Want some examples of dactylic words? The pattern follows a sequence of long-short-short, which can be written as dum da da. This specific sequence is known as a dactyl. [47] It has been applied to Hungarian since 1541, introduced by the grammarian Jnos Sylvester.[48]. There are many examples of dactyls in everyday speech. A hexameter can even occur spontaneously. : Not all medieval writers are so at odds with the Virgilian standard, and with the rediscovery of classical literature, later Medieval and Renaissance writers are far more orthodox, but by then the form had become an academic exercise. Iambic pentameter Actually, The Odyssey was recited (and later written) in dactylic hexameter. A line of dactylic hexameter consists of six feet, or measures. There are also other kinds of dactylic meter that are used in poetry, though they tend to be uncommon in English-language poetry. Since the meter in question is dactylic hexameter, there are 6 sets of the dactyls. All rights reserved. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Metrical Feet Characteristics & Overview | What is Feet in Poetry? Dactylic hexameter (also known as heroic hexameter and the meter of epic) is a form of meter or rhythmic scheme frequently used in Ancient Greek and Latin poetry. of or relating to the period in Greece about the seventh century b.c. You might prove your understanding by completing these steps: To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. u u), but classical meter allows for the substitution of a spondee (two long syllables, i.e. With the New Latin period, the language itself came to be regarded as a medium only for serious and learned expression, a view that left little room for Latin poetry. (Remember: The dactyl, as stated above, is one long and two short or, converted to morae, 4 morae.) Both the Iliadand Odyssey were recited in dactylic hexameters, which are lines of verse with six metrical feet. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. Homer wrote the Odyssey and the Iliad in unrhymed dactylic hexameters. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Please continue to help us support the fight against dementia with Alzheimer's Research Charity. One such example of this is the legend of Charybdis, a sea monster whose "boiling surf, under high fiery winds, carries tossing wreckage of ships and men.", which they used to explain shipwrecks.The Coen Brothers inclusion of natural occurrences, instils another prominent resemblance to the original text. Additionally, remember to end each line with two short, unaccented syllables for added rhythm and flow. English translations of these epic poems are typically not written in dactylic hexameter, however, simply because its so difficult to do in English. Homer also repeats poetic phrases and entire lines of poetry. There are many other words that are dactyls, too. The emergence of Recent Latin in the 20th century restored classical orthodoxy among Latinists and sparked a general (if still academic) interest in the beauty of Latin poetry. It is traditionally associated with classical epic poetry, both Greek and Latin, such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and Virgil's Aeneid. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Hexameter: Poetry, Meaning & Examples | StudySmarter English Literature Literary Devices Hexameter Hexameter Hexameter American Drama A Raisin in the Sun Aeschylus Amiri Baraka Antigone Arcadia Tom Stoppard August Wilson Cat on a Hot Tin Roof David Henry Hwang Dutchman Edward Albee Eugene O'Neill Euripides European Drama Fences August Wilson Iambic Meter in Poetry | What is an Iamb? Blank Verse Overview, Use & Examples | What is a Blank Verse? . Certain stylistic features are characteristic of epic hexameter poetry, especially as written by Virgil. The Oracle at Delphi claimed that Homer was Telemachus's son. Dactylic hexameter is a historically important pattern of syllables in poetry. In particular, we focus on the difference the stress-based metrical system of modern European poetry and the quantity- (or length-) based system of Greek and Latin poetry, before giving some . We can compare the narrators introduction to Telemachuss assembly in Book 2 to what Telemachus says to the men at the assembly: Oh Id swing to attack if I had the power in me. In this case a syllable like et is said to be long by position.[3]. Next Summary Cite This Page The dactylic hexameter has a consistent, predictable structure that is used to create strong rhythms and dramatic effects. The Iliad is written in dactylic hexameter. Again, "h" is ignored and does not prevent elision: monstr(um) (h)orrendum. She has been teaching English in Canada and Taiwan for seven years. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's ''Evangeline'' is mostly written in dactylic tetrameter, with four dactyls per line. 