Elision hexameter refers to the adaptation of classical dactylic hexameter—a six-foot metrical line prominent in Greek and Latin epic poetry such as Homer’s "Iliad" or Virgil’s "Aeneid"—into vernacular or modern poetic forms through the strategic use of elision, where unstressed or redundant syllables are omitted to preserve the rhythmic integrity of the line; in English, which lacks the inflectional flexibility of Latin, poets like Longfellow in "Evangeline" employed elision (e.g., “o’er” for “over,” “th’” for “the”) to approximate the hexameter’s rolling cadence, thereby evoking classical gravitas while navigating the constraints of English phonology.

Hexameter line using elision (vowel merging) for metrical scanning. Classical technique adapted to English. Study with scansion rules for synaloepha.