Meter is the SI unit of length. It is equal to 3.28084 feet or 1.09361 yards and is the basic unit of length in the metric system, equal to 100 centimeters. The meter was originally defined as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along a great circle, so it has changed slightly over time due to changes in Earth’s shape.
The word “meter” comes from the Greek word μέτρον (metron), meaning “measure”. The meter was first proposed in 1793 by French chemist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and adopted as an international standard in 1960.
Today, meters are used all around the world for many different purposes such as measuring distance, height, width, and even determining altitude.
A meter is also the basic rhythmic structure of a poem, and it is essential to consider when reading and analyzing a poem. There are many different types of meter, but the most common are iambic, trochaic, anapestic, dactylic, and spondaic. Iambic meter is characterized by its two-syllable units called “iambs,” which have one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable (as in the word “present”). Trochaic meter reverses this pattern so that each unit has one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable (as in the word “courage”). Anapestic meter also has two-syllable units, but they are made up of one unstressed syllable followed by two stressed ones (as in the word “understand”). The dactylic meter consists of three-syllabic units called “dactyls,” with one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones (as in the word “happily”). Spondaic meter features only stress or only unstress; there is no set pattern for this type of meter. When reading a poem aloud, it can be helpful to identify its metrical pattern so that you can emphasize the correct stresses.
This will make the poem sound more natural and help you to better understand its overall rhythm. It’s important not to overdo it though—too much emphasis on the wrong beats can ruin a poem’s delicate balance. Once you get comfortable with identifying meters in poems, you’ll start to notice all sorts of interesting variations and complexities within them. But for now, just focus on being able to read poems in their proper meter and enjoy the music of language.