Metrical anomalies

[milo]

OK milo, let's see you sub trochee instead of iambs.
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You can't substitute anapest in IP, if you do it isn't IP is it? You can substitute a foot of anapest in a sonnet.
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For someone who has shown little ability to write in meter, he sure talks a lot about it.


dale the evil

here is the general guideline I wrote for acceptable substitution in ip and posted to this site about a dozen times and while it isn't iron clad, it is a pretty good set of generally accepted principles:

Rules for ip:

Lines should have 5 iambs and nothing else.

Exceptions:

there are some acceptable substituions in ip. Substitutions should be used to add emphasis or add to the reading. Substituions should NOT be used because the author cannot find an acceptable iamb.

acceptable sub:

1. Trochees can be substituted for any of the first 4 feet though earlier is better. 1 trochee/line

2. Double iambs (pyrrhic-trochee) should be used SPARINGLY.

3. Headless iambs can be used for first foot (9 syllable iambic line starting with a hard accent). NOT to be used in first line.

4. Fem endings.

5. Spondees can be used as a sub for any foot although shouldn't occur in the first line and no more than 1 per line. Also, shouldn't occur in line with a troche.

as you can see, the only line that has only 3 iambs has a double iamb sub and it is to be used sparingly (once per poem would be overkill)

the only time it is acceptable to use 3 iambs in ip is with what is called a double iamb (pyrric/spondee)