Amphibrachic dimeter
An amphibrachic foot (known as an amphibrach) has a short syllable followed by a long syllable followed by a short syllable (SLS or U/U).
Dimeter is two feet per line.
Example
We wrote this one ourselves as we couldn’t find any examples of amphibrachic dimeter.
Damp house to let
“The truth is distorted!”
The landlord retorted
When tenant reported
Her walls were all damp.
“You must have been sloshing
And spilling and washing.
I’ll put you straight out on
The street like a tramp.”
NOTE:
That the last foot of the last line of each verse is an iamb (SL, or U/), which provides a rest from the amphibrachs. Read it out loud and you’ll hear the difference this makes. Many of the most pleasing rhythms in poetry arise from the breaking of the metre.
A closer look at the feet in this poem
U = short syllable; / = long syllable; | = division between feet
