Stanzas 1-8 demonstrate dróttkvætt, the classical court metre that dominates Old Norse skaldic poetry. Each stanza has eight lines with six syllables per line, regulated alliteration and internal rhyme (hendingar).
Hér hefr upp Snorri Sturluson Háttatal, er hann orti um Hákon konung ok Skúla hertuga. Þat háttr er dróttkvæðr er flestir skáld hafa ort í. Þar eru tvær vísuhelmingar í hverri vísu, ok eru fjórar línur í helmingi. Hverr helmingr á at hafa þrjár hendingar ok tvær línur skothendur ok tvær línur aðalhendur. Línan á sex stafkvæðar at hafa. Alliteration á at vera þrjár í hverjum helmingi: tvær í fyrstri línu helmingins ok ein í annarri.
Here Snorri Sturluson begins Háttatal, which he composed in honour of King Hákon and Earl Skúli. The metre called dróttkvætt is the one most skalds have used. Each stanza has two halves, and each half has four lines. Each half-stanza must have three hendingar and two lines with skothendingar and two lines with aðalhendingar. The line must have six metrical syllables. Alliteration consists of three syllables in each half-stanza: two in the first line and one in the second.
Skothendingar eru þær er samhljóðendur eru þeir sömu en sérhljóðar ólíkar. Aðalhendingar eru þær er bæði sérhljóðar ok samhljóðendur eru samhljóðar. Þat er fullkomit dróttkvætt er þessar reglur eru farnar.
Skothendingar are the half-rhymes where the following consonants match but the stressed vowels differ. Aðalhendingar are the full rhymes where both the stressed vowel and the following consonants agree. It is complete dróttkvætt when these rules are observed.
Stanzas
Háttatal 1
Vestr fór ek of ver, víðs gjarna, hlóðumk hrafns ok ara heitstrenging saman. Þars œrr, hölðum, eiðsvari gengr, geirs odda gramr gulls of fenginn.
Westward I fared over the sea, eager for battle; I loaded the raven and the eagle with pledged conflict. There the fierce king, oath-keeper of men, leads the lord of spear-points, the winner of gold.