Representation
All meters can be represented numerically. In addition, some of those most frequently encountered are named:
- C.M., or CM—Common Meter, 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.
- L.M., & or LM—Long Meter, 8.8.8.8; a quatrain in iambic tetrameter, which rhymes in the second and fourth lines and often in the first and third.
- S.M., or SM—Short Meter, 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.
Often a longer verse will, in effect, be two short verses joined together or doubled. So:
- D.C.M. (also C.M.D., or CMD)—Doubled CM, 8.6.8.6.8.6.8.6.
- 8.7.8.7.D—equivalent to two verses of 8.7.8.7. Many of the strongest hymns are in this meter, such as Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, and Glorious things of thee are spoken, which is sometimes sung to "Austria".
A large number of hymns, including many well known ones, use other meters: examples are "Abide With Me" (10.10.10.10) and "Come Down, O Love Divine" (6.6.11.D).
Read more about this topic: Meter (hymn)