quantitative verse (n.)

The metre of classical Greek and Latin poetry is quantitative, which is measured by timing rather than a syllable or stress count. Measure is obtained from the length of time that it takes to pronounce long and short syllables, and the rhythm of each line is based on this. It is rarely used in English verse. The hendecasyllabic meter is quantitative.See Also: accentual verse, accentual-syllabic verse,hendecasyllable, syllabic verse