Trochaic HYMNS

Trochaic metering lends itself to hymn texts with strong, accented starts. Verses and lines are able to be started with strong works such as Love, Power, Right, Fill, Kindle, King, Perish, Hark!, Firm, Joy!, Holy, Welcome, Gladly, and Singing... and other words that are accented on the first syllable.

Speak (don't sing!) the hymn text in the box below - your hand coming down as if hammering for the accented syllables and coming up, ready to hammer again, with the unaccented syllables:

 

 (A u) (A u) (A u) A  
   Hark!  the  her- ald  an- gels  sing

Do you notice a natural break in the flow at the end of a line and before the next line starts? That's because your hand has to come up to start the next accented beat. This metering pattern gives you a natural place to take a breath to sing the next line.
   Glor- y  to  the  new- born  King!
   Peace  on   earth   and   mer- cy  mild,
  God and sin- ners re- con- ciled!
  Joy- ful, all ye na- tions, rise;
  Join the tri- umph of the skies;
  With an- gel- ic host pro- claim
  Christ is born in Beth- le- hem!
  Hark! the her- ald an- gels sing
  Glor- y to the new- born King!

 Do you feel that, unlike Iambic metering, Trochaic metering has a certain power and energy to the hymn - whereas Iambic is softer, more contemplative? Trochaic metering is not for meditation, but for celebration and exhortation.

One thing pointed out in many books is that the rhyme is plainly obvious when ending on an accented syllable - being an accented syllable; much more obvious than when the rhyme is on an unaccented syllable. Care must be taken to ensure the obviousness of the rhyme does not detract form the message.

As with Iambic metering, there is an infinite number of possible combinations, but there are also some 'standard' metering patterns used in hymn composition you need to know:

65.65 ..... 77.77 ..... 87.87 ..... Other

 

 

 

 

 

65.65 ..... 65.65D

65.65:

 

 (A u) (A u) (A u)     Common Rhyming Patterns:
  NOW the DAY is O- ver     A   A A A
  NIGHT is  DRAW- ing  NIGH         A B A B
  SHA-  dows OF  the EVE-  ning     A   A B B
  STEAL ac- CROSS  the SKY         A B B A

There are those who say this pattern can leave the reader or the singer feeling frustrated or unfulfilled; as if they've had to stop too soon. With this lyric in particular I've always been left feeling as if the song lingers, hoping for me to continue.

65.65D

 

(A

 u) (A u) (A u)     Common Rhyming Patterns:
 

ON-

 ward  CHIST- ian  SOLD- iers!     A   A
  MARCH- ing AS to WAR         A B
  WIT the CROSS of  JES- us     A   A
  GO- ing ON be- FORE.         A B
  CHRIST, the ROY- al MAST- er     B   C
  LEADS a- GAINST the FOE;         B D
  FOR- ward IN to  BAT- tle,     B   C
  SEE his BAN- ners GO!         B D

 

 

 

 

 

 

77.77 ..... 77.77D

A classic example of Seven's is the hymn at the top of this page - "Hark the Herald Angels Sing".

Okay... Seven's can be tricky. According to the books, there are two ways a Seven's metering can be created and used. First, by having three Trochaic feet followed by a single accented syllable ...

( A u ) ( A u ) ( A u ) A

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
Angels We Have Heard on High

...or Second, by having a single unaccented syllable followed by three Trochaic feet...

u ( A u ) ( A u ) ( A u )

(I am still looking for an example of this...
The fact that I am having such a hard time tells me this might be a rare form...?)

This second example could give you the impression you were working with Iambic metering that is minus a final accented syllable instead of with Trochaic metering, so it is important you simply remember it to be Trochaic with an extra syllable in front of it all.

Common Rhyming Patterns:
    77.77        77.77.77       77.77D    
A   A A A A   A A A A   A A
  A B A B   A A B B   A B A
A   A B B A   B A B A   A B
  A B B A   A B B A   A B B
          B B C C C B   C C
          B B C C C   B D C
                    B   C D
                      B D D

Some writers feel Trochaic metering such as this one lends itself better to the use of a chorus or refrain - or Hallelujahs - in order to fulfill that feeling of needing to further the song along. A different metering can be used for the chorus so that is does end with an accented (masculine) syllable, thus giving it more of a concluded feeling.

 

 

 

 

 

87.87 ..... 87.87.87 ... 87.87D

Where Iambic 87.87 sounds best when lines two and four employ a two-syllable rhyme, Trochaic 87.87 rhymes best when lines one and three have a two-syllable rhyme (and lines two and four employ a one-syllable rhyme.)

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

 

Notice that the accented beat emphasizes the final words in the second and forth lines of each stanza -
grace, praise, above, love

However, some 87.87 songs - such as the 87.87.87, can easily employ rhyming patterns such as A-B-A-C-B-C.

 

 

 

 

 

Other

76.76 ... 76.76D

Although employed successfully in Iambic metering, 76.76 is rarely used in Trochaic metering. When it is used, the 7's line, starting and stopping on an accented syllable, often denotes strength and directness, while the 6's line brings some gentleness to the song, ending with the more gentle unaccented syllable. An example:

strong ...
gentle ...
strong ...
gentle ...
strong ...
gentle ...
strong ...
gentle ...		  

Gentle May laid her Child
Lowly in a manger;
There He lay, the undefiled,
To the world a Stranger.
Such a Babe in such a place,
Can He be the Saviour?
Ask the saved of all the race
Who have found His favor.

Notice that the strength and gentleness in this song are not always in the words of that line, but is is in the message and emotion as well.