A syllable consists of a vowel sound that may be preceded or followed by consonant sounds. Any of these sounds may be repeated. The repetition of initial consonant sounds, as in “tried and true”, “safe and sound”, “fish or fowl”, “rime or reason”, is alliteration.

The repetition of vowel sounds, as in “mad as a hatter”, “time out of mind”, “free and easy”, is assonance.

The repetition of final consonant sounds, as in “first and last”, “odds and ends”, “short and sweet,” “a stroke of luck,” is consonance.

“ wild and woolly”粗野, “first and foremost”首先, “footloose and fancy-free”自由自在, “penny-wise, pound-foolish”小事聪明大事糊涂, “dead as a doornail”死透了, “might and main”全力, “sink or swim”冒险, “do or die”生死关头, “pell-mell”乱七八糟, “helter-skelter手忙脚乱，harum-scarum马马乎乎， hocus-pocus骗术，

“tried and true”真诚的, “safe and sound”安全的, “fish or fowl”天上飞的，水里游的, “rime or reason不管有理无理” “mad as a hatter”发疯, “time out of mind”远古, “free and easy”轻松 slap-dash，“first and last”前后, “odds and ends”零碎, “short and sweet,少而精” “a stroke of luck,”好运气struts and frets挣扎搏斗，time and tide时间，thick and thin甘苦与共，kith and kin亲戚，fit as a fiddle合适极了，the viol，the violet and the vine小提琴，紫罗兰和藤萝（爱伦堡），crisscross十字形，last but not least最末可不是最小，lone and lorn孤单，good as gold金不换，malt does more than Milton can麦芽胜似米而吨的大手笔

The basic kinds of feet(音步)are thus as follows:

Duple meters:

ˇin-¯ter, the sun Iamb抑扬格 Iambic}

¯en-ˇter, went to Trochee扬抑格(长短格) Trochaic}

Triple meters:

ˇin-ˇter-¯vene, in a hut, Anapest抑抑扬格 Anapestic

en-ter-prise, col-or of Dactyl长短格的 Dactylic

Spondee (spondaic) 强强格, 扬扬格:

¯true-¯blue

Monosyllabic foot:

¯truth

1.

ˇOh ¯who ˇis ¯that ˇyoung ¯sinˇner ¯with ˇthe ¯hand-

ˇcuffs ¯on ˇhis ¯wrist?

ˇAnd ¯what ˇhas ¯he ˇbeen ¯afˇter ¯that ˇthey ¯groan

ˇand ¯shake ˇtheir ¯fists?

ˇAnd ¯whereˇfore ¯is ˇhe ¯wearˇing ¯such ˇa ¯consˇcience ¯stricˇken ¯air?

¯Oh ˇthey’re ¯taˇking ¯him ˇto ¯pri-

ˇson ¯for ˇthe ¯colˇor ¯of ˇhis ¯hair.

2.

ˇOh who ˇis that ˇyoung sinˇner with

the ˇhand-ˇcuffs on ˇhis wrist?

ˇAnd what ˇhas he ˇbeen afˇter that ˇthey

groan ˇand shake ˇtheir fists?

ˇAnd whereˇfore is ˇhe wearˇing such

ˇa consˇcience strickˇen air?

Oh ˇthey’re takˇing him ˇto ˇpriˇson for

ˇthe coˇlor of ˇhis hair.

1． 抑扬格（轻重格）Iambus：是最常见的一种格式，每个音步由一个非重读音节加一个重读音节构成。

As fair / art thou / my bon/nie lass,

So deep / in luve / am I :

And I / will luve / thee still,/ my dear,

Till a` / the seas / gang dry:

Robert Burns(1759-1796): My Luve Is like a Red, Red Rose

注；art=are luve=love bonnie=beautiful a`=all gang=go

上例中为四音步与三音步交叉，可标示为：︶－／︶－／︶－／（︶－）

2．扬抑格（重轻格）Trochee：每个音步由一个重读音节加一个非重读音节构成。

下例中为四音步扬抑格（少一个轻音节），可标示为：－︶／－︶／－︶／－

Tyger!/ Tyger!/ burning / bright

In the / forests / of the / night

William Blake: The Tyger

3． 抑抑扬格（轻轻重格）Anapaestic foot: 每个音步由两个非重读音节加一个重读音节构成。如：三音步抑抑扬格︶︶－／︶︶－／︶︶－

Like a child / from the womb,

Like a ghost / from the tomb,

I arise / and unbuild / it again.

4． 扬抑抑格（重轻轻格）Dactylic foot: 每个音步由一个重读音节加两个非重读音节构成。如：两音步扬抑抑格－︶︶／－︶︶

ˊTouch her not / ˊscornfully,

ˊThink of her / ˊmournfully.

-- Thomas Hood

5． 抑扬抑格（轻重轻格）Amphibrach：每个音步由一个非重读音节加一个重读音节再加一个非重读音节构成。如：三音步抑扬抑格︶－︶／︶－︶／︶－︶

下例中最后一个音步为抑扬格。

O ˊhush thee / my ˊbabie / thy ˊsire was / a knight.

Metrical feet

¯Tro-ˇchee ¯trips ˇfrom ¯long ˇto short

From long to long in sol-emn sort

¯Slow ¯spon-¯dee ¯stalks; ¯strong ¯foot! Yet ill a-ble

¯Ev-ˇer ˇto ¯come ˇup ˇwith ¯dac-ˇtyl tri-¯syl-ˇla-ˇble

ˇi-¯am-ˇbics ¯march ˇfrom ¯short ˇto ¯long

ˇWith ˇa ¯leap ˇand ˇa ¯bound ˇthe ˇswift ¯an-ˇa-ˇpests ¯throng

Samuel taylor Coleridge(1772-1834)

ˇShould ¯auld ˇac¯quaiˇn¯tance ¯be ˇfor¯got,

ˇand ¯neˇver ¯brought ˇto ¯mind?

ˇShould ¯auld ˇac¯quaiˇn¯tance ¯be ˇfor¯got,

ˇand ¯days ˇof ¯auld ˇlang ¯syne?

ˇFor ¯auld ˇlang ¯syne ˇmy ¯dear,

ˇfor ¯auld ˇlang ¯syne,

ˇwe'll take ˇa cup ˇof kindˇness yet

for the sake of auld lang syne.