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One of the questions on my homework assignment asks me whether the meter on Annabel lee is iamb or anapest. It's described as both here: http://www.shmoop.com/annabel-lee/rhyme-form-meter.html

How though, can you tell what kind of meter is used? Who's to say that

It was ma/ny and ma/ny a year/ ago/

Isn't

It was/ man*y*/ and man/y a/ year a/go

I completely agree that the first sounds better, but is that the only way to determine the type(s) of meter used? Would I have to go through each possible meter of every line of a poem to figure out what was supposedly used?

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How can you not tell this is anapestic tetrameter? Just read it out loud. The one that sounds better is the one it is. Get a sense of rhythm. Meter is music. – Robusto Feb 28 '12 at 3:59
lol, I like your, "Get a sense of rhythm." – Bidella Feb 28 '12 at 4:06
Sorry, but literary analysis is strictly off-topic. english.stackexchange.com/faq#questions – nohat♦ Feb 28 '12 at 4:31
@nohat, What I'm trying to ask is how the meter of something is determined. – Walkerneo Feb 28 '12 at 4:34
@walker i voted this as off topic because it's more about writing to me. Maybe see if Writers.SE fits better – simchona♦ Feb 28 '12 at 5:45
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closed as off topic by simchona♦, Mahnax, Lynn, nohat♦ Feb 28 '12 at 4:31

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