Trochees are a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables used in poetry, often combined with other measured feet to create engaging rhythms. They were first used in English in the 17th century and are still used in advertising jingles. Trochaic meters are often confused with iambic meters, but can be distinguished by analyzing the first line. Children tend to prefer trochaic words and meters, which some believe helps with phonological progression.
In poetry the rhythmic beats in the verses are sometimes created by metrical feet such as a trochee. Trochee are a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in which the stressed syllable is immediately followed by an unstressed one as in the word “happy”. Trochaic meters are one of the most used feet in poetry.
Ancient Greek and Latin performers often used trochee in comic and tragic music, poetry and plays. Trochees were first used in English in the early 17th century. Longer poems in English tend to feel monotonous when trochaic meters are used; however, short poems use them quite well. The best example of this would be with William Blake’s “Tiger”. Trochaic meters are not popular in modern poetry, but are often used in advertising jingles and slogans to make them more memorable.
The trochee’s best use is when it is combined with other measured feet. Trochee is often combined with anapest, which is a pattern of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable, and dactyl, which is one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones. Two other rarer types of measured feet are Spondee, which is two successively stressed syllables, and Pyrrhus, which is two successively unstressed syllables.
Trochees used sparingly or with other metrical feet help create an engaging rhythm. It can make the poem sound like a chant – as in the poem “Tiger” – or simply give it a more distinct rhythm. Using trocheas in a poem can also make it more musical and pleasing to the ear. The overall goal of the trochee is to remove monotony and make the poem less flat and predictable.
Trochaic meters are often confused with iambic meters which are unstressed syllables followed by stressed syllables. The best way to tell if a foot is trochaic or iambic is to analyze the first line. This is because each follows a similar pattern of singular stresses and non-solicits.
Linguists note that children tend to prefer trochaic words, meters and sentences over other types, especially iambic. Some believe that trochae help children in their phonological progression, because they help them pronounce unstressed syllables better. There is debate as to why this is the case. Some believe it is because trochee are found more in children’s literature and school books, while others believe it is because trochee provide a syllable pattern that is easier to imitate.
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