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88.88 meter

Meter
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A quatrain with four lines of eight syllables each, often used in hymns

Detailed Definition
88.88 meter refers to a metrical pattern in hymnody and devotional poetry where each stanza consists of four lines alternating between eight syllables and eight syllables per line, often arranged in iambic tetrameter; this structure provides rhythmic regularity and is commonly used in Protestant hymns, such as those by Isaac Watts, facilitating congregational singing and lyrical memorability through its balanced, symmetrical phrasing.
Example
Example in poetry:
Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death” uses 88.88 meter (alternating iambic tetrameter and trimeter); “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes” by Francis William Bourdillon follows 88.88 structure; Many traditional English hymns like “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” employ 88.88 meter; Isaac Watts’ “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” is written in 88.88 meter
Additional Notes
88.88 meter refers to a hymn stanza form with four lines alternating between eight syllables and eight syllables (iambic tetrameter), often used in Protestant hymnody; it's closely related to Common Meter but lacks the alternating line lengths of 8.6.8.6.
Also Known As
Hymnal Octet Double Common Meter Symmetrical Hymn Stanza Balanced Tetrameter Quatrain Long Meter
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