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Adonic 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

Poetic meter based on the Adonic foot (dactyl followed by a spondee), often used in classical and neoclassical lyrical compositions.

Detailed Definition
Adonic meter: The metrical system based on the adonic measure, characterized by its brief, weighty rhythm that combines dactylic and spondaic or trochaic feet. This meter appears predominantly in classical lyric poetry, especially as the final line of Sapphic stanzas. The adonic's compressed form concentrates meaning and emotion into a compact space, creating memorable, emphatic conclusions. Its distinctive rhythm provides variety within longer strophic forms and demonstrates the sophisticated metrical palette available to classical poets working in quantitative verse traditions.
Example
Example in poetry:
Adonic meter follows the pattern of one dactyl and one trochee (– ∪ ∪ – ∪), often used as a closing line in Sapphic stanzas in Greek and Latin poetry.
Additional Notes
Adonic meter refers to the specific rhythmic pattern used in Adonic verse. It creates a falling, concluding effect that ancient Greek and Latin poets employed to end lyric stanzas, particularly in odes and hymns.
Also Known As
Adonic scansion Adonic rhythm pattern Classical Adonis meter Adonic measure Adonic verse
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