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Monometer

Monometer is a type of meter that uses single units of meter per line of verse. It could use a single iamb, trochee, etc.

This kind of meter is incredibly rare and is almost never used throughout an entire poem. As readers might imagine, writing a poem in which every line contains one unit of the meter could be very taxing. It may also, for some, not be worth reading. More commonly, readers will find poems in which some lines are written in monometer. 

Monometer pronunciation: mah-no-mee-tuhr

Monometer poetry definition and examples


Monometer Definition

Monometer is a type of poetic meter that a poet might choose to use in their writing. It occurs when the author decides to use two beats per line. These create one metrical unit.

In some cases, a writer might use groups of three beats (as seen below) to create one single foot. But, the former is far more common. Examples of monometer being used throughout an entire poem are hard to come by. But, the use of this kind of meter within a few lines, or just a single line, in a poem is far more common. 

Types of Metrical Units 

When seeking to understand monometer, it’s important to know what kind of metrical units one might find. Some of these are explored below: 

  • Iamb: contains one unstressed and one stressed syllable.
  • Trochee: contains one stressed and one unstressed syllable. 
  • Spondee: contains two stressed syllables.
  • Anapest: consists of three beats, two unstressed and one stressed.
  • Dactyl: consists of three beats, one stressed and two unstressed. 

Two far less common types of metrical feet are: 

  • Amphibrach: one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable and ending with another stressed syllable. 
  • Pyrrhic: two unstressed syllables.

Readers might come upon iambics or trochees, most commonly, in monometer. Analyze the examples below to see if which type of metrical unit is used where. 

Examples of Monometer 

Upon His Departure Hence by Robert Herrick 

This is the best-known example of monometer being used throughout an entire poem. This piece is fifteen lines long and uses two syllables per line. These are the units of meter that create monometer. The lines are quite haunting, told from the perspective of a deceased person. They dwell on their fate and the fact that they go to the grave “Unknown.” 

Here are the lines of the poem: 

Thus I

Pass by,

And die:

As one

Unknown

And gone:

I’m made

A shade,

And laid

I’ th’ grave:

There have

My cave,

Where tell

I dwell.

Farewell.

The speaker bids whoever is reading the poem “Farewell” at the end. Readers might also note the use of a perfect rhyme scheme. The lines rhyme AAABBB, and so on, changing end sounds from the beginning to the end of the poem. This adds to the haunting feeling of the poem, making it feel like a chant. 

Read more Robert Herrick poems

If You Forget Me by Pablo Neruda 

In this poem, which was originally written in Spanish, readers can find examples of lines that could be described as being written in monometer. These are the shortest lines of the poem and are quite effective when they are contrasted with the longer lines that come before and after them. For example: 

I want you to know

one thing.

And then later on in the poem: 

that sail

toward those isles of yours that wait for me.

Well, now,

if little by little you stop loving me

I shall stop loving you little by little.

If suddenly

Neruda intended this poem to be written in free verse, and in this translation it is. But, readers can note these shorter lines as examples of monometer. For example, “one thing” is an example of a trochee, and “that sail” is an example of an iamb

Discover more Pablo Neruda poems

Why Do Writers Use Monometer? 

A writer might choose to use monometer within a line of structured verse because they want that line to stand out from the others. If a poem is written primarily in iambic pentameter and then readers find themselves on a line of iambic monometer they are likely to pay more attention to that line and to the ones that follow it. It’s a way of catching the reader’s attention, foreshadowing something important happening, and more. 

More often than not, writers choose to use longer metrical patterns than monometers. Finding a poem written in iambic pentameter, trimeter, or tetrameter is far more common. Dimeter is even more common than monometer. This is due to the fact that it is somewhat challenging to write and not always pleasurable to read. In the Herrick example above, readers can see how the form serves an important purpose—to help the poem sound chant-like for foreboding. 

FAQs 

What is an iambic monometer?

A line that’s written in iambic monometer contains two syllables, the first of which is unstressed and the second of which is stressed. There is only this single poetic foot in the line. 

What is a monometer example?

Herrick’s ‘Upon His Departure Hence’ is one of the only well-known examples of monometer being used consistently throughout a poem in the English language. 

What is a dimeter in poetry?

A line that’s written in dimeter is composed of two poetic feet. For example, it might contain two iambs or two trochees. The line might also contain one of each or use another syllabic arrangement. 


Related Literary Terms 


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