Table of meter with symbols

FORM DESCRIPTION SYLLABLES OR CAESURA SYMBOLS
Iamb (iambic) Unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable De-scribe, im-pure Short-long x/ ˘¯
Trochee (trochaic) Stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable Flow-ing, ri-sing Long-short /x ˘¯
Dactyl (dactylic) Stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables I’m-not-it long-short-short /xx ¯˘˘
Anapest (anapestic) Two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable com-pre-hend short-short-long xx/ ˘˘¯
Spondee (spondaic) Two stressed syllables together Deep-sea Long-long // ¯¯
Pyrrhic Two unstressed syllables together Rat-tle short-short xx ˘˘
3-SYLLABLE FEET
Tribrach Three unstressed syllables I-am-not Short-short-short xxx ˘˘˘
Amphibrach Unstressed- stressed-unstressed All ready | to put up the tents for | my circus. |I think I | will call it | the Circus McGurkus. (Dr. Seuss) Short-long-short x/x ˘¯˘
Bacchius 1 unstressed + 2 stressed When day breaks | the fish bite |at small flies Short-long-long x// ˘¯¯
Antibacchius 2 stressed, 1 unstressed Blind luck is | loved more than | hard thinking Long-long-short //x ¯¯˘
Cretic, amphimacer Stressed-unstressed-stressed Sooth-ing-sleep Long-short-long /x/ ¯˘¯
Molossus 3 stressed Pure sweet rose Long-long-long /// ¯¯¯
Tetrabrach, proceleus-matic 4 unstressed I-am-so-dead Short-short-short-short xxxx ˘˘˘˘
Primus paeon Stressed followed by 3 unstressed Beau-ti-ful-ly Long-short-short-short /xxx ¯˘˘˘
4-SYLLABLE FEET
Secundus paeon You‘ll find me here | in dark be-low Short-long-short-short x/xx ˘¯˘˘
Tertius paeon Do you wish for | what you came for | in-ci-den-tal? Short-short-long-short xx/x ˘˘¯˘
Quartus paeon di-di-di-dah | na-na-na-nah Short-short-short-long xxx/ ˘˘˘¯
Major ionic, double trochee Love’s la-bour lost Long-long-short-short //xx ¯¯˘˘
Minor ionic, double iamb The ab-surd fool | an ob-scene mask Short-short-long-long xx// ˘˘¯¯
Ditrochee   Shine to come to | sure-ly want to Long-short-long-short /x/x ¯˘¯˘
Diiamb Who has the breath | to run the race Short-long-short-long x/x/ ˘¯˘¯
Choriamb Rouse me to-night | Dreams will take flight Long-short-short-long /xx/ ¯˘˘¯
Antispast Of youth long-ing | the fall yearn-ing Short-long-long-short x//x ˘¯¯˘
First epitrite  

Traditionally used in classical Greek poetry

 Short-long-long-long x/// ˘¯¯¯
Second epitrite Long-short-long-long /x// ¯˘¯¯
Third epitrite Long-long-short-long //x/ ¯¯˘¯
Fourth epitrite Long-long-long-short ///x ¯¯¯˘
Dispondee Long-long-long-long //// ¯¯¯¯