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Definition of Meter: The structured rhythm of a poem, determined by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables.

Description: Each line in iambic pentameter consists of five iambic feet, where an iamb is defined as an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
Flow of Language: Linguists argue that English naturally leans towards iambic meter, making even everyday language often fit this pattern. Examples:
- "Please tell me if you've heard this one before."
- "They said she had a certain way with words."
- "The baseball game was televised at nine."

Iambic Pentameter: A common meter in English poetry.
- Example: "In sé- | quent tóil | all fór- | wards dó | conténd" (William Shakespeare)
Trochaic Octameter: Features eight trochaic feet, where a trochee is a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable.
- Example: "Once u- | pón a | midnìght | dreary, while I | pondered, weak and weary" (Edgar Allan Poe, THE RAVEN)
Anapestic Tetrameter: Contains four anapestic feet, where an anapest consists of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable.
- Example: "There are mán- | y who say that a dóg | has his day" (Dylan Thomas)

Scanning Defined: The process of reading poetry aloud, marking syllables as stressed or unstressed, and calculating the number of feet.
Purpose: Although it may seem trivial, scanning enhances understanding of sound effects, much like different music styles can convey different moods.
Alertness to Variations: Recognizing the basic meter of a poem makes readers attentive to deviations or alterations, which is crucial for deeper comprehension.

Change-ups on Dominant Meter: Poets often alter predictable patterns to avoid monotony. Techniques include:
- Substitution: Replacing an iamb with a trochee or spondee, creating emphasis or variation.
- Caesura: A short pause within a line often indicated by punctuation.
- Enjambment: Continuing a grammatical sentence beyond the end of a poetic line, which impacts the poem's flow and meaning.
Example of Dactylic Hexameter:
- "This is the forest pri- | méval. The | múrmuring | pínes and the | hémlocks" (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline)
- Notes: The line is regular until the final foot, which features a trochee, and includes a caesura.

Shakespeare's Technique: Often initiates iambic lines with a trochaic foot:
- Example: "Like as the waves | make towards the péb- | bled shore"
John Milton: Known for nuanced meter; in Paradise Lost, he employs substitutions within iambic pentameter:
- Example: "Rócks, cáves, | lakes, féns, | bógs, déns, and Shades of Death"
- Here, he uses spondees to substitute for the expected iambs.
John Dryden's Poem: Starts with various feet:
- Quote: "Farewell, tóo lít | tle, and | tóo láte | ly known"
- Analysis: While some may see the line as predominantly iambic, the rhythm may invite varied interpretations based on the reader's natural emphasis.

The actual reading of a line is affected by:
- Reader's Hearing of Rhythm: How one interprets and feels the rhythm of the poem.
- Variability in Emphasis: The natural stress that might differ from the expected pattern based on contextual usage of words.