How did Lucretius’s use of Latin hexameter compare with the poetry of Ennius and Virgil?

Lucretius’s use of the Latin hexameter represents a transitional stage in the development of Roman poetic technique, standing between the foundational work of Quintus Ennius and the perfected form achieved by Virgil.1

• Relationship to Ennius: Lucretius was deeply indebted to Ennius, the father of Roman poetry who first introduced the dactylic hexameter to the Latin language. Lucretius adopted Ennius’s use of archaic forms, alliteration, and assonance, which were often metrically convenient for the demands of the hexameter line.231
• Evolution toward Virgil: While Lucretius successfully adapted the meter to convey complex philosophical concepts—often inventing new vocabulary or repurposing common words to handle abstract ideas—his verse still contained technical irregularities. These include instances of harsh elisions, unusual prosody, and a certain incoherence of rhythm that Virgil would later refine and perfect.1
• Technical Mastery: Whereas Ennius established the framework and Lucretius utilized it to translate the abstract prose of Epicurus, Virgil transformed the meter into a superbly varied and musical instrument, marking the culmination of the genre's development in Latin literature.314