hexameter Definition
a line of verse consisting of six metrical feet, especially of dactyls.
Using hexameter: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "hexameter" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
Homer's Iliad and Odyssey are written in hexameter.
Example
The hexameter is a common meter in epic poetry.
Example
The Latin poet Virgil wrote his Aeneid in hexameter verse.
hexameter Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with hexameter
a form of meter in poetry or a rhythmic scheme in music that consists of six dactyls per line
Example
The Homeric epics are written in dactylic hexameter.
a poetic meter that consists of six metrical feet per line, with the first five feet being dactyls or spondees and the last foot being a trochee or spondee
Example
The Aeneid by Virgil is written in heroic hexameter.
alcaic hexameter
a form of meter in poetry that consists of six lines, the first four of which are dactylic hexameter and the last two of which are either dactylic dimeter or spondaic dimeter
Example
Horace's Odes are written in alcaic hexameter.
Origins of hexameter
from Greek 'hexametros', meaning 'having six measures'
Summary: hexameter in Brief
The term 'hexameter' [hek-sam-i-ter] refers to a line of verse consisting of six metrical feet, especially of dactyls. It is a common meter in epic poetry, exemplified by Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and is used in other forms like the dactylic hexameter, heroic hexameter, and alcaic hexameter.
