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Adonic dimeter

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 classical metrical line composed of a dactyl (– ˘ ˘) followed by a trochee (– ˘), often used in Greek and Latin lyric poetry.

Detailed Definition
Adonic dimeter is a two-foot line consisting of a dactyl followed by a trochee (˘ ˘ ¯ ˘ ¯), named after the Greek poet Adonis; it appears in classical lyric poetry and occasionally in English adaptations, offering a compact, elegiac rhythm suited to lament or invocation.
Example
Example in poetry:
An Adonic dimeter consists of a dactyl followed by a trochee (˘ ˘ ¯ ˘ ¯); an example is “Merrily, merrily” though rare—classically, it appears in Greek choral odes adapted into English as “Over the mountains / High they fly.”
Additional Notes
Two-syllable line with dactyl foot, used in Sapphic odes. Named after mythical Adonis. Often appears as final line of Sapphic stanza.
Also Known As
Adonic verse Adonic measure
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