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Metron (poetry)
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Metron (poetry)
A metron /ˈmɛtrɒn/, /ˈmɛtrən/ (from ancient Greek μέτρον "measure"), plural metra, is a repeating section, 3 to 6 syllables long, of a poetic metre.
The word is particularly used in reference to ancient Greek. According to a definition by Paul Maas, usually a metron consists of two long elements and up to two other elements which can be short, anceps or biceps. Thus an iambic metron is x – ᴗ – (where "x" represents an anceps element), a trochaic metron is – ᴗ – x, an ionic metron is ᴗ ᴗ – –, an anapaestic metron is ᴗᴗ – ᴗᴗ –, a cretic metron – ᴗ –, a baccheus is ᴗ – –, and a spondee is – –.
This definition of the metron as having two long elements does not apply to the dactylic hexameter or to the dochmiac metre, however. Some scholars regard the dactyl (– ᴗᴗ) and the dochmiac (ᴗ – – ᴗ –) as metra in their own right. Some of the more complex lyric metres, such as the dactylo-epitrite used in some of Pindar's odes, are not usually analysed in terms of metra.
Some metra, such as the iambic x – ᴗ – or the trochaic – ᴗ – x, can be analysed as consisting of two "feet". In this case the metron is also sometimes known as a "dipody" /ˈdɪpədɪ/, from ancient Greek διποδία.
In ancient Greek, the word μέτρον had a variety of meanings. The basic meaning is the "measure, size, length" of something. Another meaning is "metre" or "verse", for example λὀγους εἰς μέτρα τιθέντες (logous eis métra tithéntes) "putting words into verse" (Plato); a μετρικός is an expert in metre. τὸ ἰαμβεῖον μέτρον (tò iambeîon métron) in Aristotle means "the iambic metre". But Aristotle also defines μέτρα as μόρια τῶν ῤυθμῶν (mória tôn ruthmôn) "parts of the rhythms".
The words δίμετρον dímetron "dimeter", τρίμετρον trímetron "trimeter" and τετράμετρον tetrámetron "tetrameter" are found in ancient Greek. This implies that the ancient Greek poets were aware that their verses could be divided into two, three, or four equal sections, even though the word the word μέτρον itself had no precise definition.
Ancient prosodists such as Hephaestion usually referred to metra using individual names for the different shapes: thus Hephaestion refers to the shape ᴗ ᴗ – ᴗ as the "third paeonic" and – ᴗ – – as the "second epitrite" and so on.
The equivalent of metra can also be found in the poetry of other languages, such as Arabic, Persian, and Sanskrit. However, in descriptions of the metres of these languages, what in Greek metrics is called a "metron" (i.e. a repeating section of 3 to 6 syllables) is often called a "foot" by modern scholars.
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Metron (poetry)
A metron /ˈmɛtrɒn/, /ˈmɛtrən/ (from ancient Greek μέτρον "measure"), plural metra, is a repeating section, 3 to 6 syllables long, of a poetic metre.
The word is particularly used in reference to ancient Greek. According to a definition by Paul Maas, usually a metron consists of two long elements and up to two other elements which can be short, anceps or biceps. Thus an iambic metron is x – ᴗ – (where "x" represents an anceps element), a trochaic metron is – ᴗ – x, an ionic metron is ᴗ ᴗ – –, an anapaestic metron is ᴗᴗ – ᴗᴗ –, a cretic metron – ᴗ –, a baccheus is ᴗ – –, and a spondee is – –.
This definition of the metron as having two long elements does not apply to the dactylic hexameter or to the dochmiac metre, however. Some scholars regard the dactyl (– ᴗᴗ) and the dochmiac (ᴗ – – ᴗ –) as metra in their own right. Some of the more complex lyric metres, such as the dactylo-epitrite used in some of Pindar's odes, are not usually analysed in terms of metra.
Some metra, such as the iambic x – ᴗ – or the trochaic – ᴗ – x, can be analysed as consisting of two "feet". In this case the metron is also sometimes known as a "dipody" /ˈdɪpədɪ/, from ancient Greek διποδία.
In ancient Greek, the word μέτρον had a variety of meanings. The basic meaning is the "measure, size, length" of something. Another meaning is "metre" or "verse", for example λὀγους εἰς μέτρα τιθέντες (logous eis métra tithéntes) "putting words into verse" (Plato); a μετρικός is an expert in metre. τὸ ἰαμβεῖον μέτρον (tò iambeîon métron) in Aristotle means "the iambic metre". But Aristotle also defines μέτρα as μόρια τῶν ῤυθμῶν (mória tôn ruthmôn) "parts of the rhythms".
The words δίμετρον dímetron "dimeter", τρίμετρον trímetron "trimeter" and τετράμετρον tetrámetron "tetrameter" are found in ancient Greek. This implies that the ancient Greek poets were aware that their verses could be divided into two, three, or four equal sections, even though the word the word μέτρον itself had no precise definition.
Ancient prosodists such as Hephaestion usually referred to metra using individual names for the different shapes: thus Hephaestion refers to the shape ᴗ ᴗ – ᴗ as the "third paeonic" and – ᴗ – – as the "second epitrite" and so on.
The equivalent of metra can also be found in the poetry of other languages, such as Arabic, Persian, and Sanskrit. However, in descriptions of the metres of these languages, what in Greek metrics is called a "metron" (i.e. a repeating section of 3 to 6 syllables) is often called a "foot" by modern scholars.