What is the meter for just for a handful of silver he left us just for a riband to stick in his coat?

Answer 1

The meter of the lines "just for a handful of silver he left us / just for a riband to stick in his coat" from Robert Browning's poem "My Last Duchess" utilizes a rhythmic pattern that reflects the poem's dramatic monologue style. The lines are written in iambic pentameter, which consists of five metrical feet, each containing an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. This meter contributes to the conversational tone while also emphasizing the speaker's disdain for the value placed on superficial rewards. The repetition of "just" underscores the triviality of the gestures compared to the gravity of the actions taken.