Read the following excerpt from “The Lamb” by William Blake. What meter does Blake use in this poem? Gave thee clothing of delig
ht, Softest clothing wooly bright; A. iambic pentameter (The foot has an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. This pattern repeats five times in each line.) B. dactylic tetrameter (The foot has a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables. This pattern repeats four times in each line.) C. anapestic pentameter (The foot has two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable. This pattern repeats five times in each line.) D. trochaic tetrameter (The foot has a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable. This pattern repeats four times in each line.)
D. trochaic TRIMETER (The foot has a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable. This pattern repeats THREE times in each line.)
Explanation:
William Blake's poem "The lamb" has trochaic trimeter ( a foot has a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable. This patter repeats three times in each line.
Dost <em>thou</em> know <em>who</em> made <em>thee?</em>
bold syllables are stressed ones and italicized are unstressed. Blake mimicked the rhyme scheme AABB and trochaic rhythm of hymns ans nursery rhymes in this poem.
Note: The trochaic meter used is trimeter and not tetrameter.
