Home › Glossary › Letter A

Adonic long line

Meter
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

An elongated Adonic line that expands the traditional dactyl-spondee (– ◡ ◡ – –) pattern into a more complex rhythmic structure.

Detailed Definition
An extended verse line based on Adonic metrical patterns, exceeding the typical shorter Adonic structures. In classical prosody, Adonic typically refers to short lines with dactyl-trochee or dactyl-spondee patterns. Long Adonic lines multiply these units or extend the pattern, creating expansive rhythms while maintaining Adonic's falling cadence and characteristic musical quality. These lines appear in certain hymnic and choral contexts where extended phrasing serves liturgical or ceremonial purposes.
Example
Example in poetry:
Swinburne’s “Atalanta in Calydon” uses Adonic long lines for mournful, rolling cadence; The Adonic long line (dactyl + trochee) appears in Greek choral odes adapted by Victorian poets; In English, it’s rare, but Tennyson mimics its rhythm in “Boadicea” for tragic grandeur; Modernist poets like H.D. revive Adonic measures to evoke classical lament; The line “Flee, my soul, to the hills” approximates an Adonic long line in English stress.
Additional Notes
Adonic long line extends the traditional Adonic (dactyl + spondee) into a longer verse unit; rare, but may appear in experimental adaptations of classical forms.
Also Known As
Extended Adonic line Prolonged Adonic verse Long-meter Adonis line Adonic hexameter
Skip to main content