Sapphic meter

While Sappho used several metrical forms for her poetry, she is most famous for the Sapphic stanza. It's not clear if she invented it or if it was already part of the Aeolic tradition. Her countryman Alcaeus uses the Sapphic stanza; Sappho does not use the Alcaic.

The Sapphic stanza is composed of three hendecasyllable lines followed by an adonean[?] (or adonic[?]) (using "-" for a long syllable, "u" for a short and "x" for an "anceps" or free syllable):

 - u -  x  - u u -   u - x
 - u -  x  - u u -   u - x
 - u -  x  - u u -   u - x
        - u u - x

External Links

See this introduction (http://www.aoidoi.org/articles/meter/intro.php) to Greek meter for more information about the Aeolic meters in general.