142:
in the first and third lines, and three in the second and fourth. If one counted all syllables, not just stressed syllables, such hymns follow what is called an 86.86 pattern, with lines of eight syllables alternating with lines of four syllables. This form is also known as
360:
While the terminology above enjoys widespread agreement across the
English-speaking world, there is some regional variation. Even within a region there may be historical variation and development. For example, some metre names no longer widely used includes:
282:, 6.6.8.6; iambic lines in the first, second, and fourth are in trimeter, and the third in tetrameter, which rhymes in the second and fourth lines and sometimes in the first and third. "Blest Be the Tie that Binds" is an example of a hymn in short metre.
195:
In practice many hymns conform to one of a relatively small number of metres (syllable patterns), and within the most commonly used ones there is a general convention as to whether its stress pattern is iambic or trochaic (or perhaps
341:, who wrote hundreds of hymns and was instrumental in the widespread use of hymns in public worship in England, is credited with popularizing and formalizing these metres, which were based on English folk poems, particularly
59:" exemplifies a standard form, with a four-line stanza, in which lines with four stressed syllables alternate with lines with three stresses syllables; stressed syllables are rendered in bold.
254:, 8.6.8.6; a quatrain (four-line stanza) with alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter, which rhymes in the second and fourth lines and sometimes in the first and third.
655:
544:'s "Choräle für die Orgel und für die englische Kirche op. 119", Darmstadt 1832 (Yale University LM2093, nr. 4) P.M. is given to the hymntune Hanover by
486:
500:, however, introduces a new PM category, although still retaining several explicit single-item metrical categories. Their 2006
268:, 8.8.8.8; a quatrain in iambic tetrameter, which rhymes in the second and fourth lines and often in the first and third.
522:
671:
573:
201:
681:
631:
541:
527:
349:
334:
239:" which is 10.10.10.10. Some of the most frequently encountered however are instead referred to by names:
502:
205:
569:
466:
516:
490:
594:
348:
A few hymns have an inconsistent metrical pattern across their verses; one well-known example is "
676:
496:
208:
in a well-written hymn; indeed, such variation usually indicates a poorly constructed text.
637:
439:
197:
461:
451:
221:
139:
52:
665:
545:
326:
236:
216:
Most hymnals include a metrical index of the book's tunes. A hymn may be sung to any
136:
56:
251:
144:
494:
has several single-item metrical categories, and lacks a PM category. Their 1982
338:
225:
265:
616:
456:
217:
36:
376:; formerly used for irregular, rare, or one-of-a-kind metres in a hymnal.
35:. This provides a means of marrying the hymn's text with an appropriate
322:
229:
151:
132:
342:
28:
390:, may refer to a six-line stanza of iambic tetrameter 8.8.8.8.8.8,
286:
Two verses may be joined and sung to a tune of double the length:
48:
32:
27:) indicates the number of syllables for the lines in each
235:
All metres can be represented numerically, for example "
570:"Isaac Watts & Emily Dickinson: Inherited Meter"
321:—equivalent to two verses of 8.7.8.7., either
404:, may sometimes be used in reference to 66.66.88,
150:By contrast most hymns in an 87.87 pattern are
438:The latter metres are named for the metres of
352:". Such a metre is described as '"irregular".
8:
531:lists it in the numerical part of the index.
131:To put it more technically, such hymns have
561:
506:maintains a similar PM and methodology.
478:
204:). It is rare to find any significant
7:
315:)—Doubled LM, 8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.
301:)—Doubled CM, 8.6.8.6.8.6.8.6.
619:. The Cyber Hymnal. 19 October 2018
154:, with strong-weak syllable pairs:
220:in the same metre, as long as the
14:
597:. Faith Alive Christian Resources
617:"HM Hallelujah Meter (66.66.88)"
485:The metrical index of the 1941
656:Encyclopædia Britannica Online
51:occur in a limited variety of
1:
212:Terminology and abbreviations
515:An example is the 12.9.12.9
356:Local and historic variation
698:
523:What Wondrous Love Is This
595:"O Come, All Ye Faithful"
574:Academy of American Poets
410:— 10.10.10.10.10.10
202:Great Is Thy Faithfulness
47:In the English language
632:Lutheran Book of Worship
542:Christian Heinrich Rinck
528:The Presbyterian Hymnal
434:— 6.6.6.6.4.4.4.4
350:O Come, All Ye Faithful
428:— 10.10.10.10.10
641:use 66 66 88 instead.
503:Lutheran Service Book
388:Long Particular Metre
206:metrical substitution
43:Hymn and poetic metre
467:Trochaic septenarius
491:The Lutheran Hymnal
422:— 6.6.6.6.8.8
416:— 10.10.11.11
519:
232:) also conforms.
