The ancient Greek poets were an influential source to poets of the Renaissance era in Italy, France and England. The earliest Greek poetry was not written but sung or spoken, and the meter was quantitative, meaning it varied between long and short syllables. Later Greek poetry was used as part of dramatic plays, where a chorus of dancers recited poetry while moving in set patterns. Many of the terms used to describe poetry are borrowed from Greek, although the meanings of many of the terms has changed. Greek poetry is also the source of the heroic simile, a commonly used method in poetry to compare something unknown to something known by the reader.
