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Aeolic long-short

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 foot in Aeolic verse with a long syllable followed by a short sequence

Detailed Definition
A metrical pattern typical of Aeolic verse alternating between long and short syllables in characteristic combinations, particularly the — ∪ pattern fundamental to Aeolic prosody. This basic unit appears in various Aeolic feet including choriambs and creates the distinctive falling-rising rhythm of Aeolic verse. The long-short alternation provides rhythmic variety while maintaining metrical coherence, allowing graceful transitions between stressed and unstressed positions that characterize the musical quality of Aeolic poetry.
Example
Example in poetry:
Sappho’s “long-short” Aeolic lines (e.g., – – u –) create lyrical asymmetry; In Horace, this pattern alternates with shorter lines for rhythmic variety; English imitations use stress to approximate quantitative long-short durations; The form suits intimate, personal themes due to its conversational cadence; Contemporary poet Anne Carson uses long-short phrasing to evoke Sapphic intimacy.
Additional Notes
Aeolic long-short describes the metrical pattern of many Aeolic lines, alternating longer and shorter elements (e.g., dactyls and trochees); foundational to Sapphic and Alcaic stanzas.
Also Known As
Aeolic long-short pattern Double contrasting Aeolic Mixed Aeolic measure Aeolic dactyl
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