meter

or metre, H., metre (métr), F. In music as in verse, the arrangement of rhythmic units, or measures. The m. of hymns is cla ified by the number of syllables to a line, the metrical foot and the number of lines to a stanza. In Iambic m. or common m. (C. M.), 4 lines alternately 8 and 6. syllables long; common particular, or hallelujah m. (C. P. M.), 886886; long m. (L. M.), 4 lines of 8 syllables; long particular m. (L. P. M.), or long m. six lines, 6 lines of 8; short m. (S. M.), 6686; short particular m. (S. P. M.), 668668; stanzas of 8 lines are called double (C. M. D.; L. M. D.; S. M. D.). Other line-lengths are sevens and sixes (7676), tens (four 10’s), hallelujah (666688, or 66664444). In trochaic m. are sixes (four 6’s), sixes and fives (6565), sevens (four 7’s), eights and sevens (8787). In Dactylic m. are eights, eights, sevens and fours, etc.; elevens (four r11’s), and elevens and tens (11, 10, 11, Io), etc. Cla ic and French metres depend on quantity or length of sylla- ° bles, instead of on their stre or accentuation as with us. Vide root.