How does sprung rhythm differ from traditional metrical patterns?

Sprung rhythm differs from traditional metrical patterns primarily in its structural flexibility and its basis in speech patterns. While traditional English accentual-syllabic verse relies on a fixed number of syllables per line and a consistent alternation between stressed and unstressed syllables—such as in iambic pentameter—sprung rhythm is measured solely by the number of stressed syllables.123

In sprung rhythm, the number of unstressed syllables is indeterminate, allowing for a variable number of syllables per foot (typically one to four), whereas traditional meters strictly limit feet to two or three syllables. Because sprung rhythm often places stressed syllables sequentially rather than in a regular alternating pattern, it creates a "sprung" effect that approximates the natural cadence of common speech.1245

Developed by Gerard Manley Hopkins, this system serves as a bridge between formal, regular metre and free verse, prioritizing the rhythmic flow of language over the rigid constraints of traditional poetic frameworks.15