Poetry Glossary

A comprehensive glossary of 31,156 literary terms, poetic forms, devices, characters, places, ideas, concepts, and more.

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Letter: 8 ×

8-6-8-6 Meter Details

Meter
AKA:
Common MetreBallad MetreHymn MetreCommon Measure
A quatrain meter with alternating lines of eight and six syllables, common in hymns
8-6-8-6 meter refers to a poetic metrical pattern alternating between lines of eight syllables and six syllables, commonly found in traditional English hymns and ballads; this structure creates a rhythmic contrast that enhances lyrical flow and memorability, as seen in many Protestant hymns like "Amazing Grace," where the iambic tetrameter (8 syllables) alternates with iambic trimeter (6 syllables) to produce a balanced yet dynamic cadence ideal for communal singing and emotional resonance.
Example: The traditional ballad stanza often uses 8-6-8-6 meter: "The king sits in Dunfermline town, / Drinking the blood-red wine; / 'O where will I get a skeely skipper / To sail this ship of mine?'" (Child Ballad 58); Many hymns follow 8-6-8-6 meter, such as Isaac Watts’s "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross"; Emily Dickinson occasionally adapted 8-6-8-6 meter in poems like "Because I could not stop for Death— / He kindly stopped for me— / The Carriage held but just Ourselves— / And Immortality."; The nursery rhyme "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" exemplifies 8-6-8-6 meter in its first stanza: "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, / How I wonder what you are! / Up above the world so high, / Like a diamond in the sky."
Notes: 8-6-8-6 meter: A common hymn meter also called common meter doubled; alternates lines of 8 and 6 syllables, producing a balanced and singable rhythm found in traditional hymns and ballads.

88.88 Meter Details

Meter
AKA:
Hymnal OctetDouble Common MeterSymmetrical Hymn StanzaBalanced Tetrameter QuatrainLong Meter
A quatrain with four lines of eight syllables each, often used in hymns
88.88 meter refers to a metrical pattern in hymnody and devotional poetry where each stanza consists of four lines alternating between eight syllables and eight syllables per line, often arranged in iambic tetrameter; this structure provides rhythmic regularity and is commonly used in Protestant hymns, such as those by Isaac Watts, facilitating congregational singing and lyrical memorability through its balanced, symmetrical phrasing.
Example: Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death” uses 88.88 meter (alternating iambic tetrameter and trimeter); “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes” by Francis William Bourdillon follows 88.88 structure; Many traditional English hymns like “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” employ 88.88 meter; Isaac Watts’ “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” is written in 88.88 meter
Notes: 88.88 meter refers to a hymn stanza form with four lines alternating between eight syllables and eight syllables (iambic tetrameter), often used in Protestant hymnody; it's closely related to Common Meter but lacks the alternating line lengths of 8.6.8.6.
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