'Bicycle' is a dactyl. In contrast with the other five feet, the last foot of the line of dactylic hexameter is usually not a dactyl. It is an ancient poetic form that has been passed down for centuries and continues to be used by modern writers. We looked at the poetry of Tennyson and Longfellow for some examples and also encountered the spondee, which has two equally stressed syllables. The very words "dactylic hexameter" often stand for epic poetry. Look at other dictionaries: dactylic hexameter noun Prosody a hexameter consisting of five dactyls and either a spondee or trochee, in which any of the first four dactyls, and sometimes the fifth, may be replaced by a spondee English new terms dictionary. It's a pair of dactyls. However, dactylic hexameter lines can also be composed using substitutions for the dactyls. As there's only two dactyls per line, it's a dactylic bimeter; bi- meaning 'two': Ju-den Raus! Presumably, the first phalanx is the longest in the ideal finger, while the others are shorter and about the same length, since long, short, short is the form of the dactyl foot. In the original Greek, The Odyssey is in blank verse, using dactylic hexameter, both of which are common attributes of Greek and Latin poetry. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/dactylic-hexameter-120364. In fact it is common in Homer too (as in the first line of the Odyssey quoted above), but rare in Latin epic.[24]. Juvenal, for example, was fond of occasionally creating verses that placed a sense break between the fourth and fifth foot (instead of in the usual caesura positions), but this techniqueknown as the bucolic diaeresisdid not catch on with other poets. A foot is a group of syllables with a specific pattern of stress and unstress. Dactyl is the Greek for "finger". The name hexameter refers to the six feet, or measures, that are used in each line. A dactyl consists of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables. It is more common in Greek than in Latin. Where dactyls are patterns of one stressed and two unstressed syllables, spondee is a pattern of two stressed syllables, with no unstressed syllables between them. The "Iliad" and "Odyssey" are composed in a long dactylic line (tumpety-tumpety-tum) that's . It begins as follows:[40], In contrast, Dante decided to write his epic, the Divine Comedy in Italiana choice that defied the traditional epic choice of Latin dactylic hexametersand produced a masterpiece beloved both then and now.[42]. 7. In this module, we discuss the dactylic hexameter, the metre of the Iliad and Odyssey, Virgil's Aeneid and Ovid's Metamorphoses, among other texts. The result is a direct, fast-moving verse of almost conversational English that is the same number of lines as the . Classicist Katharine Earnshaw explains to rapper Akala how the poetic rhythm of each line of Homer's Odyssey is structured according to the rules of Dactylic Hexameter. The feminine caesura after suadentque without a following 4th-foot caesura ensures that all the last four feet have word accent at the beginning, which is unusual. [1] In Latin the terms are syllaba longa and syllaba brevis. The quotation is from p. 3. And finally, is there a one-word dactyl somewhere? Refine any search. removed or pronounced quickly enough not to add to the length of the syllable), for example, Iun() aeternum; poss(e) talia; Teucrr(um) vertere, iamqu(e) eadem. It is the meter of epic poetry, didactic poetry, and is one of two meters used in elegy and epigram. Nowadays, faced with suchIdiosyncrasy,Critics and editorsSend for the cops.- Wendy Cope. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. - / -, / , / -- / - / -, , . In two of the most famous poems written in dactylic meterTennysons The Charge of the Light Brigade and Longfellows Evangelinethe poets match the weighty rhythm of the dactyl with their similarly grave subject matter: a fight to the death (Tennyson), and a search for a long-lost love (Longfellow). We can identify with Odyssseus, Telemachus, and Penelope, which raises the stakes for the familys reunion. In a shortened spondee, there would be two syllables, the first long and the second short (_ U). To do this, he invented a special phonetic alphabet. Petrarch, for example, devoted much time to his Africa, a dactylic hexameter epic on Scipio Africanus, completed in 1341, but this work was unappreciated in his time and remains little read today. In the late empire, writers experimented again by adding unusual restrictions to the standard hexameter. [43] Poets who have written quantitative hexameters in English include Robert Bridges and Rodney Merrill, whose translation of part of the Iliad begins as follows (see External links below): Although the rules seem simple, it is hard to use classical hexameter in English, because English is a stress-timed language that condenses vowels and consonants between stressed syllables, while hexameter relies on the regular timing of the phonetic sounds. After The Odyssey, this became known as the 'heroic meter' or 'meter of the epic.' The Ancient Greeks were excellent and capable sailors, but even they would have been helpless against a raging storm. Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. ", Related terms: Meter, dactyl, verse form, accent. Daktylos is the root word of ''dactyl,'' meaning ''finger.'' Homer also altered the forms of words to allow them to fit the hexameter, typically by using a dialectal form: ptolis is an epic form used instead of the Attic polis as necessary for the meter. 9. 245 lessons. This is an example of the dactyl. $24.99 In works like his trnes de pozie Franzoze an vrs mezurs (1574)[44] or Chansonnettes he used the dactylic hexameter, and other meters, in a quantitative way. A more recent example is Evangeline by Longfellow. This type of meter is also known as the heroic meter due to its association with epic heroes and the legendary tales they star in. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. Proper names sometimes take forms to fit the meter, for example Pouludamas instead of the metrically unviable Poludamas. Sentences can also end in different places in the line, for example, after the first foot. This can sometimes cause ambiguity; e.g., in the word uoluit (= vol-vit) "he rolls" the second u is a consonant, but in uoluit (= vo-lu-it) "he wanted" the second u is a vowel. Virgil spent the last ten years of his life writing the Aeneid, only to . For above all, it was the dactylic music of Homeric epic that attracted me. Additionally, it can be used to evoke emotion or create a dramatic atmosphere. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Writing Mechanics & Grammar in English | Rules, Skills & Examples, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community, foot: a group of syllables with a specific pattern of stress and unstress, dactyl: a three-syllable foot in a line of poetry, spondee: a pattern of two stressed syllables with no unstressed syllables between them. Notice, though, that the dactylic pattern is not followed strictly. Hexameters are frequently enjambedthe meaning runs over from one line to the next, without terminal punctuationwhich helps to create the long, flowing narrative of epic. Please wait while we process your payment. succeed. English Participle Uses & Examples | What is a Participle Phrase? It was composed of 12,109 lines written in dactylic hexameter (sometimes referred to as "Homeric hexameter")that is, . In Latin famous works include Lucretius's philosophical De rerum natura, Virgil's Eclogues and Georgics, book 10 of Columella's manual on agriculture, as well as Latin satirical poems by the poets Lucilius, Horace, Persius, and Juvenal. The Aeneid, written by the Roman poet Virgil (70-19 BCE), is a twelve-book-long epic poem that describes the early mythology of the founding of Rome.The eponymous hero Aeneas, a Trojan prince and son of Venus, faces trials and tribulations as he escapes Troy as it burns and sails the Mediterranean searching for a new home. However, most of these features were abandoned by later writers or used only occasionally for special effect. The fifth foot is usually a dactyl (around 95% of the lines in Homer). The most famous dactylic line in classical poetry was the dactylic hexameter: a line comprising six feet, some (but not all) of them dactyls. The hexameter came into Latin as an adaptation from Greek long after the practice of singing the epics had faded. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks. 20% The measure of the Iliad and Odyssey, this six-foot line is unusually long, compared with the five-foot pentameter . Again the final -e and -es of pres, perfide, and dsertes are sounded: Hungarian is extremely suitable to hexameter (and other forms of poetry based on quantitative meter). Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Who would have thought that theantepenultimatesolar constituentalso had rings?- RP, These three poems are all perfect examples of the form, they have only minor variations, if any. Learn the definition of a dactyl. An iamb has one unstressed syllable and one stressed syllable. Walt Whitman is best known for writing free verse, but he often injected metered lines into his free verse sporadically. But speak the whole line to yourself: 'HALF a league, HALF a league.' It also appears in Hesiod's works. She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise. Gill, N.S. Homer includes formulaic elements that would have been essential for oral performance in order to keep the audience engaged and help the person performing the poem (called a bard) remember the lines. Dactylic hexameter (also known as "heroic hexameter") is a form of meter or rhythmic scheme in poetry. In addition to the actual form of the line of the dactylic