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Alcaic pentameter

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

The second line of the Alcaic stanza, typically five metrical feet

Detailed Definition
Alcaic pentameter is a five-foot line within the Alcaic stanzaic system, though the classical Alcaic actually uses four lines of varying length; the term may refer to modern adaptations extending Alcaic rhythm into pentameter for English verse while retaining its trochaic-dactylic energy.
Example
Example in poetry:
Alcaic pentameter is non-standard; Alcaic stanzas don’t use pentameter—this may refer to a five-foot adaptation, e.g., “Storm clouds gather over the mountain high,” mimicking Alcaic rhythm in English stress.
Additional Notes
Five-foot Alcaic line, less common than the hendecasyllabic or decasyllabic Alcaics. Part of Alcaic stanza variations. Study Horace's Odes for metrical patterns adaptable to English stress-based verse.
Also Known As
Alcaic five-foot Alcaic middle line Horatian pentameter
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