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Aeolic tetrameter

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 four-foot line based on ancient Aeolic meters, often used in lyric poetry

Detailed Definition
Aeolic tetrameter is a metrical line of four Aeolic metrical units, often built from glyconic or lesser ionic feet, used in ancient Greek lyric poetry; it exhibits rhythmic flexibility and asymmetry distinct from the regularity of dactylic or iambic meters, and appears in the works of Sappho and Alcaeus to convey intimate or elevated lyrical content.
Example
Example in poetry:
Aeolic tetrameter consists of four Aeolic metrical units; though rare in English, a constructed example: “Stars above us, winds around us, / Night enfold us, peace surround us.”
Additional Notes
Four-metron Aeolic line. Variable syllable count (typically 14-16). Used in Alcaic stanzas and Greek choral verse. Requires understanding of classical quantitative meter.
Also Known As
Aeolic four-foot line Greek lyric tetrameter Lesbian tetrameter Glyconic tetrameter
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