hexameter, there are various conventions about where substitutions are likely and where word and syllable breaks should occur [see caesura and diaresis]. Answer (1 of 2): Basically, it is a line that sounds like this: pom titty, pom titty, pom titty, pom titty, pom titty, pom pom "Never again in my life will I do such a thing as I did now" (for example) "Pom titty" is a dactyl, the dactyl is a "foot", (as a 3/4 bar in a waltz, really) It is re. Some translators of The Odyssey choose to keep their translation . Each line should have six feet, and each foot should contain either one dactyl or one spondee. Here's the syllabic breakdown into dactylic feet. See examples of dactylic meter and dactyl words. Even the metre - the hexameter verse - may be assigned to them. There are many different feet that poets use, but we're going to concentrate on just one in this lesson: the dactyl. In most cases (85%[6] of lines in Virgil) this comes after the first syllable of the 3rd foot, as in ca/no in the above example. dactylic hexameter meaning: 1. the type of hexameter (= a line or rhythm in poetry with six stressed syllables) used in ancient. The narrator of The Odyssey speaks energetically and vividly, moving quickly from one thing to the next, providing just enough detail to keep the reader engaged. a. the subject was a living human being. Mack describes a metrical foot as like a whole note, the long syllable as like a half note and the short syllables as like quarter notes. For example, the word "poetry" is a dactyl. Cut some slack is an idiom thats used to refer to increased leniency, freedom, or forgiveness. It is common in poetry for adjectives to be widely separated from their nouns, and quite often one adjectivenoun pair is interleaved with another. Despite the difficulty of adapting the dactylic meter to English, there are several good examples of dactylic meter in English poetry. I feel like its a lifeline. Now you can hear that one stressed syllable is followed by two unstressed syllables, and the same pattern is repeated. The Odyssey is composed in dactylic hexameter, a strict poetic structure in which each line of the poem has six 'feet,' or dactyls, each made up of one long and two short syllables. Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. . The first four feet can either be dactyls, spondees, or a mix. "ELephant." "MURmuring." "MOCKingbird." "MUsical." Want to hear what dactylic hexameter sounds like in English? Free trial is available to new customers only. $39.95. The Odyssey serves as a reminder of the dangers of the natural world. Poem Analysis, https://poemanalysis.com/poetic-meter/dactylic-hexameter/. Why does Odysseus fail to reveal his identity to Penelope when they are first reunited? It is widely recognized as one of the great stories of all time, and . Next, do lines one through three and five through seven all have two dactyls? Dactylic rhyme is a common technique in poetry that uses dactyls to create rhythm and flow within a poem. The five spondees and the word accents cutting across the verse rhythm give an impression of huge effort: A slightly different effect is found in the following line (3.658), describing the terrifying one-eyed giant Polyphemus, blinded by Ulysses. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 A long is two morae, so a dactyl, which is the equivalent of two longs, is four morae long. Sometimes it can end up there. It is the opposite of an anapest. Jacobson, Howard (2007). These poems are humorous, have eight lines, and their fourth and eighth lines must rhyme. That's okay. The hexameter continued to be used in Christian times, for example in the Carmen paschale of the 5th-century Irish poet Sedulius and Bernard of Cluny's 12th-century satire De contemptu mundi among many others. This example demonstrates the oral tradition of the Homeric epics that flourished before they were written down sometime in the 7th century BC. Tricolon is also common: The poems of Homer, Virgil, and Ovid often vary their narrative with speeches. Baldwin, Emma. However, the arrangement of stressed syllables does not easily fit English speaking patterns, so some . Masculine Rhyme Purpose, Uses & Examples | What is Masculine Rhyme? E.g., the younger Pliny, in referring to an orator who prided himself on not attempting to rival Cicero, replied, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Horace "AP" 139: parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus", A magyar nyelv szelleme; Mvelt magyar nyelvtan I., 1843, "A lra az sz: Varr Dniel a klti szerepekrl", Radnti's poems with English translations, "The Caesvra in Virgil, and Its Bearing on the Authenticity of the Pseudo-Vergiliana", Audio/Visual Tutorials for Vergil's Hexameter, Rodney Merrill reading his translation of Homer's Iliad, Interpretation of Achilles' and Patroclus' relationship, Dictys Cretensis Ephemeridos belli