Home › Glossary › Letter A

Alcaic four-foot

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

The shorter, four-foot line within an Alcaic stanza, often serving as a rhythmic counterpoint to the longer eleven-syllable lines.

Detailed Definition
Alcaic four-foot|A verse line containing four metrical feet arranged according to Alcaic prosodic patterns, creating balanced lines characteristic of classical Alcaic verse. This length provides sufficient space for complete statements while maintaining concision and rhythmic energy. Four-foot Alcaic lines balance narrative capacity with lyric intensity, suitable for both storytelling and meditation. The Alcaic patterning distinguishes these lines from purely iambic or dactylic four-foot lines through varied foot combinations and musical flexibility.
Example
Example in poetry:
Alcaic four-foot follows the traditional Alcaic line of four metrical feet: Horace’s Odes use this for dignified lyricism: “Vides ut alta stet nive candidum…”; Translated by John Dryden: “Mark how the snows lie white on yonder hill”; Contemporary example: “Storm clouds gather, swift and dark and deep” (Marilyn Hacker); The form appears in W.H. Auden’s “In Memory of W.B. Yeats”: “Earth, receive an honoured guest”; Alcaic four-foot often opens stanzas with dactyls then shifts to trochees; Used in hymns and odes for solemn, elevated tone.
Additional Notes
Alcaic four-foot line may refer to the third line of the Alcaic stanza, which is shorter; in English, poets like Tennyson and Swinburne adapted its rhythmic feel loosely.
Also Known As
Alcaic tetrameter Four-foot Alcaic line Alcaic quadriline
Skip to main content