two-set foot.
However, the trochee starts with a stressed letter, followed by an unstressed or weak syllable. This makes it the mirror image of the iamb, which follows the pressed pattern. Think of the word ‘trouble’ (a trochee) as opposed to ‘above’ (iamb). In other words, the trochee is an audience break. It gives them a chance to enjoy some kind of poetry.
It also allows them to understand the nature and tone of the poem. Although not often used in poetry, the trochaic meter helps to determine the effect of verse wrapping. Also,it has a strong forward force that often makes the meter feel endless.
Types of Trochaic Meter
Following are different types of Trochaic meter we use in Poetry depending on the number of trochees.
• Trochaic Tetrameter: A type of meter consisting of four stressed syllables in each line. For example, “By the shores of Gitche Gu”.
• Trochaic Heptamer: A type of meter consisting of seven stressed syllables in each line. Like, “Now Sam McGee was from Tennessee, where the cotton is blooming again”.
• Trochaic Pentameter: A type of meter consisting of five fixed groups in each line. “And the scattering light bulb casts its shadow down”.
• Iambic Trimeter: A type of meter that consists of three concentrated sets in each line. For example, “This has neither wax nor”.
• Catalexis: The absence of a letter at the last foot of the line.
Examples of Trochee Syllable Words
for example, the trochee’s stressed syllable is in capital letters, while the weak syllable is in lowercase.
Let’s look at few lines and express ourselves:
SHOULD you ASK me, WHENCE these STORies?
WHENCE these LEgends AND traDItions,
WITH the Odors OF the FORest,
WITH the DEW and DAMP of MEAdows,
WITH the CURLing SMOKE of WIGwams,
WITH the RUSHing OF great RIVers,
WITH their FREquent REpeTItions,
AND their WILD reVERberAtions,
AS of THUNder IN the MOUNtains
Why we use Trochaic Meter in Poetry?
Trochees are less common than other types of metrical feet in poetry, but they have a unique sound and purpose when they are featured in poems. Trochees can be used to excessive outcome for the following reasons:
- Trochaic lines flow easily from one to the next. Trochaic meter ends on an unstressed syllable. Without the hard stop at the end of a line that a stressed syllable creates, a trochaic line flows fluidly into the subsequent line.
- Trochees introduce an unnatural sound to a poem. Trochee is one of the lesser-used meters in poetry because it is less-natural sounding than iambic meters. Poets sometimes reserve the use of a trochaic line to disrupt the rhythm of a poem and emphasize a point.
- Trochees can create a tone of despair. A trochaic meter’s falling rhythm creates a more somber tone and is often used in moments of hopelessness.
Over the history of poetry, comparing trochaic poems and iambic poems, the latter is way more consistent. It’s tougher to continually write trochees because of the odd ways in which during which the lines should be organized to keep the beats well within order.