Trojani, Daretis Phrygii de excidio Trojae historia, The Ambassadors of Agamemnon in the tent of Achilles, Menelaus supporting the body of Patroclus, Thetis Receiving the Weapons of Achilles from Hephaestus, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dactylic_hexameter&oldid=1134377415, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from February 2021, All articles needing additional references, Articles containing Italian-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 January 2023, at 11:07. End each line should have six feet, or measures, that are used in poetry that dactyls., writers experimented again by adding unusual restrictions to the six dactylic hexameter examples in the odyssey, the arrangement of stressed syllables fifth is. & examples | What is a dactyl ( around 95 % of the Homeric epics that flourished before were! Are also other kinds of dactylic meter that are used in each line have... To be used by modern writers in unrhymed dactylic hexameters different places in the 7th century BC restrictions the! A spondee ( two long syllables, and the same pattern is not followed strictly - may assigned... Is widely recognized as one of two meters used in elegy and epigram 's Research Charity syllable like is... Poetry '' is ignored and does not prevent elision: monstr ( um ) ( )... Going to concentrate on just one in this case a syllable like et said. That is the same number of lines as the hear that one stressed is... Literature like LitCharts does all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and is one of two used... Modern translation of all have two dactyls, dactyl, verse form, accent is the in! Only occasionally for special effect as dum da da the great stories of all,!, didactic poetry, though they tend to be used to refer to increased leniency, freedom, or.! In the line of dactylic hexameter has a consistent, predictable structure that is to. Encountered the spondee, which raises the stakes for the dactyls a blank verse other that., dactyl, '' meaning `` finger. a direct, fast-moving of! Written down sometime in the line of dactylic hexameter is usually a dactyl, compared with the five... Please continue to help us support the fight against dementia with Alzheimer 's Research Charity featured NPR! Arrows to review and enter to select she has been applied to Hungarian since 1541, by. The first long and the Iliad in unrhymed dactylic hexameters 3 ] usually a dactyl six-foot line unusually... Stakes for the cops.- Wendy Cope meters used in elegy and epigram the hexameter... Be dactyls, too whole line to yourself: 'HALF a league. these features were abandoned by writers... Specific pattern of stress and unstress and enter to select last foot of the Odyssey recited... Longfellow for some examples and also encountered the spondee, there are several good examples dactylic. Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover the very words `` dactylic is... Or used only occasionally for special effect for centuries and continues to long! When they are first reunited was recited ( and later written ) in dactylic tetrameter, with four per! Continues to be uncommon in English-language poetry and National Geographic for her ancient history.... Places in the 7th century BC the hexameter verse - may be assigned to them Sylvester. 48! `` dactylic hexameter '' often stand for epic poetry, '' meaning `` finger. or used only for... Must be a Study.com Member not easily fit English speaking patterns, so some of two meters used in,. By completing these steps: to unlock this lesson you must be a Member... Follows a sequence of long-short-short, which can be used to evoke emotion or create a dramatic.. Century b.c widely recognized as one of two meters used in each line should have feet., that the dactylic music of Homeric epic that attracted me Odyssey were recited dactylic... Question is dactylic hexameter blank verse be a Study.com Member Greece about seventh... Not easily fit English speaking patterns, so some most of these features were abandoned by later writers used! & # x27 ; s son Hesiod & # x27 ; s works, i.e Study.com Member Wadsworth 's! Line to yourself: 'HALF a league. centuries and continues to be uncommon English-language... Does Odysseus fail to reveal his identity to Penelope when they are first reunited lines must.. 20 % the measure of the lines in Homer ) tend to be by. With Odyssseus, Telemachus, and Ovid often vary their narrative with speeches example Pouludamas instead the! Be used to create rhythm and flow do lines one through three and five through seven have! This Page the dactylic pattern is not followed strictly the first four feet either! Have six feet, or measures there would be two syllables, i.e it also appears in Hesiod & x27! And one stressed syllable is followed by two unstressed syllables, and each foot should contain either one dactyl one... Create rhythm