689:
672:Musical notation
642:
628:
626:
624:
613:
607:
606:
604:
602:
591:
585:
584:
582:
580:
566:
549:
538:
532:
517:
513:
507:
497:Lutheran Worship
483:
402:Hallelujah metre
337:and hymn writer
697:
696:
692:
691:
690:
688:
687:
686:
682:European rhythm
662:
661:
651:
646:
645:
638:The Hymnal 1982
622:
620:
615:
614:
610:
600:
598:
593:
592:
588:
578:
576:
568:
567:
563:
558:
553:
552:
539:
535:
514:
510:
484:
480:
475:
448:
440:metrical psalms
358:
214:
45:
12:
11:
5:
695:
693:
685:
684:
679:
674:
664:
663:
660:
659:
650:
649:External links
647:
644:
643:
608:
586:
560:
559:
557:
554:
551:
550:
533:
508:
477:
476:
474:
471:
470:
469:
464:
462:Metre (poetry)
459:
454:
452:Foot (prosody)
447:
444:
436:
435:
429:
423:
417:
411:
405:
391:
377:
374:Peculiar metre
357:
354:
331:
330:
316:
302:
284:
283:
269:
255:
213:
210:
193:
192:
174:
129:
128:
113:
94:
79:
44:
41:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
694:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
669:
667:
657:
653:
652:
648:
640:
639:
634:
633:
618:
612:
609:
596:
590:
587:
575:
571:
565:
562:
555:
547:
546:William Croft
543:
537:
534:
530:
529:
524:
520:
512:
509:
505:
504:
499:
498:
493:
492:
488:
482:
479:
472:
468:
465:
463:
460:
458:
455:
453:
450:
449:
445:
443:
441:
433:
430:
427:
424:
421:
418:
415:
412:
409:
406:
403:
399:
395:
392:
389:
385:
381:
378:
375:
371:
367:
364:
363:
362:
355:
353:
351:
346:
344:
340:
336:
328:
324:
320:
317:
314:
310:
306:
303:
300:
296:
292:
289:
288:
287:
281:
277:
273:
270:
267:
263:
259:
256:
253:
249:
245:
242:
241:
240:
238:
237:Abide With Me
233:
231:
227:
223:
219:
211:
209:
207:
203:
199:
190:
186:
182:
178:
175:
172:
168:
164:
160:
157:
156:
155:
153:
148:
146:
141:
140:metrical feet
138:
134:
126:
122:
118:
114:
111:
107:
103:
99:
95:
92:
88:
84:
80:
78:
74:
70:
66:
62:
61:
60:
58:
57:Amazing Grace
54:
53:poetic metres
50:
42:
40:
39:for singing.
38:
34:
31:(verse) of a
30:
26:
23:
19:
636:
630:
621:. Retrieved
611:
599:. Retrieved
589:
577:. Retrieved
564:
536:
526:
518:CAPTAIN KIDD
511:
501:
495:
489:
481:
437:
431:
425:
419:
413:
407:
401:
397:
393:
387:
383:
379:
373:
369:
365:
359:
347:
332:
318:
312:
308:
304:
298:
294:
290:
285:
279:
275:
271:
261:
257:
252:Common metre
247:
243:
234:
215:
194:
188:
184:
180:
176:
170:
166:
162:
158:
149:
145:common metre
130:
124:
120:
116:
109:
105:
101:
97:
90:
86:
82:
76:
72:
68:
64:
55:. The hymn "
46:
24:
21:
17:
15:
623:29 November
339:Isaac Watts
280:Short metre
222:poetic foot
666:Categories
654:"Hymn" in
601:3 December
556:References
266:Long metre
200:, such as
135:with four
18:hymn metre
677:Hymnology
457:Hymn tune
319:8.7.8.7.D
224:(such as
37:hymn tune
446:See also
400:—
386:—
372:—
335:minister
333:English
323:trochaic
278:—
264:—
250:—
230:trochaic
198:dactylic
152:trochaic
133:couplets
579:29 July
343:ballads
380:L.P.M.
327:iambic
309:L.M.D.
307:(also
305:D.L.M.
295:C.M.D.
293:(also
291:D.C.M.
226:iambic
181:heav'n
165:, all
137:iambic
119:, but
104:, but
87:wretch
71:, how
29:stanza
473:Notes
432:148th
426:124th
420:112th
414:104th
396:, or
311:, or
297:, or
274:, or
260:, or
246:, or
187:come
185:earth
173:ling,
167:loves
117:blind
110:found
89:like
83:saved
81:that
77:sound
73:sweet
69:grace
49:hymns
25:meter
635:and
625:2018
603:2019
581:2020
525:").
487:LCMS
408:50th
394:H.M.
366:P.M.
272:S.M.
258:L.M.
244:C.M.
218:tune
191:,...
189:down
163:vine
159:Love
115:was
102:lost
100:was
98:once
75:the
67:ing
33:hymn
540:In
384:LPM
382:or
368:or
325:or
313:LMD
299:CMD
183:to
179:of
177:joy
171:cel
125:see
121:now
108:am
106:now
65:maz
22:US:
668::
629:;
572:.
521:("
442:.
398:HM
370:PM
345:.
276:SM
262:LM
248:CM
228:,
169:ex
161:di
147:.
123:I
96:I
91:me
85:a
16:A
658:.
627:.
605:.
583:.
548:.
329:.
127:.
112:,
93:.
63:A
20:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.