Here's a breakdown by type of poetry:
1. Traditional Poetry:
* Iamb: Unstressed, stressed (e.g., "aBOVE") - This is the most common foot in iambic pentameter, which is used in Shakespearean sonnets, heroic couplets, and many other classic poems.
* Trochee: Stressed, unstressed (e.g., "DArling") - Trochaic tetrameter (four trochees per line) is common in ballads and some hymns.
2. Free Verse Poetry:
* Free verse doesn't have a strict meter, so any foot can be used, and often mixed. However, iambs and spondees (two stressed syllables, e.g., "HEART-BREAK") are common because they create a natural rhythm.
3. Specific Meters:
* Dactyl: Stressed, unstressed, unstressed (e.g., "HAPPYLY") - Common in dactylic hexameter, the meter of the epic poem "The Odyssey."
* Anapest: Unstressed, unstressed, stressed (e.g., "understand") - Used in anapestic tetrameter in some ballads and children's rhymes.
Beyond Specific Feet:
* Stressed Syllable: It's important to remember that meter is often determined by the *stressed syllable* rather than the exact combination of syllables within a foot. Some poems might have a predominantly iambic feel, even if not every foot is a perfect iamb.
Overall, the most common foot in poetry is the iamb, due to its prevalence in traditional forms like iambic pentameter. However, free verse poetry allows for greater flexibility, using various feet or even no defined meter at all.
For a deeper understanding of different feet, consult a poetry textbook or online resources that explain metrical analysis.