Question

Read the excerpt from “The Pasture” by Robert Frost. What is the meter?

Answer 1

The correct answer is C: Iambic Pentameter

Iambic Pentameter is a type of metric line used in traditional English poetry and verse drama. "Pentameter" indicates a line of five "feet".

The foot has an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. This pattern repeats five times in each line, as we can see below:

U: unstressed

S: stressed

U---S----U---S----U----S------U----S-----U------S

I'm go | ing out | to clean | the pas | ture spring;  

U---S---U---S-----U----S----U----S---------U---S

I'll on | ly stop | to rake | the leaves | away  

U---------S----U---S--------U----S---U----S------U---S

(And wait | to watch | the wa | ter clear, | I may):  

U------S----U---S-------U----------S-----S---S--S

I sha'n't | be gone | long.—You | come too.  

U---S-----U-----S---U----S-----U----S---U---S

I'm go | ing out | to fetch | the lit | tle calf  

U---------S------U----S-----U----S----U----S------U---S

That's stan | ding by | the mo | ther. It's | so young,  

U--S----U------S------U----S-------U--S-----U-----S

It tot | ters when | she licks | it with | her tongue.  

U------S----U---S-------U----------S-----S---S--S

I sha'n't | be gone | long.—You | come too.