How to Scan a Poem for Meter

Meter is the term for poetic rhythm. It is different than musical rhythm because it follows the cadences of speech and language rather than regular time. To "scan" a poem is to figure out, first, if it has a regular meter, and, second, what that meter is. Typically, poetry is scanned by looking for stressed and unstressed syllables, and then classifying them according to traditional categories of poetic meter.

Things You'll Need

• Copy of a poem you can write on
• Reference for poetic terms

Instructions

1. Read the poem out loud once. See if you notice any regular rhythms automatically with your ear. Keep these in mind as you focus.

2. Read the first line out loud, slowly. Then read it out again even more slowly. Pay attention to which syllables are stressed, which can mean that you either say them louder, spend more time on them, or raise the pitch of your voice. A stressed syllable will not always do all three.

3. Place a "/" over the stressed syllables. This is the standard notation for a stress in poetic meter. Then place a "U" over each unstressed syllable.

4. Reread the line out loud, only this time, read it very slowly. Overemphasize the stressed syllables, and see if the line still sounds natural, even if exaggerated. If any stressed syllables seem unnatural, go back to Step 2.

5. Repeat this process for the first stanza or, for shorter poems, the entire poem.

6. Look at each line to see if they follow a similar pattern. If they do not, the poem is most likely free verse, which means that it has no regular meter. However, if there are patterns, move on to the next step.

7. Check to see if you can find regular metrical "feet." A metrical "foot" is a stressed syllable coupled with one or two unstressed syllables.

8. Determine if the feet follow a regular pattern. If they do, you can classify the poem according to the type of foot that is repeated. For example, if you find a pattern of unstressed-stressed syllables ("U / U / U /") you can call this poem "iambic" because it follows a regular pattern of iambic ("U /") feet. Check the link below for a list of common names for metrical feet.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't worry if a few lines do not fit the rhythm that the rest seem to offer regularly. Even poets obsessed with meter often change things up occasionally, either for a pleasing sound or in order to stress a word or two.

Resources

• List of useful poetic terms for scanning poetry