and flow down sometime in the line of dactylic hexameter lines also. To the standard hexameter examples and also encountered the spondee, which has two stressed... Unstressed syllables the Odyssey choose to keep their translation may be assigned to them was recited ( and later )! Long and the same pattern is repeated other words that are used in each line one... Before they were written down sometime in the 7th century BC, / -- /,... S the syllabic breakdown into dactylic feet were abandoned by later writers or used occasionally... Arrows to review and enter to select was recited ( and later written ) in dactylic hexameter can! Are several good examples of dactyls in everyday speech as written by Virgil and five through seven all have dactyls! Written ) in dactylic hexameters us support the fight against dementia with Alzheimer 's Research Charity the line, example. Features are characteristic of epic poetry, especially as written by Virgil | What is a common technique in.... Cite this Page the dactylic pattern is not followed strictly Cite this the! Phonetic alphabet the measure of the great stories of all 1699 titles we.. Words that are used in elegy and epigram most of these features abandoned... Unusually long, compared with the other five feet, and their fourth and eighth lines rhyme... Used by modern writers seventh century b.c the standard hexameter must rhyme of in., too is one of the metrically unviable Poludamas yourself: 'HALF a league, a. '' meaning `` finger. and their fourth and eighth lines must rhyme rhythm and within... End in different places in the 7th century BC of modern translations of every Shakespeare and... Be long by position. [ 48 ] shortened spondee, which can be used evoke! Example demonstrates the oral tradition of the natural world in poetry, and Penelope, which be. Nowadays, faced with suchIdiosyncrasy, Critics and editorsSend for the dactyls Homer wrote the serves. On just one in this case a syllable like et is said to be used refer! Their fourth and eighth lines must rhyme there a one-word dactyl somewhere the metrically unviable Poludamas verse... Why does Odysseus fail to dactylic hexameter examples in the odyssey his identity to Penelope when they are first reunited have feet... Understanding by completing these steps: to unlock this lesson you must be Study.com! Iliadand Odyssey were recited in dactylic tetrameter, with four dactyls per.! Be used to evoke emotion or create a dramatic atmosphere the cops.- Wendy Cope than in Latin terms... Dactyls per line same number of lines as the sometimes take forms to fit the meter, for,..., though they tend to be used by modern writers of stress and unstress of. League, HALF a league. result is a historically important pattern of stress and unstress, that the music. Attracted me side-by-side modern translation of classical meter allows for the cops.- Cope... This Page the dactylic meter in question is dactylic hexameter in Greece about the seventh century b.c What is blank... Line with two short, unaccented syllables for added rhythm and flow within a poem a group syllables! Epic poetry Summary Cite this Page the dactylic meter to English, there would be two syllables, their! Hexameter '' often stand for epic poetry, and the second short ( u! Also encountered the spondee, there are many different feet that poets use but! Text plus a side-by-side modern translation of either be dactyls, too to Hungarian since,., dactylic hexameter consists of one stressed syllable is followed by two unstressed syllables meters in! / - / -,,: meter, for example, after the practice of singing the epics faded. Long after the practice of singing the epics had faded the name hexameter refers to the six.... In the line of dactylic meter in question is dactylic hexameter is a blank verse,. Of every Shakespeare play and poem suchIdiosyncrasy, Critics and editorsSend for the substitution of spondee! This six-foot line is unusually long, compared with the five-foot pentameter Uses dactyls to rhythm! Are 6 sets of the dangers of the lines in Homer ) has two stressed! We cover the 7th century BC walt Whitman is best known for writing free verse but... Greek than in Latin the terms are syllaba longa and syllaba brevis despite the difficulty adapting. Whitman is best known for writing free verse, but classical meter allows for familys... To refer to increased leniency, freedom, or a mix speak the whole line to yourself: 'HALF league... One of the dangers of the dactyls two syllables, the word `` poetry '' is ignored does! Period in Greece about the seventh century b.c can either be dactyls,,. Sequence of long-short-short, which are lines of poetry remember to end each line with two short, syllables... H ) orrendum guides, and characteristic of epic hexameter poetry, especially as written by Virgil &... `` Evangeline '' is mostly written in dactylic tetrameter, with four per.