Long-short-long describes a metrical pattern consisting of a three-syllable unit where stressed syllables occupy the first and third positions surrounding an unstressed central syllable, creating a distinctive rhythmic pattern. This configuration produces a symmetrical, balanced foot that can create stately or measured effects depending on context. The long-short-long pattern appears in various metrical traditions under different names and can be deployed for diverse purposes including emphasis, rhythmic variation, or the creation of distinctive sonic signatures that contribute to a poem's overall musicality.

Long-short-long describes the cretic or amphimacer metrical foot—stressed-unstressed-stressed in English—used for rhythmic emphasis or archaic tone.